Depends, personal gain in order to better fulfill your purpose of serving is fine. Sometimes we need fun or pleasure for our own proper functioning. Seeking personal gain purely for our own benefit is to take from others without repayment.
Discussion
It has nothing to do with the intent of “personal gain” or what it’s for. It’s entirely about whether it is earned through trade or taken through fraud or coercion.
To personally gain, entirely for your own benefit, by doing a service for other like mowing their lawn, fixing their plumbing, or whatever. This is the very definition of helping others to help yourself. Thats what trade IS
There is trade, then there is theft. If you are voluntarily trading, there’s nothing at all wrong with personal gain. To the contrary, it’s what makes the entire economy work and why money is a tool to force people to cooperate, even those who would rather not.
I was referring to the seeking of knowledge because it is forbidden. That is not trade. You are not totally self seeking in “doing a service for other”. Also as I said in my first post that I was seeking that knowledge and gaining from it, but that gain wasn’t an end in itself. I bet you there are few who would openly admit that they seek wealth solely for the sake of acquiring wealth. Surely you have some purpose in life beyond that.