Selfless

Expressions researched:
"selfless" |"selflessly" |"selflessness"

SB Canto 1

The unfortunate men of this age are always reluctant to give a reception to the transcendentalists who are representatives of Śrīla Vyāsadeva and selfless workers always busy in planning something which may help everyone in all statuses and orders of life.

SB 1.4.17-18, Purport:

And all such transcendentalists, who are naturally devotees of the Lord, are always eager to render welfare service to the people in general. They are the real friends of the people in general, not the so-called public leaders who are unable to see what is going to happen five minutes ahead. In this age the people in general as well as their so-called leaders are all unlucky fellows, faithless in spiritual knowledge and influenced by the age of Kali. They are always disturbed by various diseases. For example, in the present age there are so many TB patients and TB hospitals, but formerly this was not so because the time was not so unfavorable. The unfortunate men of this age are always reluctant to give a reception to the transcendentalists who are representatives of Çréla Vyäsadeva and selfless workers always busy in planning something which may help everyone in all statuses and orders of life. The greatest philanthropists are those transcendentalists who represent the mission of Vyäsa, Närada, Madhva, Caitanya, Rüpa, Sarasvaté, etc. They are all one and the same. The personalities may be different, but the aim of the mission is one and the same, namely, to deliver the fallen souls back home, back to Godhead.

SB Canto 3

Devahūti was so faithful to her husband that not only did she serve him with great devotion, service and respect, but she did not even care for her own health. That is called selfless service.

SB 3.23.6, Purport:

Devahūti was so faithful to her husband that not only did she serve him with great devotion, service and respect, but she did not even care for her own health. That is called selfless service. It appears that Devahūti had no sense pleasure, even with her husband, otherwise she would not have deteriorated in health. Acting to facilitate Kardama Muni's engagement in spiritual elevation, she continually assisted him, not caring for bodily comfort. It is the duty of a faithful and chaste wife to help her husband in every respect, especially when the husband is engaged in Kṛṣṇa consciousness. In this case, the husband also amply rewarded the wife. This is not to be expected by a woman who is the wife of an ordinary person.

SB Cantos 10.14 to 12 (Translations Only)

SB 10.70.28, Translation:

O Lord, with this corpselike body, always full of fear, we bear the burden of the relative happiness of kings, which is just like a dream. Thus we have rejected the real happiness of the soul, which comes by rendering selfless service to You. Being so very wretched, we simply suffer in this life under the spell of Your illusory energy.

SB 10.84.37, Translation:

This is the most auspicious path for a religious householder of the twice-born orders—to selflessly worship the Personality of Godhead with wealth honestly obtained.

SB 10.85.45, Translation:

Please be merciful to me so I may get out of the blind well of family life—my false home—and find the true shelter of Your lotus feet, which selfless sages always seek. Then, either alone or in the company of great saints, who are the friends of everyone, I may wander freely, finding life's necessities at the feet of the universally charitable trees.

SB 10.89.14-17, Translation:

Amazed upon hearing Bhṛgu's account, the sages were freed from all doubts and became convinced that Viṣṇu is the greatest Lord. From Him come peace; fearlessness; the essential principles of religion; detachment with knowledge; the eightfold powers of mystic yoga; and His glorification, which cleanses the mind of all impurities. He is known as the supreme destination for those who are peaceful and equipoised—the selfless, wise saints who have given up all violence. His most dear form is that of pure goodness, and the brāhmaṇas are His worshipable deities. Persons of keen intellect who have attained spiritual peace worship Him without selfish motives.

CC Adi-lila

The selfless love of Godhead exhibited by the gopīs cannot have any parallel. We should not, therefore, misunderstand the carefulness of the gopīs in their personal decoration.

CC Adi 4.181, Purport:

The selfless love of Godhead exhibited by the gopīs cannot have any parallel. We should not, therefore, misunderstand the carefulness of the gopīs in their personal decoration. The gopīs dressed themselves as beautifully as possible just to make Kṛṣṇa happy by seeing them. They had no ulterior desires. They dedicated their bodies, and everything they possessed, to the service of Śrī Kṛṣṇa, taking it for granted that their bodies were meant for His enjoyment. They dressed themselves with the understanding that Kṛṣṇa would be happy by seeing and touching them.

Nectar of Devotion

Direct ecstatic love can be divided into two groups—namely, selfish and selfless. That ecstatic love which can adjust all contradictory or noncontradictory symptoms is called direct selfless love.

Nectar of Devotion 32:

The continuous ecstasy of love can remain like a powerful king, subduing all temporary manifestations of love as well as any opposing elements of anger. It can be exhibited directly or indirectly, and thus ecstatic love can be described as direct or indirect. These symptoms of ecstatic love are possible only when one is fully situated in a transcendental position. Direct ecstatic love can be divided into two groups—namely, selfish and selfless.

