Work is worship— and karma, or action, is unavoidable for those who are born on this earth. But the secret of inner peace is to work without attachment to the results.
The laws of nature drive all of us to activity, for we cannot survive without action. But the wise ones act without attachment— with detachment— without looking for results. Success and failure do not influence their attitude to their duty.
3 important motives as taught in the Gita
In the Bhagavad Gita, Sri Krishna has given us not one, not two, but three strong motives which should guide all our actions:
1. Duty— for the sake of duty
2. Work— for the sake of inner purification
3. Action— as offering to the Lord
In fact, the Lord even goes on to tell Arjuna that desireless action is actually better than renunciation of action.
There are people who are constantly chasing ‘goals’ and ‘targets’— more money, a better job, higher pay, and greater satisfaction.
Yet others grumble and complain all the time, because they feel their work is unrecognised, unrewarded, unappreciated.
How may we avoid such disappointment, frustration and this restless drive?
Simply by surrendering the fruits of action to the Lord! Let us stop chasing after ‘personal satisfaction’ and ‘individual happiness’. Let us make our work, all our work, an offering to the Lord.
'Do your best'
Do your best, but leave the rest to God! When you allow yourself to become an instrument of God, you will find that you can actually work better, and achieve greater success— for you will be freed from your own personal limitations.
If your efforts are crowned with success, it is His doing; if you should face failure, it is His Will!
Convert your work into yagna— an offering and you are linked with the Lord. But remember, you must offer Him nothing but the best that you are capable of! The light shines in your life when you connect yourself with the Great Light: a new power, a new shakti will course through your veins, and you will find that God never fails you!
Dada J P Vaswani is a humanitarian, philosopher, educator, acclaimed writer, powerful orator, messiah of ahimsa, and non-sectarian spiritual leader.
