“The primary potencies of the Absolute Truth are mentioned to be three: internal, external and marginal. By the acts of His internal potency, the Personality of Godhead in His original form exhibits the spiritual cosmic manifestations known as the eternal Vaikunthalokas, which exist eternally, even after the destruction of the material cosmic manifestation. By His marginal potency the Lord expands Himself as living beings who are part of Him, just as the sun distributes its rays in all directions. By His external potency the Lord manifests the material creation, just as the sun with its rays creates fog. The material creation is but a perverse reflection of the eternal Vaikuntha nature.” (Shrila Prabhupada, Chaitanya Charitamrita, Adi 2.96 Purport)

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1. The large insurance company

“I am not revealing any trade secrets here, so just relax. I happen to work in the industry, but on the technology side. Well, recently someone from the actuarial side made a presentation. I was just blown away. The amount of stuff they have to keep track of. The total premiums coming in, the claims paid out, the market itself, how to be competitive with pricing – I don’t think I could ever do it. I have no idea how something so large manages to return profit consistently and annually. I am better off not knowing.”

2. The motor vehicle

“Let me ask you something. If your car suddenly breaks down, would you know what to do? In how to get it started, to have it moving on the highway again, I would not know the first place to look. I can barely get the hood to open properly. Mind you, there are people who understand the entire mechanism. The combustion engine, the fuel-injection, the kind of oil to use, the correct pressure for tires, the brakes – you name it and they can explain the whole thing to you. I am overwhelmed by it all. I am better off not knowing.”

3. The stock market

“Let me ask you something. What does it mean when a company goes public? I know there is usually a bank involved. There are the shares issued. People can buy in, but how does that actually materialize? What if someone purchases shares in my company? Do I get the money right away? Am I allowed to spend it? What if the shareholder then wants their money back? Do I have to give them the money? Just what is the difference between being public and private? The whole thing overwhelms me. I am better off not knowing.”

4. The energies of God

His Divine Grace A.C. Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupada provides a roadmap. If our goal is to identify God, to reach Him, then we should try to understand Him. The beginning of that understanding is targeting the division of energies. You see, the Supreme Personality of Godhead has an internal potency. He also has an external potency. There is one more, something in the middle, which explains the predicament of the living entities.

If we want to proclaim elevation in terms of education, if we want to boast about our knowledge, then we should at least know all of the energies. If only focusing on the external energy, we should at least have a full grasp as to what goes on. Bhagavad-gita explains that the external energy, which is known as prakriti, consists of five gross elements and three subtle elements.

भूमिर् आपो ऽनलो वायुः
खं मनो बुद्धिर् एव च
अहङ्कार इतीयं मे
भिन्ना प्रकृतिर् अष्टधा

bhūmir āpo ‘nalo vāyuḥ
khaṁ mano buddhir eva ca
ahaṅkāra itīyaṁ me
bhinnā prakṛtir aṣṭadhā

“Earth, water, fire, air, ether, mind, intelligence and false ego – altogether these eight comprise My separated material energies.” (Lord Krishna, Bhagavad-gita, 7.4)

These elements combine in different proportions to create the variety we see in the material world. Sometimes, fire is more prominent. It may be that one species has a greater concentration of air, thus facilitating travel through the skies with ease. Some can survive just fine within the water. Everything that we see is nothing but the elements of prakriti.

As we see from the above review, even focusing on certain quadrants, tiny as they may be, can be both challenging and bewildering. If I cannot understand how a large, multinational corporation functions, then how can I claim that there is no God? My failure to understand something does not negate its existence. The same applies to the highest concept there is.

The internal potency is the living spirit. Prakriti cannot do anything on its own. Matter does not produce matter. Life comes from life. The body only develops when there is life inside. The constitutional makeup of life is spirit soul, which is sach-chid-ananda. The fragment of spirit is eternal, knowledgeable, and blissful. The different instances of life are the different fragments. These fragments are known as amshas in Sanskrit.

The amshas of the conditioned variety are technically in the category of marginal, meaning they are in between the internal and external potencies. They are supposed to be superior to the external potency, but they always have a choice. Succumbing to illusion, they might mistake the external potency to be their eternal home. The amshas are sparks, or expansions, which make up the entire marginal potency. One person is at the source. The highest being of all is thus the storehouse of the greatest energy imaginable. That energy is also inconceivable.

ममैवांशो जीवलोके जीवभूतः सनातनः
मनःषष्ठानीन्द्रियाणि प्रकृतिस्थानि कर्षति

mamaivāṃśo jīvaloke jīvabhūtaḥ sanātanaḥ
manaḥṣaṣṭhānīndriyāṇi prakṛtisthāni karṣati

“The living entities in this conditioned world are My eternal, fragmental parts. Due to conditioned life, they are struggling very hard with the six senses, which include the mind.” (Lord Krishna, Bhagavad-gita, 15.7)

I am at a loss to understand, but the representative has kindly distributed their influence to reach my sphere. This means that I can begin to understand that which was previously bewildering. The easiest and best way to reach that understanding is through bhakti, as revealed in Bhagavad-gita.

भक्त्या त्व् अनन्यया शक्य
अहम् एवं-विधो ऽर्जुन
ज्ञातुं द्रष्टुं च तत्त्वेन
प्रवेष्टुं च परन्तप

bhaktyā tv ananyayā śakya
aham evaṁ-vidho ‘rjuna
jñātuṁ draṣṭuṁ ca tattvena
praveṣṭuṁ ca parantapa

“My dear Arjuna, only by undivided devotional service can I be understood as I am, standing before you, and can thus be seen directly. Only in this way can you enter into the mysteries of My understanding.” (Lord Krishna, Bhagavad-gita, 11.54)

In Closing:

That path directly blessed,
Considered the best.

By Krishna Himself proclaimed,
Otherwise repeatedly shamed.

In my attempts to understand,
Only at bewilderment to land.

How even operating energy one,
But all from single source have come.

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