Work is a Worship
Beads of Truth, June 1973 #18
By Nirinjan Kaur
What is the art of work? How does it affect this dharma we have been chosen to fulfill? Many of us have perhaps never really grasped the significance of work, as it determines the outcome of our evolution or how the constant practice of work acts as a curb for our emotions, a diligent protector of our bodies, a soothing oasis of comfort for our torment, an instinctive outlet of negativity, a sacred source of joy--an unmistakable guide to the gateways of the Universe...that is, until we met Yogi Bhajan and gratefully acknowledged these universal teachings.
Yogiji has said "that man can reach the highest ego achievement if he longs to work." In other words, the fastest and easiest way to pay off our karmas which we have accumulated and to reach God-consciousness, is to work. For our consistent efforts will reap the greatest rewards--His Eternal Blessings. There is such a creativity in work that produces an ecstasy and a great fulfillment. In our efforts to serve ourselves and to serve others, be it selfishly or selflessly, God receives all vibrations and all results. Whether and however we relate to God, He, Who is the Reality, is the Benefactor of our services. Ultimately, the Creator is the One who is the Receptor of our work, of our deeds, of our dedication and through our longing for our Beloved, our highest aspirations through work are attained. Since He is within all and without all and is the Cause and Effect, then we are affected by our causes (work), for we are One with Him.
For instance, if we have been assigned to write a story for a magazine--we work hard and we work long and become distracted, and stop.
One moment we are perfectly tuned into the Universal Flow. The pen is dashing but the next moment frustration comes and sluggishness sets in. All of a sudden another spark of inspiration ignites. We are three-fourths through the masterpiece. The thoughts are coming so quickly, we cannot catch them; our mind shades into blankness. We stop. We begin again. We are interrupted and resume. Finally, the story is completed. At the termination of the assignment, our insides have been turned outside. We have been within and have gone without, but beyond and above this medley of experiences, a most prevalent feeling overrides the whole episodic exploration--the feeling of exhaustion and relief, and a good feeling that makes every previous hassle a heaven and every aggravation a blessed joy. This awesome feeling brings a flow of the breath, clarity to the mind, relief to the heart, and the attitude of gratitude for being granted the privilege to live on this earth and serve in His Divine Service. The suffering, aggravations, distractions and joys are well worth our efforts for each workout or experience of service brings us closer to the realization of who we are, what we are, why we are. We need only to know ourselves so we will know that God exists in us.If the question arises, "Well, what difference does it make if I feel good? Am I supposed to be the one who gains the benefits and not others? I thought that in this way of Life we were to Iive for others and not: "Why fool ourselves?" It does make a difference for basically we all have chosen this lifestyle, whose main objective is service, to work on ourselves and to work out our karmas--to be free from these physical and intellectual entanglements that are hindering our union with God...or simply to find some sense of peace and order in our disoriented lives. It would be a very ideal and a very humble situation if we all had entered 3HO with the heartfelt sincerity to help and to serve others, but in all reality our first thoughts were centered on us. We were lacking the links of knowledge and awareness that are essential to promote our creative potential to join our finite selves with the Infinite Self. Thus, we sought the technique we needed to reshape our battered selves before other steps could be taken.
This particular state of consciousness might be called "selfishly selfless" and is one of the first steps that needs to be taken on the path of God-consciousness. If God wills and our work habits are consistent, this attitude will change to one of "selflessness" and then there is no problem because by that time we will be God and our service will inevitably be rendered for others and not for ourselves.