From the very beginning, the body was given by father and mother. In the childhood, as the father and mother say, “Sit down here, eat this, don’t go there,” everything is controlled by the father and mother, and originally given by the father and mother. So how we can claim, “This is my body”? From the very beginning. Then, somebody else maintains you. Suppose you are working in an office, in a factory. So actually that body belongs to him, the maintainer. In this way, up to the point of death, and after death also, the body belongs to others.
So this is called ajnanam. If you work for your own thing, there is some sense. But if you are working for others only, and you have no claim, and day and night only hard work, then what is that intelligence? If you go to see a businessman and ask him “Do you want to talk about Krsna consciousness?” “Oh, I have no time, sir.” “Why?” “I am very busy.” “Why you are busy?” “For business.” “What is this business for?” “For maintaining my family.” So in this way, he is thinking he is working for himself, but ultimately he is working for others.
So our intelligence is, if for the whole duration of life we have to work for others and sacrifice this body for others, then why not for Krsna? That is our philosophy. Others means, ultimately, my senses. The senses are ‘others’. Kamadinam kati na katidha palita durnidesah [‘O my Lord, there is no limit to the unwanted orders of lusty desires. Although I have rendered these desires so much service, they have not shown any mercy to me. I have not been ashamed to serve them, nor have I even desired to give them up. O my Lord, O head of the Yadu dynasty, recently, however, my intelligence has been awakened, and now I am giving them up. Due to transcendental intelligence, I now refuse to obey the unwanted orders of these desires, and I now come to You to surrender myself at Your fearless lotus feet. Kindly engage me in Your personal service and save me.’] (Sri Caitanya-caritamrta, Madhya 22.16)
We are working for others out of ignorance, and I am thinking that “It is my self-interest.” Actually, you have to work for others. That is your business. And that other is Krsna, not this material world. I have to work for others, because I am a servant originally.
From a lecture by Srila Prabhupada in Los Angeles, May 10, 1973 S
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