For an aspiring transcendentalist the desire to be free of entanglement in activities that are dictated by the temporary plane is essential. Temporary means bound by time...beginning and end. This is precisely what is meant by transcendence. To not be ruled by the temporary field of activities. This verse is one of the most important verses in the Bhagavad Gita..
"On the other hand, he who controls the senses by the mind and engages his active organs in works of devotion, without attachment, is by far superior." Bhagavad Gita As It Is 3.7
One approach is to not be active at all. Think of life on the temporary field of activities, the material world of birth and death, as being in a room where there is a party going on. But it is just an awful party. The music is not to your taste. The people are not those that you can relax and be yourself with. You're not connecting with anyone and very uncomfortable. Where's the door?
There is some relief being outside that room and in the hallway. That is one approach to transcendence. Let me escape the temporary world. But there is no activity at all there.
Just down the hallway there is another room and there is another party going on. But it is very nice. Just great. Great food. Entertainment. The people are super cool. That is the transcendental world. Different cultures over time have described this in different ways according to their particular time, place and circumstances.
Krishna in Bhagavad Gita calls this param dhama. The Supreme Abode. The big party in the spiritual sky.
This verse gives us the key to unlock the door to that party...devotional service...to act in the consciousness of being a part and parcel of the Supreme Being without attachment to the fruits of endeavor. I like to think of a fruit tree. The tree simply produces the fruits and when they are ripe they are taken...but not by the tree.
Similarly the cow produces milk but she does not drink the milk.
Everything is supplied to the tree, everything is supplied to the cow but they do not seek to enjoy the fruits they produce.
Personally my tendency is to hang out in the hallway. So I have a lot of surrendering to do. A lot of practice in actually doing something that produces useful fruit. But like a tree that responds to light I am cheerful knowing that as long as I keep growing towards the light eventually the fruits will be there.
Link to the text: https://prabhupadabooks.com/bg/3/7
