How Prabhupāda Trains His Disciples to Make Kṛṣṇa Their Only Interest
The conditioned soul is constantly pulled by countless selfish desires, leading to endless frustration and division in the material world. To rescue his followers from this illusion, Śrīla Prabhupāda strictly trained his disciples to abandon all mundane motivations and align their entire existence with the singular interest of pleasing Kṛṣṇa.
Rejecting Mundane Pursuits
A sincere practitioner of bhakti naturally loses all taste for the temporary and superficial engagements of the material world. Recognizing the profound urgency of human life, devotees are no longer interested in idle entertainment, political agitation, or mundane economic development. Observing this profound shift, Śrīla Prabhupāda noted that when his followers actually tasted the higher spiritual reality, their attraction to ordinary social life was permanently extinguished.
- Even ordinary students who are trying to make progress in spiritual life, they are not interested, amisa-madya-seva (meat-eating and intoxication). They are not interested. This is practical.
- These devotees, they are not interested at all. The cinema is here, a few steps away, but you will never see a student or a disciple of Krsna consciousness will go to that nonsense place.
- In our Krsna society we are not very much anxious for economic development or sense gratification. We are simply interested how to develop our Krsna consciousness.
- You see the Americans and European boys. They are no more interested with material activities. You bribe them that "Again come to material activities." They will refuse, because param drstva nivartate. They are actually liberated.
The True Meaning of Oneness
Many impersonal philosophies claim that spiritual perfection requires the total annihilation of individual existence. Refuting this dangerous misconception, Śrīla Prabhupāda clarified that true oneness simply means adopting the supreme interest of Kṛṣṇa as one's own. While each soul remains eternally an individual person, perfect harmony is achieved when everyone voluntarily works together to serve the central point, setting aside all bodily designations.
- Because you have got one interest, therefore you one. Just like we. We are so many individuals. But our interest is Krsna. Therefore we are one.
- Oneness does not mean void, no. Oneness means when our interest becomes one. Real oneness means to be interested in Krsna. That is oneness. Other oneness will not stand.
- Each and every living entity is an individual soul and as such disagreement is quite possible in our dealings with one another but we have to consider the central point of interest.
- You are all individual. It is not something material. We are all spirit soul, so we are all individual. But if our interest becomes one, then we merge into one. This is oneness.
Preaching as the Primary Interest
The most direct way to please the Supreme Lord is to actively work to bring others back to their original spiritual consciousness. Therefore, the highest interest of the movement is the mass distribution of transcendental literature and the performance of public saṅkīrtana. To ensure the rapid expansion of the mission, Śrīla Prabhupāda continuously urged his disciples to prioritize this vital preaching work above all other activities or personal considerations.
- Every member of the Krsna consciousness movement is interested in going door to door to try to convince people about the teachings of Bhagavad-gita As It Is, the teachings of Lord Caitanya. That is the purpose of the Hare Krsna movement.
- Touring and book distribution, side by side, this is the main business. The general public will not be very much interested to see the deity; it is our personal business.
- Our only motive is how to interest people in Krsna consciousness. That's all. There is no economic problem. We can produce our own food and clothes, gradually, and save time for spiritual life.
- We are more interested in distributing our books. Incense sales are clearly business only, but when we sell our books that means we push forward our movement. Of course they can both be done together.
Purifying Personal Motivations
The material disease is deeply characterized by the constant calculation of personal profit, adoration, and distinction. To cure this condition, disciples are taught to perform their duties without any selfish motivation, recognizing that Kṛṣṇa is the ultimate proprietor of all results. Addressing this subtle pitfall, Śrīla Prabhupāda explained that whether one is a manager, an artist, or a simple temple cleaner, perfection is achieved by serving voluntarily and solely for the pleasure of the Lord.
- We have to see what is favorable to Krsna, not sense gratification, not favorable to me. Or to my country, or to my society. No self-interest. Only Krsna's interest. That is bhakti.
- Our students, either Brahmacari or Householder, are being trained up for constant engagement in Krsna consciousness service without any personal interest. This is perfect order of Sannyas.
- Our service to Krsna is voluntary and we are interested only that He shall be pleased, not myself.
- Just like I am head of this institution, but I am not dealing as proprietor. I am dealing as manager, head. Is it not? And all my assistants, they are also working in that capacity. If I would have been proprietor, then they would not have been interested.
Conclusion
The perfection of human life is to harmonize one's personal desires with the supreme will. By expertly guiding his followers away from temporary material distractions, Śrīla Prabhupāda established a society grounded in pure, unalloyed devotion. When disciples make Kṛṣṇa their only interest, they transcend all worldly anxiety, overcome personal divisions, and rapidly progress back to the spiritual world.
Dive Deeper into Śrīla Prabhupāda's Vani
Śrīla Prabhupāda lives within his instructions. This article is a summary of the profound truths found in the Vaniquotes category Our Interests (Disciples of SP). We invite you to visit this link to study the complete compilation and experience Śrīla Prabhupāda's teachings in their direct, verbatim form.