The present younger generation is carrying a mistaken notion, a misconception or a negative thinking that "the higher the standard of living, the less should a man work". Mathematically, this means that "the highest standard of living, no work at all". So no work, maximum recreation, all sensual enjoyment, living all 365 days in holidays- is this the highest standard of living?

This may be due to the historical background of our Country. Foreigners were ruling us during the last few centuries. Then the masters were squeezing the maximum out of the ordinary people, giving little remuneration in return. As a reaction to this and the Country becoming independant, the average man now wants to get everything from the rich employer or the Government, with minimum contribution of labour from his side. This is a natural social incident, which happens inevitably in the context of our history, emerging from slavery to freedom.

We are now a free independent Country. Our young men are no more the children of slaves. They are all proprietors of the new chances given to them. There must be a new philosophy of action in their hearts. The destiny of a nation belongs to the living generation. Life is the most sacred wealth. All of us are working from morning till evening just for maintaining our lives. Life is a common denominator. Life is for the poor, life is for the rich, life is for the employer, life is for the employee, life is for the successful, life is for the failure-everyone has got life and has equal share. This we sacredly guard for ourselves. This is our precious wealth.

What exactly is Life?

Activity is the insignia of life. A dead body has no activity. So long as we are living, we will have to act. Life pulsating through the body is activity in the outer world. Action must come out of every living person, just as fragrance from the rose. The rose cannot stop its fragrance spreading out. Similarly, all of us have to act whether we like it or not, till we are placed in our burial or cremation ground.

Now the question is: since actions are flowing out from every living individual until he dies, how can they be organized, altered, or disciplined in order that these actions would bring a sense of satisfaction and fulfillment to himself and a general happiness in the community or society as a whole? This is what is called "The Secret of Action (Karma Sootra)".

Action is inevitable, because it is the signature of life. Life expresses itself in action, as death does in inaction. But actions may vary , as they do vary, from man to man and from time to time. A labourer working in the field may be sweating under the hot sun. A poet working may not be sweating. The labourer may think that the poet is not working at all. Similarly, the poet may think that a scientist is simply wasting public money. The scientist may think that a philosopher is wasting his time. From all their points of view, the Budha under the tree is a waster and leech upon the society. These are all feelings of one with respect to the other.

The great Rishis have classified the type and the quality of our works into 3 different categories:

1. Labourers
2. Workers
3. Men of Achievement.

Labourers

The man who is working in society only for the sake of wages or salaries, or for the sake of commission or profit, or for his own pleasure, the man who is self-centred, the man who wants to aggrandize more and more wealth only for the sake of his wife and children- are all ' labourers '. They do not think of doing any good to the society. In this sense, even a Minister, a Judge or a Collector can be a labourer. It is not his salary in terms of Rupees, or his official status or his qualifications which matter; but his mental outlook while doing his work. For example. in the same political field, you can have a Great man like Gandhiji or many criminals and dacoits. It is not the work that you do that matters. What is important is how you do it; what is your mental make up while doing it and what is your expectation in return.

Workers

The second category of men are called "Workers". You may not find any difference between a worker and a labourer immediately. Just think of ! We never say ' a political labourer ' or a ' social labourer ' or a 'religious labourer'. We always call them 'workers ', not 'labourers'. There is a certain difference. Every worker wants to bring about something in the society, in addition to his wages or profits. It may be the picture of an ideal heaven or a perfect society, a socialistic pattern, or a communist pattern or even a divine pattern. Each one has an ideal in his mind, and he struggles to make the ideal an actual fact. Such men are called 'Workers'. To the extent the ideal is worked out in society, to that extent he is happy and feel successful. Workers will be less in number compared to Labourers.

Men of Achievement

These men are the rare ones. They are very few indeed in this world. They do not work for wages, not for profit, nor for success.They do not seek even Recognition. They work for fulfillment. The feelings of such a man are: " I have done what is to be done (Kritakritya); I have obtained what is to be obtained (Praaptapraapya); I have known what is to be known (Jnaatajneya) ".  They are the Men of Achievement. All that they want is the 'secret joy' in themselves. Examples of such Great Men are Jesus Christ, Mahatma Gandhi, Adi Sankara, Vivekananda, Gautam Budha and so on. They would have been assaulted, abused or even assassinated during their life. People may realise their worth only well after their death even.

The morality, the culture and the civilization of the society always rose up because of the work of these mighty men, in their short span of life. A Christ lived only 30 years in the world. A Vivekananda lived only 37 years. Adi Sankara had a span of only 32 years. All of them gave a push and fillip to the ideal- a life that they themselves lived and experienced- not merely conceived and talked about.

Secret of Success

The secret of becoming successful in this world is : " Live like a Hermit, Work like a Horse ". A man of success in any profession has no time to waste in the coffee-house, no time to go to the nearby picture-house, no time to do window-shopping in malls etc.- which all are exactly the usual pastimes of a common man. The common man has nothing to crave for, to demand, to work, to achieve for himself. All that he wants is to live at the flesh-level. He is no better than an animal, as animal also lives at the flesh-level - it eats, or licks or mates.

Prosperity, culture and progress are possible not merely because you are physically a human being, but only if you are human in your mind and intellect. If you do not attain this great human stature within your intellect, then the general progress of the country is impeded; you and I shall weep on and on, quarrelling with everybody, with every government that might come in this country, and die away in sorrow and tears alone, never gaining that joy of 'having lived'.

In order to live and to bring out the maximum happiness from ourselves, every one of us must have a Goal in life - a mission, an inspiring ideal - to look up to while working in this outer world. Our work thereby become chastened; the work itself becoming its own reward. A great joy will well up in our minds, not in terms of what we get on the 1st of every month as wages, but what we give to the society as best as we can, from the place where we are.There was a time when this goal was Dharma or religion. Today it is not.