Live the Bhāgavatam · SB 11.7.27
Ūti· What drives us to actLook Beyond Material Motives
“Generally human beings work hard to cultivate religiosity, economic development, sense gratification and also knowledge of the soul, and their usual motive is to increase the duration of their lives, acquire fame and enjoy material opulence.”
What the purport teaches
- People commonly pursue religion, wealth, enjoyment and even spiritual knowledge to gain long life, fame and opulence.
- If the eternal soul is different from the body, real happiness must lie in our eternal situation beyond material bondage.
- Even spiritual practices can be used to seek health, money or prestige. Yadu wanted to clarify that the young brāhmaṇa stood beyond such ordinary motives.
Try this today
Write down one motive behind your spiritual practice and consider whether it seeks temporary benefit or lasting spiritual happiness.
Ask yourself
What material reward am I quietly hoping to gain from spiritual practice?
Carry the question through the day, then answer it in your own words before sleep.
From Canto 10, chapter 14 onward, the translation and purports were completed by Śrīla Prabhupāda's disciples after his departure, and published by the Bhaktivedanta Book Trust.