Fallacy of work

You don't do any work. You are only an instrument that work uses to get itself done.

First, let’s say you are screwing a screw. Is it correct for the screw-driver to think that it is the screw-driver that is screwing the screw? No. Screw-driver is only an instrument.

Let’s say, you are hammering a nail in the wall. Is it correct for the hammer to think that it is the hammer itself that is hammering the nail in the wall? No. Hammer is only an instrument.

Let’s say, you are typing away an email. Is it correct for the keypad to think that it is the keypad itself that is typing away the email? No. Keypad is only an instrument.

Let’s say, … forget it. Move on to next set of more complicated examples.

Let’s say, you are chasing a hare on a horse. Is it correct for the horse to believe that it is the horse itself that is chasing the hare? No. Horse is only an instrument.

Does a gun kill people? No. Gun is only an instrument.

Does a police dog find out the whereabouts of criminals? No. That dog is only an instrument.

I think we have adequately established the notion of an instrument.

Now, next step.

Step out of your mind. Observe yourself doing something. What are you doing? And how come you came to do that? Let’s say, you are washing cloths. How come you came to wash cloths? Because you wore them some day. Why did you wear them some day? Because you had to go to a party and they were lying clean in your cupboard and there is a social custom that you wear cloths at least when you step out of your house. I leave the rest of the exercise for you. Keep going back and finding out.

This is a crude and practical example of causality.

So, causality is a web of actions and reactions (or cause and effects). We all are just caught in this web of cause and effect.

All the while we think that we are the doer (just as the horse might believe that it is the chaser or a hammer might believe that it is hammering the nail). But we all are just instruments in this causality.

Now, you might argue that you might choose to wash cloths or you may not. However, all that it means is that you can add further causes to the web of causality. The horse may also choose against chasing the hare but that doesn’t mean it is not an instrument anymore. It is still caught in the web of causality. Because after all there is a reason why you choose or do not choose to wash cloths and that reason is not outside of causality.

We, human beings, have come to believe that all actions emanate from us as if we are completely independent of everything else in the universe. But we know that we are not 100% independent and hence, there is nothing like free will. Will by itself means bondage.

Now coming to the stuff about taking one month leave from job to realize this. When you are in office, you are doing so much of work. And it would seem that “you” are doing all that work. However, if you take one month leave, you’ll realize that all the work that you were doing found another instrument for getting done and has been done very well in your absence. It just goes to show that you were only an instrument for doing that work.

Would people know that nothing can happen unless the entire universe makes it happen, they would achieve much more with less expenditure of energy.
-- Nisargadatta Maharaj in 'I AM THAT'