Burst Seventeen (For Youth):
Joy of Work
When we love our work, we do it with the whole of our mind. We are in the present moment and the absorption in action lends a quality of the timeless to our experience. Thoughts of reward and recognition are indeed intruders in good work. At the right time, at the most, we may go into the question of what we get (or got) from a certain activity in which we spent our resources. If it becomes a habit with us to be always concerned with the results of our action and to want more recognition, it is indeed very tragic. More than the finite results, which perish in due course of time, this psychological preoccupation with them makes our souls shrink. We could live in perpetual discontent and this could have serious repercussions on several spheres of our total living. Any achievement rising from a discontent will have a price to pay. The outer glitter of success will be accompanied by inner fear and violence.
Why say, “One day I shall be happy”? Be happy today. Work in happiness and achieve while smiling. Let not your face wait till (the so-called) success to light up. Do not accept this world’s notions of success so easily. Sympathize with this world and its people who have very shallow ideas of all good things. Very few know what is beauty or love, truth or God, success or failure. Examine your life directly with your own unconditioned intelligence. There is a light within you of rays serene that will show to you right action. Let not the foul influences of this mad world create such smoke in your mind’s space that makes this light within dim. On the contrary, let the light within help your noisy mind to calm down and allow true love to shine forth.
Result-oriented activity (however charming it may be) is by far inferior to activity marked by loving absorption. Go for a mature understanding of work. Pitiable are those whose eyes are always on their personal gains. Geeta 2:49
Swami Chidananda
Monday, August 18, 2003