Each one of us have many wants in life, fulfillment of which will make us more happy. We believe that work is a means to fulfill these wants. Let us enquire – What is the purpose of work? One may work for fulfilling the basic needs of life.
Some work so that they can enjoy the Pleasures of life. Others work to acquire more Power. For many, work is a means to attain status or Prestige. All the wants are summarized by these three Ps – Pleasure, Power & Prestige. Ramakrishna Paramahamsa called it as – Kamini, Kanchan & Kirti.
Does work really fulfill the wants? It appears it does. Wants may be fulfilled but wanting is not. This tendency to keep wanting more and more even after a want is fulfilled, creates lot of psychological pressure in us.
Hence men of understanding change their attitude to work. They work to manifest their potential. For them, work is a means to discovering one’s hidden potential. They enjoy the work much more than just the results. Swami Chinmayanandaji said, “Work is Love made visible.”
The Ancient Indian Wisdom of the Great Rishis would like us to further enquire – Power, pleasure, prestige, potential are secondary purposes of work. What is the Primary or Real purpose of work? Sri Shankaracharya says in the Vivekachoodamani – “Chittasya shudhaye karma” The Real Purpose of work is to attain the 5th P – Purity of Mind. To understand ourselves is the purpose of work. Through the work we can understand our likes and dislikes, our innate tendencies and temperament. This helps us to handle our own mind, purify it and evolve. Purification or Evolution is to reduce the wants and finally end the wanting. When the work is done in the right attitude, work becomes a means to prepare the mind to attain that Self-Knowledge gaining which, Wanting ends.
When this vision about work is lacking, work becomes the goal of life and knowledge becomes the means to it. That’s why we find that workaholics cannot sit quiet. Retired people also find it difficult to spend time because work has become their very goal of life. But truly speaking, – Self-Knowledge is the Goal of Life and Work is a means to it.
How to work so that we attain not only prosperity, pleasure, prestige, potential but also the 5th P – Purity which prepares us for Self-Knowledge? Here are 6 principles of Karma Yoga – Work Without Wants as enunciated in the Bhagavad Gita:
Stay where you are. Shift the attitude.
(Sve sve karmani abhiratah samsiddhim labhate narah – Ch.XVIII)
Do not attach your WORTH to your WORK (Maa karmaphala hetur bhuh – Ch.II)
In the world, a person’s work is judged and his self-worth is determined. If one is ‘successful’ in work then one feels good about oneself and vice versa.
Vedanta says – You are WORTHY no matter what you do and what you get.
Do not link your psychological security and self-worth to the work.
This is the way to operate out of strength and not insecurity. It will also prevent our mind from falling into depression, drugs, suicidal tendencies due to some disappointments. This will make us more steady and objective to evaluate our performance and will not make us complacent.
Perform your daily and occasional duties alone, NOTHING ELSE
(Niyatam Kuru karma tvam. Ch.III)
Duties help us to reduce likes and dislikes because we have to reduce and give up desire-prompted and prohibited actions on one hand and perform our obligatory duties whether we like it or not.
Do what you love & Love what you do – (Swadharme nidhanam shreyah – Geeta Ch.III)
Many of us do not work according to our temperament and are in the wrong field of work which causes lot of frustration because we are acting against our innate tendencies. It is a part of our duty towards ourselves to work according to our swadharma. It is not to act out of impulse or imitation but to act out of inner-inspiration.
Motive determines the merit of the action. Action by itself is neither good or bad. Motive with which it is done determines if it is good or bad. Eg. Doctor and Murderer both cut the stomach of another person. Yet doctor is not punished and murderer is.
Selfish action binds. Selfless action purifies. To perform selfless action:
Dedicate all actions COMPLETELY to a NOBLE ideal/cause. Swami Chinmayanandaji said – “A single inspiring ideal can transform a listless man into a towering leader of men.” Greater the ALTAR, greater the inspiration.
Dedicate all actions to the Highest – GOD. (Svakarmana tam abhyarchya siddhim vindati manavah. XVIII.46) Act with humility that – I am only an instrument
Accept the results cheerfully with gratitude and equanimity (Prasad-Buddhi. Ch.II). When results are accepted this way the cheerfulness and equanimity give rise to inner joy, experiencing which one no more craves for anything outside (Prasade sarva dukhanam hanirasyopajayate. Ch.II). This way the wants reduce and one is ready to give up the Wanting also.
Thus WWW – Work Without Wants helps us to come out of WWW – World Wide Web.
Swami Swatmananda is a renunciate monk, a disciple of Swami Chinmayananda serving at Chinmaya Mission Mumbai. @ChinmayaShivam is his handle
