Hari
OM
Application - that is what 'Workings-days' are about!
VEDANTA IN ACTION.
This is the title of a publication from CM which,
whilst it of course has items by Gurudev, also includes selections of writing
from other well-esteemed Gurus from the Vedantic tradition as well as leading
businessmen. Its focus is the working life. We shall be exploring these essays
for the next few weeks on Workings-day as, clearly, they pertain directly to
the premise of this section of AVBlog! As ever, you are encouraged to read back over previous
posts, to ensure full benefit.
Part 2:Fulfillment Through work
Right Attitudes for Success (by Gurudev)
Integrity.
Today
we hear from many of the professionals and businessmen that they cannot afford
to be honest in business. How sad! It needs real heroism to create beauty or
progress in a country. It is not for the coward or for those who compromise
their ideals. If we are not ready to make sacrifices, no society can move
forward.
It
is by individual sacrifice alone that progress is possible. Everywhere, in all
fields be they political, economic, cultural, progress has taken place in the
world only because of such sacrifice. If just a few people, after realising the
goal of life, the right attitude to living and the art of existence, were to
enter into the business world and live an ideal moral standard there, remaining
moral, finding fulfillment in their work, they would inspire others to such an
approach. It is all resting upon our individual shoulders to contribute to the
improvements in the world. The neighbour is not going to help improve relations
between husband, wife, children. Each with the family has to understand and
live the right life at home and only then is home beautified. In our own lives,
whether at home, in society, or at work, we must have that integrity in
ourselves so that we will be able to work with a sense of achievement, rather
than a mere passing of the hours to obtain cash or with an expectation of status.
Responsible Living.
Many
of us have a tendency to complain that we can't make ends meet - not only from
the low income bracket, but from every strata of income. Why is this so? The
more we earn, the more difficulty we find in balancing the accounts. It is all
because our stomachs have a knack of growing larger than our belts. We have to
learn to keep our stomachs in check or else the whole life will not be
sufficient to fill them… The stomach is used to represent all 'hunger' of the
individual - for others it may be in mind or heart also. Modern man, whether
wealthy or not, seems to think that these fattened selves are the sign of
prosperity. The desire to live the sensuous life has become insatiable.
We
have so many desires to satisfy, that even our two hands, legs and twenty-four
hours a day are insufficient. It leads to disgruntlement and discontentment. A
man riddled with such, cannot have a greater vision in life to achieve.
However,
if we observe a man of success in any profession, we find that he has no time
to waste in the cafes or movie theatres. These things are for people of little
focus to while away their hard earned cash. Prosperity, culture and progress
are possible because we have a mind and intellect. If we do not tap this
resource of intelligence, applying it responsibly, then national progress is
impeded, society is weakened and each shall despair, continuously bickering
amongst ourselves, never gaining the joy of having truly lived.
In
order to live and bring out the maximum happiness in ourselves, to work out the
best for ourselves, we must have a goal in life; a mission, something admirably
inspiring - and hitching our eyes to that ideal, never lose focus on it as we
work in the world. Thereby our work becomes chastened, becomes its own reward
and a great joy wells up in the mind no in terms of what we get as salary, but
what we give to the society form the place where we are.
All
of us have only twenty-four hours a day. Whether one is a mighty personality
making history in the world, or one is struggling to earn his livelihood, this
is true. After that another set of twenty-four. To a man of achievement, to a
poet writing, to an immortal artist painting, to an ordinary labourer, each is
only allotted this. Yet we find that the individuals who make history carry out
wonderful things in that time, leaving behind remarkable contributions for the
succeeding generations. Often it is a wonder to many how so much can be
achieved by such people, while others around them working (apparently) much
harder leave little behind for posterity.
When
we act, the glory of actions is not dependent on the environment, nor on where
we work, nor how we work, but on the motive behind the work. Work gathers a new
momentum and freshness only when the intentions of the heart behind the
worker's hand are faithful and ardent.
Think of life and work as a work of sculpture. The sculptor and his
work, when he considers it an extension of himself, become a vision of beauty and the result is all the more
beautiful for it.
