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xviii                       How I AcHIeved ReAl SucceSS

          that the valuable knowledge contained in them would be easily
          accessible to everyone. He explained that life was not meant
          simply for working hard to have a comfortable standard of
          living, but primarily to understand who we are, who God is,
          and what our relationship with Him is.

          What struck me the most was that Śrīla Prabhupāda emphasized
          that spiritual self-realization was not a vague, ‘pie in the sky’
          sort of a concept that men sitting in armchairs puffing on
          cigars should be debating about, but, in fact, it is real, can be
          experienced firsthand by anyone who is sincere, and should
          be an essential part of our everyday lives.

          As I became more and more interested, I was inspired to
          practice sādhana — the regular devotional program — which
          would help to further enhance my new understanding. Śrīla
          Prabhupāda often used to say that the proof of the pudding is in
          the eating. Indeed, as I began to follow the Vedic instructions,
          my conviction grew, for I could see that my consciousness was
          changing, and overall, I was happier and more serene than I
          have ever been.

          Yet it wasn’t easy, for it seemed that the ideals of spiritual
          life were quite the opposite of the beliefs held dear by most
          people, including me. The Vedas exhort people to be humble,
          satisfied in all circumstances, noble in their thoughts, and kind
          to all living entities. These are, without doubt, praiseworthy
          qualities, but actually they are no longer appreciated in the
          present society. The message we received while growing up
          was to be fiercely competitive and always strive to achieve
          more — a better job, a fancier car, and a bigger house. The
          implicit message was that it would be nice if this could be
          achieved without hurting anyone in the bargain, but if things
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