2. Work is Worship
The core concepts covered in this chapter are from the initial chapters of the Gita where Lord Krishna addresses critical questions raised by Arjuna who has decided to withdraw from the war. The first question that arises is ‘Why should anyone work at all (especially if the work is unpleasant)’? The Lord provides compelling arguments for one not to abstain from performing prescribed duties, however difficult or unpleasant they might be. The next question that arises is the definition of prescribed duties. How does one know the profession one needs to take on? Then we dig deeper into the constituents of any act and their classification, namely the act itself, the doer and the knowledge about the mechanics of the act. This chapter also addresses natural questions related to performing duties such as – is it possible for anyone not to do any work, how about souls who have achieved salvation, how about the Lord Himself etc. The next set of questions posed by Arjuna deal with potential alternatives for avoiding unpleasant work such as complete renunciation. How about following the path of knowledge as opposed to the path of labour? Is there a choice here? Note that the terms work, activity, duty, labour are all used to mean the same thing – the primary activity with which a person is associated in a life time.
2.1 Why Work at all?
Q: Why do we need to work, especially if it is unpleasant?
A: Everyone has a special place in this world and a special purpose in their life. People express themselves through their work which should be performed as a service to society. Even as we earn a living, we should dedicate the work to the Lord without any specific expectations on the outcome. Continuous, serial execution of naturally chosen activities over multiple life times in this manner ultimately leads one to get released from bondage and achieve eternal bliss through the express grace of the Lord. Work or labor is an integral part of the ‘cycle of life’ without which the world does not function.
Q: Different people seem to have different aptitudes and talents, and choose different professions. Who decides what will be one’s profession?
A: Everyone is born with a purpose in life. Each one of us has an innate nature and talent which largely determines the type of work or career that is best suited for us. The goal is to excel in our naturally ordained activity and serve society and the Lord to make our lives meaningful. In a broad sense, the categories of professions are classified as: Scholars, Administrators, Business professionals and Craftspeople.
Every one largely falls into one of these categories. Scholars would typically include people who normally pursue intellectual activities such as teaching, legal profession etc. Administrators include those who pursue Governance, military etc. Businessmen are those who focus on financial activities. Craftsmen are those who express their creativity with their hands etc. These classes are not hereditary but manifest based on one’s innate nature. No one group is superior to another. Everyone regardless of their profession and abilities can and should work towards self realization by focusing on performing their stipulated duties to the best of their abilities. This should be done without expecting material returns and all the while focusing on the Lord. Further one should not abdicate his/her responsibilities if a particular task gets unpleasant or difficult. It should be noted that everyone has in their character, elements from the four identified categories but in different proportions. For example, one who is predisposed to pursuing scholarly pursuits such as teaching can also have administrative capabilities. Similarly, a business person may also have an intellectual bent of mind. Hence the categories are loose and broadly defined.
Q: Performing one’s naturally chosen duties is mandatory for everyone. That said, what exactly constitutes these duties?
A: There are basically 4 categories of duties that are mandatory for everyone-
Performing one’s naturally chosen profession with sincerity and dedication
Dedicating all activities to the Lord
Helping the less fortunate in the society
Observing discipline and self control in daily living
Q: What are the constituents or prerequisites of action?
A: To perform any activity, there are 3 prerequisites which are the essential components of any action. They are-
Knowledge about the particular activity
The act itself
The person who is performing the action
For example, for a soldier to fight in a war the essential components are,
the knowledge or training about fighting;
the act of fighting itself and
The soldier.
To understand what constitutes proper action, one needs to comprehend how the components of the action are structured.
Q: Since knowledge is identified as an essential component of any action, how is one to decide what is meant by proper or pertinent knowledge?
A: Knowledge is of 3 kinds-
Satva or Superior knowledge
Rajasa or Incomplete knowledge
Tamasa or Wrong knowledge
Superior knowledge is when one is aware that an omnipotent, absolute Lord is present in all living beings (who are themselves varied and different). It is He who powers inert objects. Such knowledge will lead one to perform right actions.
Incomplete knowledge is when someone believes that the Lord who resides in different living beings and powers inert objects, has multiplicity and that He is not omnipotent and absolute. Incomplete knowledge leads to activities of no real or lasting value.
