All that Krishna says
to Arjuna is: Be efficient at work. How to be efficient at work is what the
Gita is all about for it is the science of action. So the workplace is where it
is most relevant.
You have many roles in
life, and one of them is as worker. You can play only one role at a time. Do
never go at two or more roles at a time. Give your all to the role you play at
the time. That way you do maximum justice to the role you play at the time.
That is vyavasaya buddhi, which is Gita's term for dedication. When you play
one role, whatever role, bring your vyavasaya buddhi to samadhi, concentration,
and that is efficiency.
The role of Arjuna in
the war field is just to fight - giving his all to it, doing maximum justice to
his role. When he plays the role of the fighter he should not share the concerns of
his other roles - father, brother, son, son-in-law, nephew or any other. If he
does, it is like splitting himself into many roles at a time and thus diluting
his vyavasaya buddhi. Diluted dedication is inefficiency. When you play the
role of the fighter, be just the fighter and not the father, brother or anyone
else. When you play the role of the worker, be just the worker and not the
father, mother, husband, wife or anyone else.
The weak-minded cannot
dedicate himself to the role he plays at the time and concentrate. He gets
distracted. That is Arjuna's problem. So, to be efficient at work, cultivate
strong-mindedness.
Unconcern for the
fruits of action is not an unearthly ideal; it is just part of efficiency at
work. When the fruits of action weigh heavy upon you, you are distracted and
your dedication is unsteady. You do not do justice to your role. Thoughts of
returns should not burden your actions.
A mother who doubts
that her children, when grown up, might not reciprocate her love and care
cannot love and care for them with motherly vyavasaya buddhi. A farmer who
doubts that he might not reap profit from his crops cannot farm with complete
dedication and do justice to his role. An employee who bellyaches over his pay
cannot give his all to his work and do justice to his role.
Only those who work
unconcerned with fruits can work with complete dedication and do justice to
their roles. So cultivate this attitude. Do not look at the returns. Just love
your work and do it lovingly, just for the pleasure of doing. Even when working
for wages, don't equate yourself with the wages. Stand above wages. Let not the
thought of wages weigh you down.
Think plenty before
plunging. Once you plunge, swim come what may. Let not the thought of gain or
loss or success or failure distract you. It is important that you play the game well. Give no care to win or defeat.
Keep your spirits high. Don't trade it off for the fruits of work.
If you act just for
the boss in the workplace, you cannot play your role with dedication. Act not
for the boss in the cabin but for the Great Boss within - the Spectator-I.
Krishna says, act always with me in mind. And when you act with Him in mind, He
will take care of the fruits - yogakshemam vahamyaham.
Courtesy : http://articles.timesofindia.indiatimes.com
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