Ethics In Profession

Tuesday, April 20, 2010, 17:14

All over the world we see people working in various professions and fields. Among them it is only a few who have significant achievements to their credit. It is the quality of your performance that determines the glory of your achievement, the success in your endeavour, the profit in your work, your productivity, your individual personality.

The quality of your performance and its texture is ordered by, controlled by the quality and texture of your thoughts. If the thoughts are noble and serene, intelligent and creative, your performance will also be creative and beautiful. There is no question about it. It is nature's law that you will be a success. Success brings you happiness and prospects.

Now then when we start analysing -My neighbour and I are working in the same economic and social conditions but his performance is more brilliant and his success is more glorious. Even though I am putting forth more effort than him, the profit of my activities is not as precious as his. Why does it happen? If you say that the quality of the thoughts determine the quality of our actions why is it that the quality of my thoughts is inferior? This question has provoked and troubled thinking people. The great subjective scientists, our Rishis of yore, began analysing and investigating. They discovered that the quality and texture of our thoughts are determined by the values of life that our intellect has understood and also accepted.

These are days when everybody is talking of value-based things -value based education, value based commerce, value based politics. It has now become the fashion to talk about value based things. In America during vacation everywhere you find meetings and seminars being held on value based matters. They talk in circles and no one seems to be sure of what they mean by 'Value'. Each one attaches meaning according to his own purposes. Some people are in quest of wealth and for them money is value. Some people want power and for them power is value.

Value is that for which we put forth our efforts. This value determines the texture and quality of thoughts. Thoughts projected become actions and behaviour. So if the values of life are healthy, thoughts will be beautiful. When the thoughts are beautiful, behaviour also will be beautiful and appropriate, efficient and brilliant. These will yield brilliant results. It is on the basis of this fundamental scientific truth of man's inner personality and its function that all these ideas of ethics and morality were evolved.

Today unfortunately, many people particularly youth have no belief in ethical and moral values. They have a wrong understanding that those who talk of the discipline of ethics and morals, of do's and dont's are unaware of what real freedom and enjoyment is, and are jealous when they see the youth enjoying. They argue that the creator has made such a beautiful world so that His creatures may enjoy. He has thoughtfully given us eyes, ears, nose, tongue and skin to enjoy the sense-objects and we would be ungrateful to Him if we refuse to enjoy. The hostess has very lovingly cooked beautiful food and you have been served it, and if you then say I am not eating it because I do not like it, what will she think of you? So the the youth will not agree if music, dance and similar avenues of enjoyment now a days available are dubbed unethical,immoral or vulgar. They want to live in total permissiveness. "I feel like doing it and I just do it".

Look at the animals. They do not have any restrictions. If that is so, why not man also? He must also have full freedom. The do's and dont's are born of religion; so religion must be discarded as it is a shackle. Thus goes the argument. We have to rethink over this.

To be continued

About the author

Swami Chinmayananda

Swami Chinmayananda the great master's lectures were an outpour of wisdom. He introduced the Geetha Gnana Yagna. He wrote a lot of books on spirituality, commentaries to Vedantic texts, children books etc. He then started spreading His teachings globally.....