Is work worship? – In this blog post, we shall deal with a very pertinent topic of “work is worship”. Everybody says “karma hee puja hai” . Let us debate and introspect if the work is worship?
Table of Contents
Sending Animals to Slaughterhouse
One of the very significant works done at this moment in this world is sending animals to slaughterhouses. There are countries that survive on exporting meat. Sending innocent animals and butchering them in a cruel manner is a daily activity at these slaughterhouses. One of the real-world stories which happened in 1977-78 is as follows
One of the teachers went with his students to the USA in a collaborative program. During the trip, there was a visit to a slaughterhouse and the guide was an American lady. All the Indians visiting this place were pure vegetarians. As they saw the brutal cruelty inflicted on these poor animals, the American lady acting as guide vomited and lost consciousness.
Can we say this is worship? There are many groups across the world raising this voice but there are some who would say this work is worship.
Environmental Pollution and Degradation
Massive mining and the establishment of big factories emit Carbon monoxide, nitrous oxide, and chemicalized water thereby polluting the river and the surrounding environment. Let us hear the story of environmental degradation. Massive mining destroyed natural habitats like rivers, hills, forests, etc. And factories emitting hazardous gases and liquid wastes are being diverted to rivers and other water bodies. Can one say these works are worshipable? There are many who depend on the welfare of their family in these setups. Again, ask yourselves if we can say these works are also worshipable.
The question is where does one draw the laxman rekha? Because of the operation of slaughterhouses, there are massive repercussions, like domestic violence and a cold war between countries like India-Pakistan, Russia-USA. In addition, every country has internal tensions. For instance, India has an immanent problem with naxal movements. Secondly, because of environmental degradation, the very human society is under stress.
The other set of people recommends that human life is meant for a sense of gratification. There is rampant propaganda for atheism to set up an atheistic society. Can we say these as worshipable works?
Work as worship in Bhagavad Gita
In Bhagavad Gita 9.27 Lord Krishna says:
yat karosi yad asnasi
yaj juhosi dadasi yat
yat tapasyasi kaunteya
tat kurusva mad-arpanam
Translation: Whatever you do, whatever you eat, whatever you offer or give away, and whatever austerities you perform – do that, O son of Kuntī, as an offering to Me.
We don’t worship anything and everything. Work becomes worship only when it makes one free from the bondge of ignorance. Work that can liberate one is obviously a mode of worship.
4 Essential Ingredients
For any society to survive one has to be provided with four essential ingredients:
- Education: Without education, people are in general lost in ignorance.
- Culture: If there is no civilized cultural interaction between individuals, society will not at all stand.
- Agriculture and cow protection: Cows eat grass and give us milk. If we maintain cows in a healthy manner, food security will be guaranteed.
- Simple Living: It refers to the establishment of a symbiotic connection with natural ecology. Simple Living doesn’t need the building of skyscrapers, but instead living in a village kind of atmosphere
If these four things are done properly and Lord Krishna, the absolute truth is kept in the center, work obviously becomes worship. When we do activities that are pleasing to Krishna, the absolute truth, these activities make us free from lust, greed, anger, envy, pride, and illusion. Certainly, these kinds of activities are worship. Before one can say work is worship, one has to figure out the kind of work one is doing. If one is smoking, that cannot certainly be worshiped. In addition, if one is indulging in illicit sex that can’t be worshiped also. Further, if one is connected to killing animals to satisfy the tongue, that can’t be worshipped. Finally, If one is following corrupt methods for sustenance then that also can’t be worshipped.
Conclusion
In essence, one can agree that work is worship, provided that work is divine. Work becomes divine when it is connected to its source, the absolute truth i.e. Lord Krishna. In the next post, more insights will be provided on how one can make one’s work to be divine.