Question: Is it that our values would not be realized before we fulfill others’ interests? Is it that the real victory lies in connecting everything with the Lord?
Answer by Romapada Swami：
It is not exactly that we place the requirements of others before our own requirements.
Rather, it is a picture of service to the Supreme Personality of Godhead that may be achieved by fulfilling the interests and needs of another. And that is our self-interest.
The correct understanding is that we need to place the interests of the Supreme Personality of Godhead first.
Sometimes that means the requirements of another person and my assisting the requirements of another person is the best path to please the Personality of Godhead.
By doing like that, our self-interest is met.
You may have some friends that are very close to you.
You want to please Kṛṣṇa and Guru.
You have your personal needs. And you have friends that have their personal needs. If you can align their needs with pleasing Kṛṣṇa, that may also fulfill one of your needs, that is, friendship and love and service to others.
The way that you phrased your question is not exactly right.
If I understood your question correctly, you are stating should we see to the interests of others first, and then after fulfilling the interests of others, we see to our own interests and needs. That is not the correct understanding of the message I have been sharing this evening.
Ultimately, we want to see that the Supreme Personality of Godhead is pleased.
Our pleasing the Supreme Personality of Godhead may be, for His pleasure, to assist others in being victorious in their purposes of life.
When those situations of life arise and come before you, you are to align all interests with Kṛṣṇa’s interest — both other’s interest and your interest. The frame of your question is different. My message is alignment. Stated differently, your real self-interest is Kṛṣṇa’s interest.
Your service to Kṛṣṇa may very well include serving another to become victorious in fulfilling some mission they are trying to achieve. There are circumstances in life where seeing another person become victorious in something they are trying to achieve is part of your mission of pleasing Kṛṣṇa.
Viśvāmitra’s victory was seeing Rāma’s victory.
His meditation was not his personal victory. His meditation was Rāma’s victory.
As a result, Viśvāmitra became victorious.
You can also become victorious if you place Kṛṣṇa’s interest at the very top priority of life.
Some part of your life may also be helping another become victorious for the pleasure of Kṛṣṇa.
That is your victory.
Kṛṣṇa being pleased will be your real victory.
In material consciousness, we do not think of Kṛṣṇa’s happiness. We think in very selfish terms.
Material selfishness obscures our real self-interest and Kṛṣṇa’s interest.
That is the lesson.
Question: Is it that the real victory lies in connecting everything with the Lord?
Answer by Romapada Swami:
Yes. And assisting others to be successful in some intermediate or smaller victory is part of your victory.
What I just said can be expressed in simple terms: a true loving relationship.
A true loving relationship is where Kṛṣṇa is at the center.
And we assist one another in pleasing Kṛṣṇa, which may include another person’s victory is where my attention goes because it is pleasing to Kṛṣṇa.
