What Is Work?
Embodiments of love! Teachers and students!
In this vast expansive world, times are becoming worse, and great changes are happening very quickly. Man is giving up his body even before he has been able to recognize his primary duty. Every person should recognize why is it that they have been given the body. The body has been given to us in order to do service. In order to do work, this body has been endowed.
And what is work?
Work is to be done in order to make time sacred, sanctified. We must try to direct every work of ours in a holy path. Every work has got to be looked upon as a spiritual task. Work has got to be transformed into worship. The teachers must first evaluate time, body, work, the holiness of all these three. The body has been given for the sake of work. And work has to be done in order to sanctify time. These two things every person must instill into his heart. It is the work than man does that either raises him to the spiritual height or lowers him to perdition.
Work is like a mirror. This is a mirror, and you stand before it. It reveals to you your features. So, too, the work that you do reveals to others your character and your nature. Some people, before they begin work, they appear to be really calm and peaceful. But once they enter into work, they begin to exhibit irritation and even some anger. Others, before they start work, they are filled with unrest or irritation. But after they enter work, they’ll do it with a calm and peaceful mind and enjoy it with sacred feelings. Therefore, our holiness, or unholiness, is evident in the work that we do, in the manner in which we do the work.
That is why it is said in the Bhagavad Gita, “For work alone you have the right. You have no right for the consequence or the fruits thereof.” Every work that we do has got in it the power to develop character traits in us that will manifest in the future. Of course, it is very difficult in the beginning to enter into work about which we don’t regard the consequences (nishkama karma). We have got to enter into the really true or good work (sathya karma) from bad work (dushta karma). And from good work we have to proceed to work for which we don’t desire the consequences (nishkama karma).
Work is like a thermometer. Just as a thermometer shows the temperature of the body, whether it is increased or decreased. So also the work that a person does indicates the level of tapatrayas (internal afflictions) whether it has risen, decreased, or is extinguished. You can measure the motives, the vices, and the virtues.
The work that you do indicates whether the person has got a balanced mind, or a passionate mind, or a slothful dull mind. Therefore, it is only when a person becomes an expert in work, or a heroic work, or he takes up sacred work, that we can reveal our real inner nature.
For a person who wants to reveal his divine nature, his real nature, through his work, first of all, he must develop one particular quality. That quality is virtuous character. If you’ve got virtuous character, you will never entertain any bad thought. Not only that, but it will also make him do more and more work with greater and greater and better and better motives. And the character will also endow you with an earnestness in social work and in work for society. And character also will make a person feel that they have to live, not for food, but for certain ideals. And a life without character is like a dark house. It will be like a kite that has no string attached to it. It is like a counterfeit coin that won’t be accepted by anyone.
Sri Sathya Sai Speaks, Vol 15 (1981 – 82), Bal Vikas Teachers Training
Work has to be undertaken, so that time does not hang heavily on you and is not a burden. Work is your mission. Without it, you will get lost in the darkness of ignorance and be overwhelmed by dullness and sloth (tamas). Ignorance will multiply your doubts, and these have to be chopped off with the sword of wisdom.
On one occasion, when such mystic subjects were taught to Arjuna, he got puzzled and asked Krishna, “One time You say that we should renounce all activities (karmas); another time You say that the discipline of karma (karma-yoga) has to be adopted. Tell me, which of these two paths is better?” Krishna answered thus: “Renunciation (sanyasa) and the discipline of karma both lead to the same goal of liberation, oh Arjuna! But know this. There is greater joy in doing work than in giving up work. Renunciation and work are not contradictory; they are interdependent, complementary. By giving up work, without the progress derived from activity and the training achieved through it, people will only decline. The real renunciant (sanyasin) is one who does not desire one thing or hate another.” The word renunciation can well be applied to work done without regard to success or failure, profit or loss, honor or dishonor, to any activity performed as an offering to the Lord.
Prasanthi Vahini, Chapter 21
