Live Caitanya Caritamrta · CC Madhya 19.147
Personal Benefit Underlies Work and Merging
“Among the followers of Vedic knowledge, most are following the process of fruitive activity and distinguishing between good and bad work. Out of many such sincere fruitive actors, there may be one who is actually wise.
What the purport teaches
- A karma-niṣṭha may seek the results of good work or offer those results to the Absolute Truth. Those who earn money for themselves or for public benefit are included among karma-niṣṭhas.
- Out of millions of karma-niṣṭhas, one may be wise. The jñānīs seek to avoid fruitive activity and merge into the spiritual existence of the Absolute Truth.
- Both fruitive workers and jñānīs are interested in personal benefit. One seeks benefit within the material world, while the other seeks cessation of work and merging into the Supreme.
Try this today
Examine one good action you take today and write down the result you hope to gain from it.
Ask yourself
What personal benefit do you hope to receive from your good actions?
Carry the question through the day, then answer it in your own words before sleep.
The study points are short summaries drawn from Śrīla Prabhupāda's translation and purport; the practice and question are plain words for trying the verse today.