Why work career? What were the readons in earlier times?
World had just fought wars, poverty was everywhere, world wide, there was nothing left for any community… every community started from nothing & just few remains of architecture, land, few people who knew how to do things. Work became a way of life& achieving work related shifted thoughts from hopelessness of war related trauma for most people. Even if one side wins a war, trauma& loss of life is on both sides. Normal Human mind often doesn’t start conflict because resulting trauma affects everyone. Civilians have seen this in history often enough to understand the issues. But conflicts are started by intents of inflicting trauma. That is not & cant be called purpose. In ‘comparison’ building civilian work places career is better purpose. So the point… work career myth or circumstances having poor alternatives that enforce trauma, fear, oppression, death threat as in starting reason for wars?… the idea of internal alignment and chasing career is different.
I ask why buddha left the crown& went to meditate to find a better alternative. And he did find it. But most people realised that it takes time and care, safety for life& communities to ensure they can practice the path. & as gautama he was a trained warrior to be a king, but knew not to use it. That is a different skill. To have power& not wield it to oppress is evolution. To wield power to oppress, create conflict or coerce causing fear to rule, take anothers power, wealth, resource is failure of ability to help process of higher evolution. But learning takes time. So civilian process, work, career, learning, etc… (dharma artha kama moksha…) have specific civilian attributes of society norms, etc…
Thank you for this deeply reflective comment. You’ve touched on something essential. “Career” and “work” have, across history, often emerged out of necessity and collective trauma. In the aftermath of wars, economic collapse, or colonialism, rebuilding through work was both survival and meaning-making.
You're right. The pursuit of a career has not always been a myth or a conscious choice. It was often the most constructive response available.
Where my article zooms in is on the modern context, where we’re no longer just surviving but have the space (at least some of us) to question what we’re aligning ourselves to. And that’s where the Buddha metaphor resonates. As you said, he chose not to wield power destructively, but to step away and seek an inner path. His decision reflects the same shift I’m pointing to: from external definitions of success (crown, career) to internal alignment (awareness, dharma, evolution).
It (my writing the point wasn’t) isn’t about survival or meaning making… because propaganda& violence in wrong meaning making destruct civilian communities, peoples way of life .
It is rebuilding, … and focus on healthy possibility to rebuild. Sanathana traditions didn’t have wars destructing civilian ways of life. Soldiers fought soldiers in wars. The state craft was different. Some places buried entire population& clans inside caves for their power& clans to live. But Hindu kings wars were different. Cultures have different kinds of human engagement& conflict.
I am an artist& used to design homes& office spaces in civilian communities. I read about survival& meaning making aspects, its important to read& learn not destroy to learn, but build to learn.
Thank you again for this thoughtful clarification. I now see where I might have misunderstood. Appreciate the distinction you make between rebuilding from a place of health and creativity vs reacting to violence or oppression.
Why work career? What were the readons in earlier times?
World had just fought wars, poverty was everywhere, world wide, there was nothing left for any community… every community started from nothing & just few remains of architecture, land, few people who knew how to do things. Work became a way of life& achieving work related shifted thoughts from hopelessness of war related trauma for most people. Even if one side wins a war, trauma& loss of life is on both sides. Normal Human mind often doesn’t start conflict because resulting trauma affects everyone. Civilians have seen this in history often enough to understand the issues. But conflicts are started by intents of inflicting trauma. That is not & cant be called purpose. In ‘comparison’ building civilian work places career is better purpose. So the point… work career myth or circumstances having poor alternatives that enforce trauma, fear, oppression, death threat as in starting reason for wars?… the idea of internal alignment and chasing career is different.
I ask why buddha left the crown& went to meditate to find a better alternative. And he did find it. But most people realised that it takes time and care, safety for life& communities to ensure they can practice the path. & as gautama he was a trained warrior to be a king, but knew not to use it. That is a different skill. To have power& not wield it to oppress is evolution. To wield power to oppress, create conflict or coerce causing fear to rule, take anothers power, wealth, resource is failure of ability to help process of higher evolution. But learning takes time. So civilian process, work, career, learning, etc… (dharma artha kama moksha…) have specific civilian attributes of society norms, etc…
Thank you for this deeply reflective comment. You’ve touched on something essential. “Career” and “work” have, across history, often emerged out of necessity and collective trauma. In the aftermath of wars, economic collapse, or colonialism, rebuilding through work was both survival and meaning-making.
You're right. The pursuit of a career has not always been a myth or a conscious choice. It was often the most constructive response available.
Where my article zooms in is on the modern context, where we’re no longer just surviving but have the space (at least some of us) to question what we’re aligning ourselves to. And that’s where the Buddha metaphor resonates. As you said, he chose not to wield power destructively, but to step away and seek an inner path. His decision reflects the same shift I’m pointing to: from external definitions of success (crown, career) to internal alignment (awareness, dharma, evolution).
Thank you again for this comment with such depth.
It (my writing the point wasn’t) isn’t about survival or meaning making… because propaganda& violence in wrong meaning making destruct civilian communities, peoples way of life .
It is rebuilding, … and focus on healthy possibility to rebuild. Sanathana traditions didn’t have wars destructing civilian ways of life. Soldiers fought soldiers in wars. The state craft was different. Some places buried entire population& clans inside caves for their power& clans to live. But Hindu kings wars were different. Cultures have different kinds of human engagement& conflict.
I am an artist& used to design homes& office spaces in civilian communities. I read about survival& meaning making aspects, its important to read& learn not destroy to learn, but build to learn.
Thank you again for this thoughtful clarification. I now see where I might have misunderstood. Appreciate the distinction you make between rebuilding from a place of health and creativity vs reacting to violence or oppression.
Thankyou for the reply& clarifications.