Story 168 - Work for Work's Sake

There was a quarrel between a pond and a river. The pond addressed the river thus: "O river, you are very foolish to give all your water and all your wealth to the ocean; do not squander your water and wealth on the ocean. The ocean is ungrateful, the ocean needs is not. If you go on pouring into the ocean all your accumulated treasures, the ocean will remain as salty as it is today, the ocean will remain as bitter as it is today, the brine of the sea will not be altered. "Do not throw pearls before swine. Keep all your treasures with you." This was worldly wisdom. Here was the river told to consider the end, to care for the result, and regard the consequences. But the river was a Vedantin. After hearing this worldly wisdom, the river replied, "No, the consequence and the result are nothing to me, failure and success, are nothing to me; I must work because I love work; I must work for its own sake. To work is my aim, to keep in activity is my life. My Soul, my real Atman is energy itself. I must work." The river went on working, the river went on pouring into the ocean millions upon millions of gallons of water. The miserly economic pond became dry in three or four months; it became putrid, stagnant, full of festering filth; but the river remained fresh and pure, its perennial springs did not dry up. Silently and slowly was water taken from the surface of the ocean to replenish the fountain heads of the river; monsoons and trade winds invisibly, silently and slowly carried water from the ocean and kept the river source fresh forever.

Just so Vedanta requires you not to follow the sophistic policy of the pond. It is the small, selfish pond that cares for the result. "What will become of me and my work." Let your work be for work's sake; you must work. In your work should your goal be, and thus Vedanta frees you from fretting and worrying desires. This is the meaning of freedom from desires which Vedanta preaches. Worry not about the consequences, expect nothing from the people, bother not about favourable reviews of your work or severe criticism thereon. Care not whether what you are doing will tell or not; think nothing of that. Do the work for its own sake.

This way you have to free yourself from desire; you have not to free yourself from work, you have to free yourself from yearning restlessness. This way how splendid does your work become! The most effective and best cure for all sorts of distracting passions and temptations is work. But that would be only a negative recommendation. The positive joy that accompanies faithful work is a spark of Salvation, unconscious Self-realization. It keeps you pure, untainted and one with Divinity. This happiness is the highest and surest reward of work. Corrupt not this health-bringing, heavenly treasure by setting your heart on selfish motives for work.

Sordid ambitions, and petty hankerings retard rather than accelerate our progress; outward and concrete allurements are detrimental rather than beneficial to our efficiency of labour. No prize or appreciation can be more benign or salubrious than the immediate joy which accompanies earnest action. Follow then action to realize the renunciation, religion or worship it involves and be not led by the childish frivolities it promises. Feel no responsibility, ask for no reward. Mow here should your goal be.

MORAL: Work is its own reward, for work done for work's sake brings positive joy.

Vol.1 (132-134)