It is not my job to tell you what your duty in life is. As Emerson says in his essay on Self Reliance there are always people who think they know what your duty is better than you know it yourself. I do not wish to add myself to that number. I am assuming you know or have decided what your duty is. This article speaks of the attitude that is required following that.
It is said in the Bhagavad Gita:
As for you, do the work that comes to you— but don’t look for the results. Don’t be motivated by the fruits of your actions, nor become attached to inaction.
The above shloka was sourced from the excellent book – The Living Gita: The Complete Bhagavad Gita: a Commentary for Modern Readers by Sri Swami Satchidananda.
The book goes on to give an example of working in the required manner. Quoting from the book:
Ask an atom, “Why are you constantly revolving?” “It’s none of my business to know that. I’m just doing what I’m supposed to be doing.” It just acts; it never worries about the results. That’s what Sri Krishna says here …
According to the findings of Quantum Physics the Universe is an organic whole comparable to the human body. As such we are all but cells in the body of the Universe and our only purpose in life, the only thing that can give our lives any meaning is to serve the Universe.
Just as a red blood corpuscle in our body serves the body so also our task is to serve the Universe.
Now this can be compared with the modern trend which lays stress on the pursuit of happiness and fulfilling our potential. It is mostly an American concept that has caught on. When I was young, I was very much concerned with making the most of myself and my talents. But as I have aged and faced disappointments, I find myself agreeing with another quote from the essay on Self Reliance referred to above:
“Thy lot or portion in life,” said the Caliph Ali, is seeking after thee; therefore be at rest from seeking after it.”
As a result, I have found myself to be much happier than I was when I was young. I am content with my lot and no longer feel the need to feverishly chase goals and ambitions.
A learned criticism of the flaws involved in pursuing your happiness can be found in the following book by Mark Manson. I don’t generally read self help books but I made an exception in this case and I am glad that I did so. The link below is not an affiliate link
The book has another inspiring passage that describes how a Buddhist monk named Thich Quang Duc self immolated himself in a political protest in Vietnam. I think I will need to write an article on that as well sometime.
I’ll end here. Please explore this website for more articles on Self Help, Spirituality and Politics. Please leave your comments if you liked the article or even if you didn’t. Feedback from my readers keeps me going.
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