Śrīla Bhakti Rakṣak Śrīdhar Dev-Goswāmī Mahārāj describes the searching mood of the sincere seeker of truth.
What will be our guiding principle? The sense satisfaction, or the social worker in this mundane world—or to get out from this mortal atmosphere? For which and what will be the symptom of what I want to invite as my guardian, as my friend, as my everything? These practical things: what am I living for? I am breathing; what for? I am eating; what for? I am working; what for? Thinking; what for? Every second, all energy should be used to enquiry about my Lord, by losing whose company I am suffering so much.
Knowingly or unknowingly, we are searching for the perfect thing, but we are misguided. That is māyā. We are seeking, searching for satisfaction, in the lowest: sense satisfaction, then intellectual satisfaction, and then soul satisfaction. This is what is desirable: soul satisfaction—permanent satisfaction—not temporary and conditioned satisfaction. Not external satisfaction, but innermost and wholesale satisfaction. Prahlād Mahārāj said, “Na te viduḥ svārtha-gatiṁ hi Viṣṇum: those who are hankering after external satisfaction do not know, they can not detect, that their internal hankering is for the substance, not for the cover.” The cover is connecting with the cover, but the internal soul is searching for the touch of the internal Supersoul of the whole world. Without that, there will be no end to satisfaction or enquiry.