Wrong knowledge is when someone equates ordinary living beings and inert objects with the Lord, and believes in concepts not supported by experience or logic or scriptures. For example, equating ordinary souls who have naturally chosen activities with the Lord who has no such restriction is contrary to logic. Such knowledge leads one to perform wrongful acts with negative consequences.
Q: The second component of any action is the act itself. How can one know what is the right act to perform? In other words, how are the acts classified?
A: Activity is categorized three fold as follows:
Superior Activity
Ordinary Activity
Negative Activity
Superior Activity is that which is performed for the right purpose and offered to the Lord without any attachment or expectation on the outcome.
Ordinary Activity is that which is performed egoistically with specific expectation on the outcome and often conducted with great effort. Even charitable activities when performed with great pomp and show are classified as ordinary activities. Such activities do not help a seeker on the path to salvation.
Negative Activity is that which is performed with delusion, without realizing the consequences, often performed beyond one’s capacity and causing hurt or harm to others. Such an activity has negative effects.
Q: The last component of any act is the person doing the act or the ‘doer’. What are the different types of doers?
A: There are again three classes of doers, namely, Superior doers, ordinary doers and inferior doers.
Superior doers perform their naturally chosen activities with enthusiasm, with positive attitude, without ego and do not expect any specific outcome (except that of pleasing the Lord). They are not perturbed by perceived success or failure of their acts. Such doers are favorites of the Lord.
Ordinary doers perform activities expecting recognition, and rewards and are often miserly in spending time and effort. They are also greatly influenced by the perceived success or failure of their acts.
Inferior doers often approach work with laziness, contempt, without thinking of the Lord and are afraid of failure. Such doers never accomplish anything of lasting substance.
Q: With what intentions should one perform naturally chosen duties (work)?
A: In general, one should perform naturally chosen duties without expecting ordinary pleasures or objects. Only God has the ability to grant the fruits for labor performed. One should not aspire for worldly pleasures. However, it is perfectly acceptable to desire loftier goals such as God’s grace and to seek knowledge, devotion and renunciation from worldly bonds.
Q: Is it possible for anyone to give up all activities?
A: No. Even breathing is an activity to stay alive. So, how one can give up all activities? The issue is the choice of voluntary activities where one needs to exercise sound judgment.
Q: Are the souls who have already attained eternal bliss, bound by any activities?
A: No, but they act out of choice.
Q: The Almighty God doesn’t have any stipulated activities? But why does He still perform various activities?
A: It is His nature to perform activities, and incarnate Himself many times to serve as a role model to other souls. Else, no one will do any work and also will not have a way of distinguishing between doing right things, wrong things and not doing anything at all.
Q: If the goal of performing naturally chosen activities is to achieve everlasting salvation and not temporary worldly pleasure, why do the scriptures detail rituals meant for achieving temporary treasures?
A: For many people who are not in the path of performing naturally chosen duties but are wasting time on pursuing sensual pleasures, it will be difficult to change overnight to a mode of performing duties with loftier goals. For them, an intermediate path is to perform activities to appease various deities to achieve temporary treasures. Even these fruits are in fact granted by the Lord Himself although they appear to be routed via the other deities. Once a person develops the habit of performing these naturally chosen duties and rituals, it will be easier to move towards performing activities with focus on loftier goals.
Q: So how should one interpret the scriptures such as the Vedas?
A: Merely following the procedures indicated in the Vedas and performing various rituals with expectation of worldly pleasures or heavenly treasures in the afterlife only yields temporary results. One should not merely pluck flowers from a tree, but wait for the flower to blossom into a tasty fruit for longer lasting result. Similarly, performing activities indicated in the scriptures without any expectation on the outcome and dedicating all actions to the supreme Lord will put one on the road to eternal bliss.
Q: Even if one does not intend to commit sinful acts, what makes one do it often?
