Q. Does acting on the platform of soul (although i may not have realized that i am a soul) lead to the actual realization of soul?
Answer by Romapada Swami: Srila Prabhupada says that by practicing something it becomes our second nature. So as you said, by acting on the platform of the soul we can gradually come to the actual realization of the soul by practice. But one thing to be wary about is that while we practice it must be genuine practice realizing that I am not there yet but I am practicing and it may seem a little awkward too. But if we keep practicing like this without any pretension or imitation, gradually it will become our second nature. In fact our daily practices of sadhana are meant for this purpose.
Below is a nice room conversation of Srila Prabhupada illustrating this point (April 2nd 1972, Sydney) –
“Practice means employing both the mind and the senses in practical devotional service. *This practice is not for developing something artificial.* For example, a child learns or practices to walk. This walking is not unnatural. The walking capacity is there originally in the child, and simply by a little practice he walks very nicely. Similarly, devotional service to the Supreme Lord is the natural instinct of every living entity. Even uncivilized men like the aborigines offer their respectful obeisances to something wonderful exhibited by nature’s law, and they appreciate that behind some wonderful exhibition or action there is something supreme. So this consciousness, though lying dormant in those who are materially contaminated, is found in every living entity. And when it is purified, this is called Krsna consciousness.
“There are certain prescribed methods for employing our senses and mind in such a way that our dormant consciousness for loving Krsna will be invoked, as much as the child, with a little practice, can begin to walk. One who has no basic walking capacity cannot walk by practice. Similarly, Krsna consciousness cannot be aroused simply by practice. Actually there is no such practice. When we wish to develop our innate capacity for devotional service, there are certain processes which, by our accepting and executing them, will cause that dormant capacity to be invoked. Such practice is called sadhana-bhakti.”
