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That is a very good question.

Bhagavat : Srila Prabhupada asked if we had any questions. I was an avid reader, and by that time I had read the little blue Bhagavad-gita twelve or fourteen times. One of my favorite parts was "The Modes of Material Nature." Being philosophical by nature, I wanted to understand some of the more refined and subtle points. So I said to Prabhupada, "I'm confused because throughout your books and in your lectures, you say that when you become a devotee you're on the transcendental platform. But at the same time, you talk about being affected by the modes of material nature. Although I'm a devotee practicing the principles of devotional service and experiencing a certain amount of transcendental pleasure, at the same time I feel affected by the modes of material nature. How is it that I can be on the transcendental platform and still be affected by the modes of material nature?" Prabhupada smiled. He saw that it was a thoughtful and introspective question and said, "That is a very good question." He answered, "It is just like being on a boat. When you're on the boat, no one can say you're not on the boat. You are on the boat. But sometimes big waves will come and rock that boat, so your position on the boat may not be steady. Those waves are the modes of material nature, and the boat is the transcendental platform. You're on the transcendental platform, but sometimes the waves of material nature rock the boat, and therefore your position is not steady." Then he asked, "How will you become steady? For that you have to learn from the captain of the boat, the spiritual master, how to steer the boat. If you learn expertly, then your position in the boat will be steady even in the greatest storm. Similarly, on the transcendental platform, if you learn from the spiritual master how to steer the boat of transcendence through the ocean of material life, then you will become steady even in the greatest storm of the modes of material nature." I was extremely impressed at how Prabhupada explained complex philosophy with a simple analogy.



Reference: Memories Anecdotes of a Modern Day Saint - Volume 1 by Siddhanta Dasa