Category:Real Self-interest
Theme Analysis
The concept of real self-interest is fundamentally misunderstood in the material world, where the conditioned soul is driven by gross ignorance and the bodily conception of life. As the teachings confirm, modern society creates temporary plans for communal, national, and personal economic development, falsely believing these pursuits will bring satisfaction. However, because we are eternal spirit souls and part and parcel of the Supreme Lord, our actual self-interest lies entirely in reviving our relationship with Him. By taking shelter at the lotus feet of Lord Viṣṇu or Kṛṣṇa and engaging in pure devotional service, the living entity awakens from the illusion of material enjoyment. True self-interest means recognizing one's identity as a servant of God and dedicating one's life to pleasing Him, which ultimately leads the soul back home, back to Godhead, free from all material pains.
- The Illusion of Material Ambition: Conditioned souls falsely identify with the physical body and work tirelessly for sense gratification, ignorant of the fact that such temporary endeavors only lead to further material bondage and suffering.
- The Ultimate Target of Life: True self-interest is completely spiritual; it means understanding our constitutional position as spirit souls and directing all our progress and devotion toward pleasing Lord Viṣṇu.
- The Path of Devotional Service: By engaging in the process of bhakti, one abandons the artificial duties dictated by bodily designations and takes up the causeless, joyful service of Kṛṣṇa, which is the only way to satisfy the true self.
- Returning to the Supreme Father: The perfection of recognizing our real self-interest culminates in escaping the cycle of birth and death, allowing us to go back to Godhead and enjoy eternal life full of bliss and knowledge.
- Explore the synthesized essence of this category in this Vanipedia article: Discovering Real Self Interest in Devotion.
Pages in category "Real Self-interest"
The following 27 pages are in this category, out of 27 total.
A
- An intelligent person, a brahmana, aspires for liberation from material bondage. That is the real self-interest of a human being
- Arjuna is supposed to show disregard for self-interest by submission to the will of Krsna, who is everyone's real self-interest. The conditioned soul forgets this, and therefore suffers material pains. BG 1972 purports
D
- Due to gross ignorance, the conditioned soul does not know that his real self-interest is to take shelter at the lotus feet of Lord Visnu
- Due to ignorance, the materialistic person does not know anything about his real self-interest, the auspicious path in life. He is simply bound to material enjoyment by lusty desires, and all his plans are made for this purpose
E
- Everyone is acting for self interest, but bhakti-marga, devotional service of Krsna's interest, that is real interest
- Everyone is trying communally, nationally, individually for his or their interest. So that is not good. Svarthe pramattah. They do not know what is real self-interest
- Everyone works very hard to earn money, but no one knows that his real self-interest is in serving the Supreme Personality of Godhead
- Everywhere the principle of self-interest is there.That is there. But real self-interest is Krsna. For Krsna we can do anything. Because He is supreme Self
N
- Na te viduh svartha-gatim hi visnu. He should know that his real self-interest is to make progress toward Visnu, the Supreme Personality of Godhead. They do not know this. Why don't they know it? Because they have hopes which are very difficult to fulfill
- Na te viduh svartha-gatim hi visnum (SB 7.5.31). They (foolish people) do not know that real self-interest ends in pleasing Lord Visnu
- No one understands his real self-interest, which lies with the spirit soul, not with the material body. Education means spiritual education. To work hard in the bodily conception of life, without spiritual education, is to live like an animal
R
T
- These rascals, they do not know that his real self-interest is how to approach Visnu or Krsna. Krsna, Visnu, therefore comes personally just to show His causeless mercy upon them, to exhibit Himself, how He can be friend to everyone
- This energy can be utilized for real self-interest if one is compassionate. A person in Krsna consciousness, a devotee of the Lord, is always compassionate
- Those who unnecessarily engage in bodily conceptions and create an atmosphere of materialism are always ignorant of their real self-interest
- To progress toward the target of Visnu, which is our real self-interest, one must become very powerful in conquering these various hindrances or enemies
W
- We should be very serious about attaining our eternal life full of bliss and knowledge. We have forgotten that this is actually our aim of life, our real self-interest. Why have we forgotten
- Whatever we are doing, we are doing to satisfy the senses. It is this consciousness that has to be changed. In its place we must implant our real self-interest - Krsna consciousness
- When one thinks in terms of serving the Supreme Personality of Godhead, that is real self-interest
- Without knowing the real self-interest, they are engaged in so many so-called duties. Krsna says, sarva-dharman: "Give up all these duties," but they will not do