The Indian traditional philosophy presents various ways and means of orchestrating the thought process to quieten down the mind. These methods do yield to positive results, to those who adopt, practice and follow these tenets. However, there is a misconception that a person who puts in efforts to the skill in the, mind with the help of the tips and instructions given in the sacred texts eventually ends up as an ascetic. This is the basics of arguments against religious practices –that in a world full of ascetics, no activity, be it agriculture, industry or governance, could even function at its best.
These arguments go a step further to suggest that new ideas and ideal solutions to complicated problems emanate from restless minds. Nevertheless the best counter to such erroneous arguments is contained in the Bhagavad Gita where Lord Krishna advises Arjuna to be a karma yogi, a person who performs all the duties to his or her maximum potential and capability without any attachment and without expecting rewards. Being dispassionate while performing one’s duty helps one to maintain mental balance while being engrossed completely in one’s profession.
Modern day professionalism in nothing but karma yoga at its best. True professionals obtain the best possible training necessary for the job to be executed with precision and perfection, and in an efficient manner. Once the objectives of the job to be performed have been understood cleanly and matched with the person’s capability, capacity to work and training and there is willingness to put in all that there is into performing the job, the satisfaction and calmness one obtains more than compensates for the energy expended in doing the job. A job well done without hassles is a reward in itself.
However, those who view their job as a drudgery often end up making a complete mess of the assigned job, which leads to mental disturbances. "A bad workman finds fault with his tools" comes true for such persons who keep on finding fault with his tools’ comes true for such persons who keep on finding excuses and blaming others for their own lack of efficiency and will power.
A parable that brings out clearly the role of performing the assigned job with full concentration in quietening the mind goes like this: In the ashram of an enlightened sage a number of disciples were undergoing training. One disciple, in whom the sage saw the potential of the makings of the great man, was assigned the boring and routine duty of grinding sesame seeds in the kitchen. Since sesame seeds in the kitchen. Since sesame seeds formed a part of everyone’s diet in the ashram, this disciple had to spend whole of his time grinding the seeds.He accepted the assigned duty with pleasure and put in all efforts to grind the necessary quantity of seeds daily as best as he could without any thought about the task being a very routine one. Years went by and the sage let this disciple do the grinding undisturbed while other students were taught various subjects.
Finally the sage decided to appoint one of the disciples to take his place and look after the activities of the ashram so that he himself could now retire. All the disciples were asked to come up with a great philosophical thought and pen it down. The one who came up with the best thought would take over the reins of the ashram. Only the best amongst the lot –expect the grinder –dared to write such a thought.
“The mind is like a mirror and thought acts like dust o the mirror”. The idea sounded good and everyone was convinced that the author of the novel idea would be choice of the sage.
Disciples engaged in discussing the idea went to the kitchen and the disciple who had been grinding the seeds in the kitchen for years together started laughing uncontrollably at the great philosophical thought enunciated by the ‘best’ of the lot. When he was been asked why he was laughing, he simply replied “What mirror and what dust?” He had been so engrossed in executing the duty well ever entered his mind. And that gave him the power to keep his mind quiet. He was chosen to succeed the sage.
Doing one’s job with fully, efficiency, skillfully and with full concentration is known as yoga. This point made in the ancient Indian philosophical thought is the guiding philosophy and the driving force behind today’s professionalism. Those who devote themselves completely to their duty would not have the time to ponder over irrelevant thoughts that keep the mind agitated.
This the complete essence of karma yoga.
These arguments go a step further to suggest that new ideas and ideal solutions to complicated problems emanate from restless minds. Nevertheless the best counter to such erroneous arguments is contained in the Bhagavad Gita where Lord Krishna advises Arjuna to be a karma yogi, a person who performs all the duties to his or her maximum potential and capability without any attachment and without expecting rewards. Being dispassionate while performing one’s duty helps one to maintain mental balance while being engrossed completely in one’s profession.
Modern day professionalism in nothing but karma yoga at its best. True professionals obtain the best possible training necessary for the job to be executed with precision and perfection, and in an efficient manner. Once the objectives of the job to be performed have been understood cleanly and matched with the person’s capability, capacity to work and training and there is willingness to put in all that there is into performing the job, the satisfaction and calmness one obtains more than compensates for the energy expended in doing the job. A job well done without hassles is a reward in itself.
However, those who view their job as a drudgery often end up making a complete mess of the assigned job, which leads to mental disturbances. "A bad workman finds fault with his tools" comes true for such persons who keep on finding fault with his tools’ comes true for such persons who keep on finding excuses and blaming others for their own lack of efficiency and will power.
A parable that brings out clearly the role of performing the assigned job with full concentration in quietening the mind goes like this: In the ashram of an enlightened sage a number of disciples were undergoing training. One disciple, in whom the sage saw the potential of the makings of the great man, was assigned the boring and routine duty of grinding sesame seeds in the kitchen. Since sesame seeds in the kitchen. Since sesame seeds formed a part of everyone’s diet in the ashram, this disciple had to spend whole of his time grinding the seeds.He accepted the assigned duty with pleasure and put in all efforts to grind the necessary quantity of seeds daily as best as he could without any thought about the task being a very routine one. Years went by and the sage let this disciple do the grinding undisturbed while other students were taught various subjects.
Finally the sage decided to appoint one of the disciples to take his place and look after the activities of the ashram so that he himself could now retire. All the disciples were asked to come up with a great philosophical thought and pen it down. The one who came up with the best thought would take over the reins of the ashram. Only the best amongst the lot –expect the grinder –dared to write such a thought.
“The mind is like a mirror and thought acts like dust o the mirror”. The idea sounded good and everyone was convinced that the author of the novel idea would be choice of the sage.
Disciples engaged in discussing the idea went to the kitchen and the disciple who had been grinding the seeds in the kitchen for years together started laughing uncontrollably at the great philosophical thought enunciated by the ‘best’ of the lot. When he was been asked why he was laughing, he simply replied “What mirror and what dust?” He had been so engrossed in executing the duty well ever entered his mind. And that gave him the power to keep his mind quiet. He was chosen to succeed the sage.
Doing one’s job with fully, efficiency, skillfully and with full concentration is known as yoga. This point made in the ancient Indian philosophical thought is the guiding philosophy and the driving force behind today’s professionalism. Those who devote themselves completely to their duty would not have the time to ponder over irrelevant thoughts that keep the mind agitated.
This the complete essence of karma yoga.
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