The importance of livelihood in life is just as much as food is for the body. Livelihood is merely a means to sustain life, not the ultimate purpose of life itself. Unfortunately, in today’s world, people have made livelihood the center of their existence. They are consumed by the desire to earn more money, acquire wealth, and indulge in worldly pleasures, forgetting the true purpose of life. Livelihood should help us live a simple, fearless life, but this life is not meant for accumulating riches or enjoying luxuries. This body, this life, is given to us for a higher purpose – to realize God and dedicate ourselves to Him. We are bound by the consequences of our past actions. The happiness and sorrow we experience are nothing but the results of the deeds we performed in our previous lives. According to our destiny (prarabdha), we must go through these experiences. However, amidst all this, we forget how to free ourselves from these chains. God is always ready to help us break free from this cycle of birth and death, but we fail to move toward Him. Instead, we get entangled in the illusions of the world – wealth, pleasures, relationships, and social status –
wasting the precious gift of life. This is the greatest tragedy of human existence.
When we are in the womb, we pray to God to save us from the suffering of that confinement. We promise to devote our lives to His worship and service. Yet, as soon as we enter the world, we are pulled back into the same worldly distractions we vowed to avoid. We lose ourselves in the chaos of material desires, forgetting the very purpose for which we were born. This forgetfulness is the root cause of our suffering. While happiness and sorrow will always surround us, it is our mind that experiences them. If the mind is pure and steady, it can rise above worldly attachments. The true purpose of life is not just to earn a living but to purify the mind and soul and surrender them to God. The ultimate goal is to attain liberation (moksha). Livelihood should only serve as a means to make life smooth and manageable. When we align our mind, actions, and life toward God, only then does life find its true meaning. This balance between worldly responsibilities and spiritual dedication leads to true peace and happiness.
