This is one question that troubled me a lot when I was in my early twenties. At that time you have so many career options and non options in front of you, and the social system is such that you have to take these decisions as early as possible. Further one was made to feel that whatever one does will somehow affect the future, so continuously scrutinized and heckled. I recall being in a continuous state of confusion with absolutely no reference point. Reaching a stage that one day I sat down with a paper to chart down what exactly was a human supposed to do?. Extending later to ‘what is purpose of life?’. Marina beach Chennai in the midst of crowded people was where I pondered on these metaphysical queries!!.
What does Police do?
They take care of law and order. So that we can concentrate on doing what ??
What does Army do?
They protect us from external threat. So that we can concentrate on doing what ??
What does Engineers do?
They use/enhance technology to make our life easy and comfortable. So that we can concentrate on doing what ??.
What does Doctors do?
They cure the disease and help us keep our body fit. So that we can concentrate on doing what ??
What does singers/ actors so on do?
They entertain us. So that we can concentrate on doing what ??
…..and so on. I would ask people whom I meet as to what they did and then try to analyze the career. Like I recall meeting a man regular at Music Academy (Chennai) who worked in a Bank, querying him at length as to what he ‘really’ did !!. I guess since he was elderly man he tolerated me. But then anyone working in Bank is concerned with monetary transaction which is about taking care of money. So if he is taking care of my money what am I supposed to be doing??
It took me some time to zero down to the fact that the purpose of life is “to know”. The next question was “to know what?”. That which leads to awareness. To know therefore is life. I recall being quite ecstatic about this understanding. (Here I am not working on para and apara vidya, the sacred and mundane, which though is a significant understanding but was sucked in by wily Brahminical nonsense. Environment, nature, diseases…is very much part of the awareness). I recall writing a poem on this, probably one of my first few poems.
My Ambition
Some want to be Pilot
and ride the world.
Some want to be in the Army
to save the nation.
Some want to be Engineers
to correct the world.
Some want to be Doctors
to correct the people.
Some want to be models
to show it to the world.
Some want to be actors
to let the world see.
As for me
I want to sit on the seashore
And count the waves.
Waves are water
So is sea.
Bit juvenile but I still like the last few lines. It was during this time (I was around 24) that I started taking up reading bit seriously and made it a point to visit Connemara library once a week, and later Ernakulam Public library where I decided to finish atleast two books a week !!. Though I really had some tough time and did revert back to confusion since “knowing” is not a career. And career was understood as capacity to make money. I recall being severely stressed and very nearly gave up.
Since last few years I have got involved in Career training for young people I could not help recollect these thinking I dwelled upon. As for me this understanding has stood the test of time except that I have added “to know and contribute to collective conscience” as purpose of life. Means used for contributing may vary. Basic money is important that is the reason why constant source of earning must be there.
One realizes that Market (I have read has its origin in Protestant ethics) emphasizes on means of earning, the better the skills more competent the person (‘chosen’-the means to reach God). It means to constantly refine oneself, since earning comes with basic Christian tenet of compassion (snap taken from www.flickr.com).
But the way crassness has crept in with “competitive environment”, necessarily at the cost of what doesn’t have Market value. I dare say this contradicts the basic nature of humanity, the alien context (like for instance Patenting wherein the local understanding is sharing) is leading to alienation- from society and surrounding. For the very reason Capitalism may not be a not flawed system, though it looks best possible option. When all that can be used is used competition is cannibalism.
What does Police do?
They take care of law and order. So that we can concentrate on doing what ??
What does Army do?
They protect us from external threat. So that we can concentrate on doing what ??
What does Engineers do?
They use/enhance technology to make our life easy and comfortable. So that we can concentrate on doing what ??.
What does Doctors do?
They cure the disease and help us keep our body fit. So that we can concentrate on doing what ??
What does singers/ actors so on do?
They entertain us. So that we can concentrate on doing what ??
…..and so on. I would ask people whom I meet as to what they did and then try to analyze the career. Like I recall meeting a man regular at Music Academy (Chennai) who worked in a Bank, querying him at length as to what he ‘really’ did !!. I guess since he was elderly man he tolerated me. But then anyone working in Bank is concerned with monetary transaction which is about taking care of money. So if he is taking care of my money what am I supposed to be doing??
It took me some time to zero down to the fact that the purpose of life is “to know”. The next question was “to know what?”. That which leads to awareness. To know therefore is life. I recall being quite ecstatic about this understanding. (Here I am not working on para and apara vidya, the sacred and mundane, which though is a significant understanding but was sucked in by wily Brahminical nonsense. Environment, nature, diseases…is very much part of the awareness). I recall writing a poem on this, probably one of my first few poems.
My Ambition
Some want to be Pilot
and ride the world.
Some want to be in the Army
to save the nation.
Some want to be Engineers
to correct the world.
Some want to be Doctors
to correct the people.
Some want to be models
to show it to the world.
Some want to be actors
to let the world see.
As for me
I want to sit on the seashore
And count the waves.
Waves are water
So is sea.
Bit juvenile but I still like the last few lines. It was during this time (I was around 24) that I started taking up reading bit seriously and made it a point to visit Connemara library once a week, and later Ernakulam Public library where I decided to finish atleast two books a week !!. Though I really had some tough time and did revert back to confusion since “knowing” is not a career. And career was understood as capacity to make money. I recall being severely stressed and very nearly gave up.
Since last few years I have got involved in Career training for young people I could not help recollect these thinking I dwelled upon. As for me this understanding has stood the test of time except that I have added “to know and contribute to collective conscience” as purpose of life. Means used for contributing may vary. Basic money is important that is the reason why constant source of earning must be there.
One realizes that Market (I have read has its origin in Protestant ethics) emphasizes on means of earning, the better the skills more competent the person (‘chosen’-the means to reach God). It means to constantly refine oneself, since earning comes with basic Christian tenet of compassion (snap taken from www.flickr.com).
But the way crassness has crept in with “competitive environment”, necessarily at the cost of what doesn’t have Market value. I dare say this contradicts the basic nature of humanity, the alien context (like for instance Patenting wherein the local understanding is sharing) is leading to alienation- from society and surrounding. For the very reason Capitalism may not be a not flawed system, though it looks best possible option. When all that can be used is used competition is cannibalism.