A: In one word, the answer is ‘Desire’. Among the six enemies that constantly attack individual souls, desire is the most dangerous entity. The surest way to avoid repeatedly committing sinful acts is to control or conquer desire, which is easier said than done. Even learned people and those held in high esteem in the society are not immune to mundane desires, which often befall them. Desire is a quality that is never fully satiated. For example, desire for tasting of good food can be fulfilled by consuming such foods, but in a few days (or hours), that desire is back asking for more.
Q: What makes one forget any spiritual knowledge learned?
A: Desire (or lust) clouds a person’s mind and prevents any spiritual knowledge from taking root. Just as fire is clouded by smoke, a mirror is blemished with dust and an embryo is held captive in the womb, desire similarly clouds and imprisons the mind. The three examples here refer to the extent of control by desire experienced by the three categories of people – noble souls, ordinary souls and evil souls. Smoke covering a fire can be easily warded off by blowing wind, similar to the temporary loss of control over the mind experienced by noble souls. A mirror blemished by dust requires some effort for cleaning, similar to the plight of ordinary souls who are under the spell of desire. An embryo held captive in a womb cannot escape from the womb, signifying the extent of control desire has on an evil person’s mind. In all these cases, controlling the mind by focusing on the Lord is the only way to rid the mind of corruption by desire (or lust).
Q: What happens if someone has been on a wrong path going after sensual objects, but somehow has developed devotion to God?
A: Once that person starts focusing on God, he/she will slowly be rid of bad habits and move towards a more pious life. Basically by focusing on God, one is able to replace negative thoughts in the mind with positive attributes. This helps settle the mind and move it towards more positive thoughts and activities which leads to a more fulfilling life.
Q: The Sanskrit word ‘Karma’ appears in many places in The Gita in different contexts. What is the meaning of this term?
A: As with many other Sanskrit words, ‘Karma’ has different meanings depending on the context in which it is used. The most common meanings for ‘karma’ are as follow:
Act or action. For example ‘Karma Yoga’ means ‘Path of Action’
Destiny or Fate which is actually ‘Consequence of prior action(s)’. We often hear phrases such as ‘good karma’ which actually means ‘pleasant consequence which is a result of good deeds previously performed’. Similarly for ‘bad karma’
Helping out those in need is an obligatory act just as paying taxes to the Government is (‘kar’ in Sanskrit also means taxes)
Q: What type of offerings does one need to make to please the Lord?
A: The Lord who owns the universe has no need for any offerings from anyone. Those desirous of pleasing the Lord make offerings in many ways:
Some people meditate on the Lord as a form of offering -
Some focus on working diligently in their naturally chosen profession, without any material expectation, with their mind focused on the Lord as their offering
Some focus on controlling indulgence in sensual pleasures as their offering
Some donate time and resources to charities
Some focus on gaining spiritual knowledge and then spreading the same
Some focus on breath control in order to help them minimize their eating (eat just enough to sustain the body)
In summary, activities that society recognizes as selfless endeavors performed with some element of sacrifice of pleasures are considered as offerings accepted by the Lord.
Q: How does one achieve eternal bliss and freedom from the cycle of births and deaths?
A: One should perform naturally chosen duties without expecting worldly fruits and simultaneously focus on the Lord through various means such as meditation, listening to Lord’s glories etc. This leads one to a clear and pious mind which allows the percolation of pure, spiritual knowledge which ultimately leads one to the state of bliss. The one who achieves this is called ‘Sthitha Prajna’ or an ‘equi poised person’ or a ‘calm person’.
Q: How does one identify such as ‘calm person’? Is it by the way he/she walks, talks, sits?
A: A person with pure mind devoid of any blemishes or desire for worldly objects is a ‘calm person’. The second question is rhetorical. The real question is why does such as ‘calm person’ need to do any activity as he/she is already on the way to attaining eternal bliss? It turns out that everyone, including those who have already attained eternal bliss is always performing some activity. The Lord Himself is continuously performing benevolent activities. That is in the nature of things.
2.2 Path of Knowledge v/s Path of Labour
Q: Which is superior: Karma Yoga (Path of Labour) or Jnana Yoga (Path of Knowledge)?
