Curiosity kills the cat

(Kadamba Kanana Swami, 27 August 2015, Stockholm, Sweden, Srimad Bhagavatam 3.6.6)

The living beings originate in the spiritual world and then come to a state where they enter into tatashta – tatha, it means the edge – the marginal state where they are neither in the spiritual world nor in the material world. It is the state where the living being enters into contemplation upon his nature, as it is within his nature to not only be the servant of Krsna but also to be isvara, or the controller and enjoyer.

Once that contemplation is there, that is when the living entity enters into a neutral state. So it is not that in the spiritual world, in the midst of loving Krsna, suddenly envy develops, ‘Why do I have to serve Krsna?!’ That is not the case. It is simply that upon eternity, the living entity discovers an aspect of his own nature and when he dwells on it then for that moment, he is in tatashta, in marginal state where he is not absorbed in service.

Then from that state he can immediately return, ‘What is this?! I am not involved now in the nectarian service of the Lord! Let me immediately reassume that service!’  Or one can become curious – as they say in English, ‘Curiosity kills the cat.’  It is curiosity that can bring the living entity to the point where he decides, ‘Yes, maybe I want to try out that material realm!’  Then the living entity comes into the material energy – anadi mahirmukha – meaning that they are in the material world since the time immemorial…