Tips to Convert our Material Career as Karma Yoga & Working for Krishna!
Actual Question (Name hidden):
Hare Krishna Prabhuji I am 21 yrs old. even I want to study further, get into good college and start earning and am confused that am I being materialistic now? What should I do? Should I concentrate on devotion or career? Pls resolve my prob. What should I do? What career? Sometimes I feel like doing MBA, sometimes psychology, sometimes lecturer and then fear comes what if history repeats and I fail again and again left alone like I was left alone before. Because after great struggle I got a chance to prove myself as I was forced to work despite I had interest to study more.
REPLY:
One need not follow devotion with the fear. If aiming for a job is materialistic, most of the working devotees should be materialistic.
Without earning, no one can lead his life.
Krishna has never said that you should not work. In fact, Krishna has taught us how to work.
(Will Performing our Prescribed duties, ie, Karma Yoga give rebirth? READ HERE!)
The entire chapter of KARMA YOGA speaks about Karma Yoga & Working for Krishna and it is reminded even in the last chapter:
(1) In B.G (3- 30) Krishna says: “Therefore, O Arjuna, surrendering all your works unto Me, with full knowledge of Me, without desires for profit, with no claims to proprietorship, and free from lethargy, fight.”
This is called Karma Yoga & Working for Krishna.
(2) He also gives an example for Karma Yoga & Working for Krishna in B.G (3-20): “Kings such as Janaka attained perfection solely by performance of prescribed duties. Therefore, just for the sake of educating the people in general, you should perform your work.”
(Assigned duties means, the duties that are naturally chosen by us based on our Guna, Nature and Preferences and also our duties that should be done for family, society, etc)
(What is Karma Yoga? Will it reduce our Initiative for not expecting results? READ HERE!)
(2) In B.G (3-5) Krishna says that Everyone is forced to act helplessly according to the qualities he has acquired from the modes of material nature; therefore no one can refrain from doing something, not even for a moment.
(3) Krishna says in B.G. (3-22) that He Himself is working by managing all His creations though He is not entitled to work because if he remains without working, all the people will follow Him and avoid working.
“O son of Prutha, there is no work prescribed for Me within all the three planetary systems. Nor am I in want of anything, nor have I a need to obtain anything – and yet I am engaged in prescribed duties.”
(4) In B.G (3-8) Krishna says: “Perform your prescribed duty, for doing so is better than not working. One cannot even maintain one’s physical body without work.”
(5) In B.G (3-35) Krishna says: It is far better to discharge one’s prescribed duties, even though faultily, than another’s duties perfectly. Destruction in the course of performing one’s own duty is better than engaging in another’s duties, for to follow another’s path is dangerous.
(Are the careers of Politics and IAS suitable for a Devotee? READ HERE!)
What a great advice this is! Performing one’s own duties though defective, is better than performing the duties of others though it seems better. That means, performing one’s SWADHARMA protects him from sins.
Thus, one can not stop working.
See, the planetary systems are perfectly coming around the stars without deviation or break. If they deviate or stop what will happen? The entire Planetary Systems will collapse.
Our body is also working 24x7x365. Even when we are sleeping, our body systems are working. Eg: Breathing, Digesting, Circulation of blood and fluids, etc.
If they stop their functioning, what will happen? The body will die.
Therefore, Krishna’s entire creations ARE BASED ON VIBRANT FUNCTIONING.
Work Renouncement (Sanyasa) and Karma Yoga – Which Krishna (says, is better? READ HERE!)
Same applies for our life management. Without performing the available assigned duties, our life will become miserable.
If you remain praying to Krishna all the time without working, can you fulfill all your daily needs?
Impossible.
Therefore, working and worship should happen simultaneously. This is called Karma Yoga & Working for Krishna.
Here only, Krishna’s Preaching help.
We should do our works as a worship and offering to Krishna.
In brief, we should work for Krishna.
(What is the difference between Karma Yoga, Gnana Yoga and Bakthi Yoga? READ HERE!)
How to follow Karma Yoga & Work for Krishna?
First the works we perform should not violate the recommendations of the scriptures. In other words, we should not perform prohibited duties like gambling, stealing, looting, killing, cheating overpricing, supplying defective goods, etc.
We should perform such permitted works keeping Krishna in mind considering that it is the service for Krishna to make our material jobs as Karma Yoga & Working for Krishna
Krishna has mercifully given this assignment to us. He has given us a family to nurture and maintain the social norms.
Why should not we develop attachment with the results? Because, if we fix the results, we will follow whatever means, whether permitted or not, to achieve that result.
(Karma Yoga, Gnana Yoga and Bhakti Yoga – Which is the best one to follow? READ HERE!)
Therefore, just performing our duties as perfectly as possible keeping Krishna in mind, and accepting whatever result (whether positive or negative) is given by Krishna as His discretion, is called Karma Yoga & Working for Krishna.
When we get negative results, we need not cry because Krishna wants you to work more efficiently. Or, He expects us to try again.
Do that. Try again treating this failure as the arrangement of Krishna to give us more experiences.
It is certain that a devotee of Krishna will get final success in all his activities and efforts.
(Why people become sanyasis though Krishna has advised to perform our assigned duties? READ HERE!)
In your case, let me tell the right way of following Karma Yoga & Working for Krishna. First identify which job is more preferable to you. Try for that. Study for that. Gain sufficient experience. Plan for the interviews very well. Then, get a good job and work as said above.
Never forget Krishna while working. Do not get agitated with the results. Accept everything as the blessing and wish of Krishna.
While performing your duties, visit temples regularly . Read about Krishna more. Spend the spare time by serving the Lord and associating with His devotees. Chant Lord’s Names in a convenient schedule and also whenever you get a gap during your job. Offer food to Krishna and honour prasadam.
That’s all. What is the difficulty for you to lead such a balanced life?
Start planning and implementing the way of life recommended by me above based on the preaching of Krishna as explained in this Post on Karma Yoga & Working for Krishna
Hope you are clear about Karma Yoga & Working for Krishna
(THE WAY OF LIFE RECOMMENDED BY BHAGAVAD GITA – READ HERE)