THE WHY OF WORK?

?

The Question of Purpose: Reflections on Work and Inner Freedom

Recently, a post by my cousin (Are Founders Dying Sooner? by Venkat Ramana ) ?caught my attention. It discussed the effects of entrepreneurship on the body and warned of the high risks to health. As a fellow entrepreneur, it resonated deeply with me and prompted me to reflect on some fundamental questions.

?

Why Do We Work?

I've been pondering this issue for quite some time. What is the end goal of a profession? Is it simply to earn money? If so, why do the wealthiest among us continue to work? Is it to attain name, fame, status, and power? Then why do those who are already famous and powerful keep striving? If a job is essential for living, why do animals not "work" in the way humans do, yet they seem to lead content lives? What, then, is the true purpose of our professional endeavors?

?

Insights from Spiritual Teachings

These questions echo the dilemma that Arjuna faced on the battlefield, as recounted in the Bhagavad Gita. Lord Krishna explains that action is inevitable for any living creature. From the moment of our birth, we are engaged in action: breathing, sleeping, thinking, eating. All beings share four things in common—Janma (birth), Karma (action), Dharma (the way an action is performed), and Brahman (endless happiness or the ultimate reality). A living being who does not act is, in essence, lifeless.

?

Krishna further emphasizes that while action is inevitable, the responsibility to act lies in our hands. However, our minds and external circumstances often condition us to focus on results—success or failure. When actions are performed with an attachment to results, they become roga (a disease) and lead to suffering. Conversely, when actions are performed in accordance with one's true nature, they become yoga (a path to liberation).

?

Consider the sun: it shines not because it seeks to give light but because it is its nature to shine. By simply being true to its nature, it dispels darkness. Water flows, fire burns, and wind blows—not out of a desire to serve or achieve something, but because it is their inherent nature. By being true to themselves, they contribute to the harmony of the world and are often revered as divine entities.

?

But what is the true nature of human beings? Is it defined by the few lines of identity we create during brief moments of reflection or coaching sessions? Is our nature merely a summation of all that we feel, think, and do? According to our scriptures, the answer is no. Our true nature is endless and boundless happiness. This profound truth has been proclaimed by sages from Vasistha to Vishwamitra, from Buddha to Ramakrishna, from Ashtavakra to Vivekananda, and from Ramana Maharshi to Aurobindo.

?

The Quest for True Freedom

If our true nature is boundless happiness, why aren't we always happy? Because we are bound and not free. But what kind of freedom are we lacking? Is it freedom of speech, or the freedom to choose how we eat, dress, or express our identities? Cultural and political freedoms—such as the freedom to talk, walk, and express ourselves—are essential, but they are foundational steps toward achieving higher forms of freedom.

True freedom is liberation from fear, such that nothing in the world scares us. It's freedom from emotional turbulence, where neither happiness nor sorrow can shake us. It's freedom from attachments, so that neither likes nor dislikes can sway us. It's freedom from suffering and even freedom from death.

But were all the sages mentioned truly free in this sense? Yes. Did they experience pain or death? While they faced physical pain and their bodies experienced inevitability of death, they remained free. When my guru, Bhagawan Sri Sathya Sai Baba, was asked a similar question during a time of physical ailment, he responded, "There is pain but no suffering. I am not this body." All spiritual masters have discovered something deep and profound that changed the very nature of their existence.

?

Personal Reflections

During my time as a student at Bhagawan Sri Sathya Sai Baba's college, we were often given opportunities to serve. One such occasion arose when the Prime Minister of India, Shri Atal Bihari Vajpayee, was scheduled to visit the next day to inaugurate the newly built super-specialty hospital in Bangalore. As young students, we were excited to play a part in this significant event, even if it was through simple tasks. Our assignment was to clean the hospital floors, which still had cement stains from the recent construction.

We eagerly took on the task, scrubbing the beautiful stone flooring with enthusiasm. It was a massive undertaking, given the size of the hospital. Later, as we returned to the mandir (temple), we started comparing how many slabs each of us had cleaned, believing that the more slabs one cleaned, the greater one's devotion to Swami (as we affectionately called Bhagawan Sri Sathya Sai Baba) and the better one's service. That was our na?ve way of measuring our efforts.

One of our classmates ( Girish Jandhyala ), however, surprised us by saying he had cleaned only one slab. When Swami came for the evening session, we were all ready to report our numbers, but Swami didn't ask about them. All He asked was, "Are you all happy?" and we responded in unison, "Yes, Swami!"

The next day, during the inauguration ceremony, Swami, the Prime Minister, and other dignitaries were seated on the podium. My classmate pointed out the slab he had cleaned, which was just a few steps away from Swami. It was spotless, far cleaner than anything the rest of us had managed. Before the proceedings began, Swami stepped down from the podium and started moving through the crowd. He stopped at the very slab my classmate had cleaned, which was so polished that it reflected Swami's image like a mirror. Swami looked at my classmate, smiled, and walked away without saying a word.

In that silent exchange, a profound lesson was taught: whatever work you do, do it so well that it reflects divinity itself.

?This experience taught me that the quality of our actions, performed with full dedication and without attachment to recognition or results, holds immense value. It's not about how much we do, but how we do it. When actions are performed with utmost sincerity and as an expression of our true nature, they become sacred and lead us toward the coveted freedom.

Embracing Action with Sacredness

When Arjuna further questioned Krishna, he hinted that when every action is performed with equal sacredness, action becomes a tool for awareness. Through this awareness, the endless treasure of happiness becomes our identity. By acting without attachment to results our inherent nature reveals itself to us and slowly our every action becomes an expression of the experience of boundless happiness within us. And this is true freedom or moksha!

Conclusion

These reflections lead me back to the original question: Why do we work? Perhaps work is not just about earning a livelihood or achieving success but is an opportunity given to us to seek our true nature. Engaging in actions with awareness we begin our journey towards the gold of every life- boundless happiness and inner freedom. It's a journey of doing to becoming to being!

?