Poison of Personal Ambition

Spiritual life is a process of purifying one's intent. In these potent instructions, Śrīla Prabhupāda warns his followers against the most dangerous enemy of devotional service: personal ambition. He explains that the Kṛṣṇa consciousness movement is not a vehicle for individual fame or profit but a serious mission for the salvation of the world. By examining historical failures and scriptural examples, Śrīla Prabhupāda illustrates how personal ambition acts as a poison that kills the spirit of devotion and fractures the society of devotees.

Nature of the Poison

Śrīla Prabhupāda defines the fundamental choice facing every living entity: service to Kṛṣṇa or service to māyā (illusion). He identifies personal ambition as the specific manifestation of māyā that infiltrates the heart of a practitioner. When one seeks to fulfill their own desires rather than the Lord's, they are immediately subjugated by the material energy.

• Krsna is service and Maya is sense gratification, so every moment we are prone to be subjugated by either of them. Our duty is therefore to be very, very careful. The poison is personal ambition.
• As soon as one is a devotee of Krsna, there is no personal ambition.
• The Krsna consciousness movement is not meant for fulfilling one's personal ambition, but it is a serious movement for the whole world.

Fracturing the Spiritual Community

The consequences of personal ambition extend beyond the individual; they destroy the collective mission. Śrīla Prabhupāda cites the tragic disintegration of the Gauḍīya Maṭha institution as a historical lesson. He pleads with his disciples to avoid this pitfall, noting that working conjointly without personal agenda is the only way to maintain the "solid body" of the society.

• The Gaudiya Math institution has become smashed, at least stopped its program of preaching work on account of personal ambitions.
• I am fervently appealing to you all not to create fracture in the solid body of the Society. Please work conjointly, without any personal ambition. That will help the cause.
• I pray to Krishna that you all may use your intelligence for Krishna's service and not for any personal ambition.

Examples of Ambitionless Service

To clarify what pure service looks like, Śrīla Prabhupāda points to the examples of great kings like Yudhiṣṭhira and Mucukunda. These leaders possessed immense power and opulence, yet they remained free from the desire for sense gratification. Their lives were dedicated strictly to the service of the Lord, proving that one can be active in the world without being ambitious for oneself.

• As an ideal king, he (Yudhisthira) had no personal ambition, and there was no place for sense gratification because all his senses at all times were engaged in the loving service of the Supreme Lord.
• Karttikeya addressed King Mucukunda, "But you left that kingdom, neglected your opulence and possessions, and never cared for fulfillment of your personal ambitions".
• Dhruva Maharaja was advised to surrender unto Him in all respects, without keeping any personal ambition.

Distortion of Scriptural Knowledge

Personal ambition does not only ruin the practitioner; it ruins the teaching itself. Śrīla Prabhupāda notes that prior to his Bhagavad-gītā As It Is, many English editions existed, but they were ineffectual. This was because the authors used the sacred text as a platform to push their own philosophical or political ambitions rather than delivering the message of Kṛṣṇa.

• Before my (Prabhupada) presentation of Bhagavad-gita As It Is, almost all the English editions of Bhagavad-gita were introduced to fulfill someone's personal ambition.

Conclusion

To become a transparent medium for the mercy of the paramparā, one must be emptied of the poison of personal ambition. Śrīla Prabhupāda teaches that true success in Kṛṣṇa consciousness is measured not by position or prestige, but by the purity of one's intent to serve. By relinquishing the desire for personal credit and working conjointly for the pleasure of the Lord, the devotee becomes immune to the influence of māyā.

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 Personal Ambition. We invite you to visit this link to study the complete compilation and experience Śrīla Prabhupāda's teachings in their direct, verbatim form.

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