Work for the sake of work!

How liberating this idea is! We all work for different purposes. But when we do work to serve a purpose, are we doing it happily? We often find ourselves getting tired or crying for the burden our work causes us. Then why work at all? But as we know if we have come to this world, we have to work, irrespective of our desire. That is the Karma-Yog depicted by Shri Krishna in Bhagavad Geeta. Well, “Irrespective of our desire” when taken in positive spirit, we know that it is not our will but Lord’s will to make us work. If it is His will, then why bother for results? If He is behind us for all the time, why should we seek burden of the work?

Working incessantly is the karma of any living being. Every moment of our life, we are working. It is our ego that makes us vulnerable. It is our selfishness that brings misery. It is our attachment to the work that makes us feel tired.

Swami Vivekananda says, even if you are working for others, don’t feel that you are “helping” them! You are not. Nobody is waiting or begging to you to help them. Even if you will not, the people around will do their work and the world will run unabated. Who are you to help them? If at all you are helping them, thank them that they have given you the opportunity to acquire good karma points! If helping others breeds the ego in you, you are running a downhill path in your spiritual path. We must know that every small act is governed by the eternal principle in nature, which we call God.

Work for the sake of work is something we have to practice. Work incessantly, set goals too. But do not strive overboard for the results. Working is in our hands; not the result! This liberates us. This makes us a free being dwelling in this temporary body, which can perish anytime.