​If we are purpose-centered, aren’t we still self-centered?

Answer Podcast

Transcript

This is an AI-generated transcript and may contain some errors.
So we say that we should be purpose-centered and that being focused on our purpose is humility.
But doesn’t the purpose also come from the self? And then if we are purpose-centered, then also we will become self-centered. Yes, it’s possible. But then the principle of bhakti is that, see, this is, say, myself.
Myself means I have my interests. I have my talents. I have my abilities.
So this is a circle of my interests and abilities. And this is the circle of bhakti. Now to practice bhakti sustainably, we have to find the intersection between the two.
What is my interest? That is one circle. And what is bhakti? That is another circle. So what is the intersection between that? If we situate ourselves in that, we will be able to practice bhakti sustainably.
Lifelong we will be able to practice it. And that is actually Varanashram. Varanashram essentially means what? A brahmana likes to study, likes to teach.
And then they are told, do it for Krishna. Study the message of Krishna and share the message of Krishna. A Vaishya likes to earn money.
Vaishya likes to deal in money. So then they are told, do it. But do it, give charity and do it in the spirit of service to Krishna.
So it is not that everything that is of interest to the self is self-interested. It is not that everything that is of interest to the self that is self-interested. Self-interested basically means self-centered, selfish.
But if something is of my interest, then I can use that also in a mood of service. If I can study scripture nicely, that is my interest. But if I study scripture nicely, it is not necessarily that I am becoming self-interested.
It is that I am using my interest for my self-realization. I am using my interest in my service to Krishna. So when did the problem comes is? So when we become, when our purpose takes us out of the circle of bhakti.
There is a circle of bhakti. There is a circle of our self, our interests. And we are situated in the circle of, in the intersection of the two.
But when we come out of that and we start doing anti-devotional activities, non-devotional activities, then it can become a problem. But the purpose naturally, for a purpose to be lasting, it has to emerge from the self. The spiritual master will give us instructions.
The senior devotees will give us instructions. And at least in the initial stage of our spiritual life, we should follow instructions and do those services. But it’s not that there are, throughout our life, there is going to be some senior devotee telling us, do this, don’t do this, do this, don’t do this.
Eventually, we may not be even in the same devotee circle. We may get transferred somewhere else. We may go to a different place.
And if we have to practice bhakti, we have to become self-motivated. Self-motivated doesn’t mean self-selfish. That means our motivation to do bhakti comes from ourselves.
And that will come when we find something that is of interest in bhakti for us. So, it’s not necessary that our purpose has to be selfish. Our purpose, if it is to serve Krishna, and if we find out some ability, some avenue in which we can serve Krishna, and we develop ourselves in that, that can be done in a mode of service and that can take us closer to Krishna.
That will not interfere with humility at all.