Let’s learn from common Indians at Work – Ideas for Reflection

Let’s learn from common Indians at Work – Ideas for Reflection
1. Look at the common Indians at work in the huge unorganized sectors; they have the inbuilt potential to imbibe the knowledge and skills needed without going to any training institutes and can take full direct responsibility and leadership for delivery of results and customer satisfaction! Examples of Bombay dabbawalas, innumerable vendors, grocers, repair shops, early morning delivery of newspapers, by the uneducated masses at our door step every day, irrespective of heat, cold, rain with no holidays, are some examples.

# Compare the modern ‘educated persons’ with the ‘uneducated common masses and housewives!’ And we will realize that while the vast majority of the illiterate are hard-working, skilful and committed to their duties, many of the educated in government or private are either corrupt or lazy, inefficient, negligent and not fully committed to their duties. India survives thanks to the common Indians at work while we the educated are the parasites!

# As the educated elite, the Shrestha we need to reflect that we’re at ‘work’ our whole life and to think that we work just for ‘roti-kapada-makan’ is a very narrow modern western idea focused only on ‘earning and enjoying’. In contrast Indian wisdom categorically asserts that ‘work’ itself is religion, i.e. excellence and quality in work, done selflessly for the good of society as a whole is the highest worship of God in man and all creation.

# If we wish to become better as we work, then we must be clear and have the Vivek and will to gradually get rid of ego and self-centered desires. If we’re religious then gradually we should mentally try to offer the work to the divine, work as service and our highest worship.

# Our daily ‘work’ is not just for more money, comforts, promotion; it is an opportunity to judge how ‘good or bad’, ‘selfless or selfish’ are we becoming! All work and actions are really for knowing our true Self! The external and apparent results of actions are secondary. if we don’t work, we won’t have any experience! When we work, we can judge whether we are becoming better, calmer, stronger.

3. We’re driven into ‘actions’ by our own swabhava, nature. That is why we the educated need to learn that in the present moment to moment we’re enslaved by our own nature, our past tendencies, memories, inclinations which propel and compel us into actions, even when we may not wish to indulge into action, for whatever reasons.

# Thus, education and religions must together ensure that we learn to reflect and resolve to strive to know and fulfil not just our vocational duties, but all other duties, social, familial, etc. That is why we need to awaken first our Vivek-buddhi to discern and choose the path of long-term good, Shreyas and then build will power, self-control, self-restraint, etc. to choose Shreyas and reject the path of Preyas, short-term pleasurable.

# Why choose Shreyas? To be intellectually convinced in the power of goodness, Shreyas we need to continually reflect, introspect on the fact, reality that our real Self, our own true Swaroopa, i.e. unchanging reality, isn’t and can’t be just the “body” that decays and dies.

# Since I Exist, the scientific fact is that I can’t cease to Exist. So, my Changeless reality must be the Self, Life, “Consciousness” that enlivens us and makes us Conscious human beings. And as Life we’re all one. Therefore, Shreyas, goodness, righteousness, kartavya-palan, duties, etc., purify our mind and lead to the direct realization that I am one with all.

4. Unfortunately, governance and the organized sectors have failed to realize that we all have unlimited potential, and we work best when we are given sense of ownership and have clear delegation of responsibility, accountability, autonomy and get paid based on results and customer satisfaction, e.g. Small self-managed teams in chains of “supplier to customer”, instead of pyramid structures where the customer is the boss to be pleased!

From the examples of the vast common uneducated masses, whether bosses or employees we must learn that wisdom doesn’t come only from modern idea of schooling where we spend say a decade learning various subjects but fail to learn the art and science of work to realize that ‘Work’ includes not just our job and vocation but our ‘motives, thoughts, words, actions, moment to moment!

Unfortunately, we the highly educated Officers and managers have failed to learn this wisdom and so failed to create organizational systems where people are inspired to give their best not just for the organization but for the good of the nation too.

5. We the educated must adopt Life skills, planned self-development practices to build powers of mind, self-control, will-power, concentration, discipline, etc. to deliver quality and excellence in work and duties for good of society, aided by our respective devotional practices, prayers, worship, meditation, etc.

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