A: Both are required by a seeker who has to perform naturally chosen duties (Path of Labour) while having the requisite knowledge in performing the action (Path of Knowledge). Merely following the path of labour without proper knowledge may lead to temporary fruits at best. Similarly, merely acquiring knowledge (Path of Knowledge) without actually implementing the tasks (Path of Labour) will not help one achieve salvation. However the proportion of time traversed on the path of labour or the path of knowledge may be different for different individuals based on their innate nature. Thus, a Karma Yogi is someone who by nature is more inclined to be in the path of labour while Jnana Yogi is one who is more inclined to be in the path of knowledge.
Q: Why should one indulge in actions (labour) which may entail hurting others? An example would be a warrior fighting a war which could result in injury and death to opponents. Why not focus only on studies of scriptures, meditation and perform minimum activities required for survival?
A: There are broadly two ways to cross the ocean of life and reach deliverance. Those who are predisposed to intellectual pursuits often pursue professions such as teaching etc, and those who are inclined towards physical activities engage in professions such as armed forces etc. The former are ‘Jnana Yogis’ and the latter are ‘Karma Yogis’. Suffice it to say that Jnana Yogis also have to partake in Karma Yoga and Karma Yogis also have to partake in acquisition of knowledge. For soldiers, participating in a just war is a naturally chosen duty and their way to eternal glory is by carrying out their duties in a just way without getting attached to the activities. Such professionals cannot abdicate their naturally chosen work which at times might be unpleasant. Indeed they cannot take shelter solely in intellectual pursuits and hope to achieve salvation. In fact, the preferred way for such professionals would be to focus on their work and pursue intellectual studies when possible and at all times dedicate their work to God.
2.3 Knowledge Management
Q: How does one go about acquiring right spiritual knowledge and manage the knowledge so obtained?
A: Among all the objects that one can find in the universe, knowledge is the most important and useful treasure that helps one to cross the ocean of life and reach the ultimate goal of salvation.
It is important to seek the right teacher and gain the teacher’s confidence in order to ensure error free learning
Learning is a lifelong activity
Mere acquisition of spiritual knowledge in and of itself is of no use, unless one puts the knowledge to proper use and leads a life with conviction based on the teachings learned
The seeker also has an obligation to help spread the knowledge learned so that others in society can benefit from the same
2.4 Renunciation v/s Sacrifice
Q: What is the difference between ‘Renunciation’ (Sanyasa) and ‘Sacrifice’ (tyaga)? Which is superior? They appear similar.
A: Sanyasa or Renunciation is renouncing any activity that may result in temporary pleasures. For example, practicing fasting as a way to control excessive intake of food is a type of renunciation. Another example is controlling anger. Sacrifice or ‘tyaga’ refers to a situation where one does not per se renounce activities but performs those activities without expressly expecting any specific outcome (except the Grace of God). While both these are recommended approaches for a seeker, the latter is superior as one has to perform naturally chosen activities, but do so without expectation on outcome. An even better approach is a combination of the two, where a seeker performs naturally chosen activities, without expectation of outcome and at the same practices self control by means of renunciation.
The former is normally practiced by ascetics who have given up worldly life and the latter is the recommended path for most other people. In general, a seeker needs to incorporate both these aspects in all activities.
Q: Are there degrees of renunciation?
A: Renunciation is a generic word. There are 3 levels of renunciation, namely, superior, ordinary and inferior renunciation.
Superior Renunciation is when someone performs naturally chosen duties without expecting any material outcome. This is obviously the best kind and leads one to salvation.
Ordinary Renunciation is when someone avoids performing naturally chosen duties if they are unpleasant, harmful to others etc. (ex: a soldier not wanting to fight even a just war for fear of hurting the enemy). This type of renunciation does not help someone looking for salvation.
Inferior Renunciation is when someone refuses to perform naturally chosen duties for reasons such as laziness, ignorance etc. This leads to darkness and misery.
2.5 Takeaways
Everyone born in this world has a purpose and a naturally chosen vocation
No one should abdicate their responsibilities but should discharge them with diligence even if they are unpleasant
Faithful discharge of responsibilities without expecting any outcome while focusing on the Lord will put one on a path towards eternal bliss
Like the Lord, liberated souls continue to be active even though they have no specific task because it is their nature to do so. They act to set an example to other souls.