Yogeśvara: Why does the living entity try to enjoy material nature in such a way?
Prabhupāda: The, the . . . when he forgets that he cannot enjoy—the only enjoyer is God, Kṛṣṇa—when he forgets this principle he wants to enjoy.
M. Lallier: Yes.
Prabhupāda: That is called illusion, māyā. Actually he cannot enjoy, but forgetting Kṛṣṇa, the real enjoyer, he wants to enjoy. That is his . . . just like a child imitates the mother for cooking. The other day, in Geneva, the fire ceremony was going on. The mother was offering oblations, and the child also immediately took some, and he . . . you have seen that?
Yogeśvara: Yeah.
Prabhupāda: So he's not fit for that business, but he imitates. That is childish. Sometimes goes to the kitchen, wants to make foodstuff, preparation, and he is given some toys, "You just play with it." So every living entity is part and parcel of God. So God is enjoyer, God is controller. So he wants to imitate God. That is called māyā.
M. Lallier: (French)
Pṛthu-putra: (translating) So what should the soul do if he cannot imitate God?
Prabhupāda: Yes, the soul . . . just like the same example: the child should be guided by the father and mother; similarly, we should be guided by God, Kṛṣṇa. That is our normal life. And the guidance is given personally by Kṛṣṇa in the Bhagavad-gītā. So if you follow the instruction of Bhagavad-gītā and be guided by God, then you are happy exactly like a child is happy when he's under the protection of the parents.
M. Lallier: Yes. Why does a soul forgets, forget relation . . .
Devotee: With Kṛṣṇa.
M. Lallier: . . . with God?
Bhagavān: Why does the soul . . .?
Prabhupāda: He does not forget, but he . . . just like the same example. You call it forgetfulness or imitation. Just like the child was offering. He was not required to offer oblation, but he was imitating the mother. That is natural. According to Vedic instruction, we are all living entities. God is also a living entity, but He is chief. Nityo nityānāṁ cetanaś cetanānām (Kaṭha Upaniṣad 2.2.13), that He is the topmost living entity, leader of the all other living entities. Eko yo bahūnāṁ vidadhāti kāmān. The supreme one is maintaining all other living entities. So we are maintained, and He is maintainer. So sometimes . . . (to translator) Yes, explain. There is . . . sometimes it happens the father maintains the children, but the same child sometimes gives up the protection of the father: "Why shall I live under the guidance of . . .? I shall become independent." There are many instances in your Western countries. He's happy being under the protection of the parents, but he rebels, he goes away. So that he can do. But if the father is very big, very rich, and the son leaves home and goes away to live independently, he suffers so much inconveniences, and that is his choice.