The soul is beyond all these actions and reactions. But because this living entity's soul is covered by so many gross and subtle elements, he is unnecessarily suffering, although the suffering is temporary. All these sufferings are temporary. Nothing endures. But the suffering is there. Therefore it has been advised by Ṛṣabhadeva, na sādhu manye yata ātmana ayam asann api kleśa-da āsa deha (SB 5.5.4). This whole world, people is suffering on account of these different circumstantial position, the three guṇas and the mind being polluted with these three stages, jāgriti, svapna, suṣupti and so many things—they are described, twenty-four elements. On account of this packing of the soul, as it is stated in the Bhagavad-gītā, asmin dehe, dehi . . . dehino'smin yathā dehe (BG 2.13): the real spirit soul is packed up within the body in so many coverings. So our so-called pleasure and pains in this material world, they're artificial. They are not factual, on account of being packed with so many material things. Therefore it is called moha, illusion. It is not fact.
So if one is serious about spiritual advancement, then he should not . . . first of all he must know, "What is my position? How I am packed up with all these twenty-four elements?" Of course, due to our habits we are sometimes subjected to these pains and pleasure. Still, Kṛṣṇa says that, "You do not become disturbed by these so-called artificial pains and pleasures. Don't be disturbed." Śītoṣṇa-sukha-duḥkha-dāḥ. Āgamāpāyino 'nityas tāṁs titikṣasva bhārata. Mātrā-sparśās tu kaunteya, śītoṣṇa-sukha-duḥkha-dāḥ (BG 2.14). Just like we are covering because it is cold, but actually, as spirit soul I am not affected. Asaṅgo hy ayaṁ puruṣa. In the Vedas it is said that the soul is unaffected with this material condition. Several times we have given this example, that a person has got a good car, and it is somehow or other broken, and he becomes upset, because his car . . . although he knows that "I am not this car," but his thoughts being absorbed by the attraction of the car, when the car is broken someway or other, he becomes almost unconscious.
So this is due to our attachment. So spiritual life means how to get out of this attachment. This is spiritual life. We are "No, what is the wrong if we are attached?" The wrong is that if so long we remain attached to these temporary illusory things, you'll not be able to get out of it. That is the whole program. Therefore Kṛṣṇa advises, mātrā-sparśās tu kaunteya. These pains and pleasure is due to this skin, it is not real. But because you are attached to the skin and bone, therefore you feel sometimes pains and pleasure. But that will not endure. Better tolerate it. Tolerate. That is spiritual, tapasya. That is called tapasya. When one can learn how to tolerate these temporary so-called pains and pleasure, then he is advanced.
So if one is simply attached to these pains and pleasure of material skin and bone, then how he can be free from the material condition of life? Therefore Prahlāda Mahārāja is describing. It has to be . . . Prahlāda Mahārāja's proposal is that spiritual life should begin from very childhood, kaumāram ācaret prājño dharmān bhagavatān (SB 7.6.1). Otherwise that attachment will continue, and you'll never be able to give up this attachment, and the spiritual . . . material condition of life, the accepting one body, bhūtvā bhūtvā pralīyate (BG 8.19), accepting one body and accepting another body, this will continue. But the real business of human life is to end this materialistic way of life, that die and again take another . . . janma . . . janma-mṛtyu-jarā-vyādhi (BG 13.9), to be implicated in these four things. Then our sufferings will never end. This is spiritual life. Spiritual life means to end the sufferings of material existence. That is Prahlāda . . . Dharmān bhagavat . . . durlabhaṁ mānuṣaṁ janma (SB 7.6.1).
So in the human form of life the children should be trained up to spiritual life. That is the duty of the father and mother. Gṛheṣu saktas. If one remains attached to family life, then gṛheṣu saktasya pramattas. Pramattas means . . . to remain attached to this family life means madness. Means madness. It is very difficult to understand this madness, especially in this age, Kali-yuga, because we have very little knowledge. Mandāḥ sumanda-matayo manda-bhāgyā upadrutāḥ (SB 1.1.10). The position of the people at the present age, Kali-yuga, they're all bad; nobody is good. Mandāḥ, all very slow. They do not know what is the aim of life, how to fulfill the goal of life, mandāḥ. And manda-matayo: and if somebody is interested, they will manufacture some rascaldom. Manda-matayo. And everyone is manda-bhāgyā, unfortunate. Unfortunate means that they got this opportunity, human life, to end all the problems of life, but they'll not take care of it. Manda-bhāgyā. And besides that, upadrutāḥ, embarrassed by so many difficulties, especially these men in Kali-yuga will be harassed by insufficient supply of foodstuff, and taxation by the government. Durbhikṣa-kara-pīḍitāḥ (SB 12.2.9). This is the statement in the Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam.