You should be self-interested. Everyone should be self-interested. And that is the nature. I am thinking for my self- interest; you are thinking for your self-interest. When we become philanthropist, there is also self-interest. “I want to become a very welfare worker in the society because there is my self-interest that you will elect me as president or some big officer.” Oh. So self- interest is natural. That is not abominable. If you become self- interested, that is not abominable. That is nice. But you do not know what is your self-interest. Prahlada Maharaja submits that nirupyatam: “Just try to analyze what is your self-interest.”

nirupyatam iha svarthah kiyan deha-bhrto ’surah karmany arabhate dehi… nisekadisv avasthasu klisyamanasya karmabhih

Now you are trying to be happy by your work. Everyone is trying to be happy by his work. A man, ordinary worker, he is also trying to be happy by working, and a great capitalist, he is also trying to be happy by work. But Bhagavad-gita says that they are trying to be happy in what sense? They’re trying to be happy with the body for sense gratification. But how long you shall be able to satisfy your senses? Your interest is different: not sense gratification. Your interest is that you have to find out what you are. So that is described in Bhagavad-gita very nicely, that you are this consciousness. Avinasi tu tad viddhi yena sarvam idam tatam. That you are, that permanent, the consciousness. And what is that consciousness? That consciousness is, pure form, is Krsna consciousness, that “I am servant of God.” This is pure consciousness. So long my consciousness is designated, “I am American,” “I am Indian,” “I am Chinese,” “I am Russian,” “I am Hindu,” “I am Muslim,” “I am Christian…” These are all designations due to this body. But actually I am neither American, neither Indian, nor Christian, nor Hindu, nor Muslim, but I am eternally the servant of God. So Prahlada Maharaja is submitting that “If you are servant of God, eternally, then you find out your engagement, eternal engagement. That is the duty of your human form of life. Don’t be misled by designation.” Krsna consciousness means to become free from all designations. Sarvopadhi-vinirmuktam [Cc. Madhya 19.170]. You have to become free from all designations. Tat-paratvena nirmalam. And in connection with the Supreme Lord you have to become nirmalam. Nirmalam means without any contamination.
Last night in the television, one boy was asking me, “Swamiji, you are all after spiritualism. Why you are using this clay as tilaka and so many things you are using which is matter?” So I explained to him… Perhaps you have known. Actually, there is no matter, actually, in this sense, because everything is emanating from the Supreme Spirit. Everything is emanating… Janmady asya yatah [Bhag. 1.1.1].

Srimad-Bhagavatam 7.7.46
by His Divine Grace A. C. Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupada
San Francisco, March 22, 1967