When noncontradictory symptoms of ecstatic love are distinctly manifest, any contradictory symptoms create a sense of abomination. Contradictory ecstatic love is called selfish. That ecstatic love which can adjust all contradictory or noncontradictory symptoms is called direct selfless love. These selfless symptoms can again be divided into five groups: neutrality, servitude, fraternity, parenthood and conjugal love. Such ecstatic love assumes a particular mode in contact with different objects of love.

Easy Journey to Other Planets

As soon as a man becomes a pure devotee he can do inestimable selfless service to society for the peace and prosperity of all concerned, in this life and in the next.

Easy Journey to Other Planets 1:

A devotee of the Lord is never a disturbing element in society—on the contrary, he is a great social asset. Since no sincere devotee is attracted to sinful actions, as soon as a man becomes a pure devotee he can do inestimable selfless service to society for the peace and prosperity of all concerned, in this life and in the next. But even if such a devotee commits some offense, the Lord Himself rectifies it in no time. Therefore, there is no need for a devotee to cultivate materialistic knowledge, nor does a devotee need to renounce everything and live as a hermit. He can simply remain at home and execute devotional service smoothly in any order of life. And there are instances in history of extremely cruel men becoming kindhearted simply by the execution of devotional service. Knowledge and abnegation of an inferior way of life follow automatically in the life of a pure devotee without his having to make extraneous effort.

Light of the Bhagavata

In this age of Kali, when a slight difference of opinion leads to quarrel, even to the extent of riots, it is the duty of the intelligent men, the brāhmaṇas, to selflessly inspire the richer people to sacrifice for this purpose.

Light of the Bhagavata 21, Purport:

In this age of Kali, when a slight difference of opinion leads to quarrel, even to the extent of riots, it is the duty of the intelligent men, the brāhmaṇas, to selflessly inspire the richer people to sacrifice for this purpose. It is suggested herewith that the men of the intelligent class should not themselves try to become kṣatriyas or vaiśyas, nor should they engage themselves in the occupations of the various other classes; rather, the brāhmaṇas should simply guide them in spiritual cultivation, just as the wind carries the clouds to other places to pour water. The wind itself does not take up the responsibility for pouring water.

Srimad-Bhagavatam Lectures

So the whole Kṛṣṇa consciousness movement is how to become dhīra, selflessness. Then life is successful.

Lecture on SB 7.9.23 -- Mayapur, March 1, 1976:

So the whole Kṛṣṇa consciousness movement is how to become dhīra, selflessness. Then life is successful. And anyway, don't be involved, entangled, with these material things. There are... This morning we were calculating that there are... As many atoms, so many living entities are also there. Sāṅkhya, saṅkhyatanam, the word. Sāṅkhya. Sāṅkhya means number. As many numbers of atoms are there, so many number of living entities are there, and there is struggle here. So in this human life the chance is how to get out of this material atomic combination and go back to home, back to Godhead. This is the chance. So we have to follow the examples of Prahlāda Mahārāja, and there are... He's mahājana. Mahājano yena gataḥ sa panthāḥ (CC Madhya 17.186). Let us try to follow Prahlāda Mahārāja's instruction and make our life successful.

1974 Conversations and Morning Walks

"Zen philosophy, accept reincarnation, that the self keeps on taking bodies until he becomes selfless, and it's only in the human form that he can develop that selflessness." Then they have to accept good work and bad work. The desire should be synchronized, you have to desire to satisfy Kṛṣṇa.

Room Conversation with Mr. Deshimaru -- June 13, 1974, Paris:

Karandhara: Actually, Zen philosophy, they accept reincarnation, that the self keeps on taking bodies until he becomes selfless, and it's only in the human form that he can develop that selflessness.

Prabhupāda: Then they have to accept good work and bad work.

Karandhara: Yes, they do. They have a similar understanding of karma so far as the material self is concerned, and that the soul or the self takes on different forms until it becomes perfectly selfless. And then it merges back into the nondescript, the cosmic force. So I don't know if this young man's versed in Zen philosophy...

Prabhupāda: That is our definition, anyābhilāṣitā-śūnyam (Brs. 1.1.11). Śūnyam means, you have to give up all material desires. Jñāna-karmādy-anāvṛtam (CC Madhya 19.167). But the desire should be synchronized. Ānukulyena kṛṣṇānu..., you have to desire to satisfy Kṛṣṇa.

