In the Bhagavad-gītā you understand there are two kinds of nature: parā and aparā. So this material nature is aparā, apareyam itas tu viddhi me prakṛtiṁ para. Apareyam. Bhūmir āpo 'nalo vāyuḥ (BG 7.4). The land, water, fire, air, sky, these five elements, they are described in the Bhagavad-gītā, bhinnā me prakṛtir aṣṭadhā: "They are separated energy, inferior quality energy. But beyond this inferior quality energy, I have got another, superior quality of energy." What is that? Jīva-bhūta. You can understand that jīva-bhūta, the living entity. Yayedaṁ dhāryate jagat (BG 7.5).
Because jīva-bhūta, we living entities, we are superior than the matter because we are controlling the matter. Just like we have been in the riverside, so many things, material things, we saw. But who has made it? The living entities. The matter has not come into so many forms without the touch of the living entity. Everyone can understand. The big, big ships, how it has come into existence? Because a living entity planned, engineered how to do it, and he brought material things, and he manufactured it. Therefore this inferior energy, the material things, they are subordinate to the spiritual energy.