1947 to 1965 Correspondence

There is a batch of selfless worker mostly Brahmacari & Sannyasi at my disposal with whom I can give it a starting but arrangement has to be made for training students & selfless young men to further interest of the work.

Letter to R. Prakash -- Allahabad 22 June, 1951:

The general programme of work will be as mentioned above in terms of medical treatment by the Sankirtana movement. There is a batch of selfless worker mostly Brahmacari & Sannyasi at my disposal with whom I can give it a starting but arrangement has to be made for training students & selfless young men to further interest of the work.

I am confident that many self-sacrificing young men will join us as soon as we begin the work. We have to work this scheme from village to village and town to town which we will have to develop by a gradual process.

1972 Correspondence

Lord Caitanya's process was to take a quotation from the Koran and convince the Moulana that Krishna Consciousness or pure love of Godhead in mood of selfless devotional service is the ultimate goal of life.

Letter to Chaturbhus -- Bombay 21 January, 1972:

I am happy to receive your nice letter of January 10, 1972, and I am pleased to note that you are asking very intelligent questions. that is natural position for the neophyte devotee who is sincerely seeking to understand what is the Absolute Truth. So I am very much engladdened to hear that you are very intelligent boy, like your father, and that your whole family is advancing in Krishna Consciousness. May Krishna give you all blessings.

Lord Caitanya met Moulana in Sara, U.P., not at Allahabad. His process was to take a quotation from the Koran and convince the Moulana that Krishna Consciousness or pure love of Godhead in mood of selfless devotional service is the ultimate goal of life.

The comments by Mr. Keating are very nice, he offers us his admiration and his blessings for our selfless work, and that is a very great compliment coming from such an important man.

Letter to Gurudasa -- Los Angeles 26 May, 1972:

I have received one letter from Kenneth Keating, American ambassador to India, and it is a very important document. But I have still not heard from you anything about the food contribution by your government, so I shall be anxiously awaiting news of same. But the comments by Mr. Keating are very nice, he offers us his admiration and his blessings for our selfless work, and that is a very great compliment coming from such an important man. So you are the best diplomat, you know how to mix with such big men and they are always giving you their blessings, so I am very much pleased that you are the best man for this work. Kindly continue our good relations with Mr. Keating, and I shall be be very glad to see him again when I come there in the near future.

I am remembering always you and your father, that you so selflessly aided me in my preparation for coming to the western countries and distributing the great gift of Srimad-Bhagavatam to the western society.

Letter to Omkara -- Los Angeles 26 May, 1972:

Please accept my blessings, and offer my greetings to your good father Kanshiram. I heard that you were married during my absence, although I had been in Delhi there was not a chance to see you and your father. But I am remembering always you and your father, that you so selflessly aided me in my preparation for coming to the western countries and distributing the great gift of Srimad-Bhagavatam to the western society.

1974 Correspondence

Bhavananda and Jayapataka Maharajas are the approved directors of Mayapur. They are selfless workers.

Letter to Tamala Krsna -- Los Angeles 11 January, 1974:

Yes, Bhavananda and Jayapataka Maharajas are the approved directors of Mayapur. They are selfless workers. Regarding food for the Mayapur Festival, in other temples they are going and collecting their food, and yet we have to purchase in Mayapur? If you depend always on collecting money from here only it will not be successful. If for buildings, festivals, etc. you have to collect from here, what is the use?

The more selfless dedication you apply yourself with, the more Krsna will be pleased and the more he will give you intelligence how to expand the preaching in His Name.

Letter to Kurusrestha -- New Delhi 14 February, 1974:

Your report on activities in Denver center is very comprehensive and I can understand you are feeling full responsibility for all the devotees and operations under your care. Actually the more selfless dedication you apply yourself with, the more Krsna will be pleased and the more he will give you intelligence how to expand the preaching in His Name.

Our society is unrivalled in this respect and this is your credit who are working so selflessly to illustrate my books.

Letter to ISKCON Artists -- Bombay 2 May, 1974:

I am always pleased and looking forward to seeing more beautiful pictures in our books. In India we make life members simply from the high quality and appearance of our books with illustrations. Our society is unrivalled in this respect and this is your credit who are working so selflessly to illustrate my books. Thank you very much.

1976 Correspondence

I always think of how you are selflessly working for the temple.

Letter to Bishambhar -- New York 11 July, 1976:

Although I've established their temple, Their Lordships want me to keep outside the temple for touring. So in my absence you kindly manage nicely. Aksayananda Maharaja and yourself are tested devotees and I fully depend on you. I always think of how you are selflessly working for the temple. Please see that the accounts are kept and that no money is wasted. That's my only request. After all money is collected with great hardship. Not a single paise should be wasted.