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I need some advice.

StarryNightshade

Spiritually confused Jew
Premium Member
As some of you know, I have been planning a trip to India for later this year. I also have been planning on taking a few months off to travel the country and to stay with my guru for a couple of months.

This was the plan as far as my job is concerned, because you can take off as much time as you want with retail, as long as it is done as a leave of absence. I was going to do that for the summer, and then return in the fall.

However, I recently have gotten 2 interviews for jobs more related to my degree, One is an accounting position. The other is a mental health technician position. While these would no doubt pay much better than retail, and would no doubt build great experience, I'm wondering if I should take either.

Mainly for the following reasons:

1.) I'm planning on returning to graduate school in the future anyway, so it's not like there would be no other opportunities for a career job.

2.) I'm only young once. I don't know if I would ever get another chance in the near future to travel like this.

I need your thoughts and advice. Take neither and go on the journeys? Or suck it up and take up a possibly decent job? Even if it's only for a few months?
 

mainliner

no one can de-borg my fact's ...NO-ONE!!
As some of you know, I have been planning a trip to India for later this year. I also have been planning on taking a few months off to travel the country and to stay with my guru for a couple of months.

This was the plan as far as my job is concerned, because you can take off as much time as you want with retail, as long as it is done as a leave of absence. I was going to do that for the summer, and then return in the fall.

However, I recently have gotten 2 interviews for jobs more related to my degree, One is an accounting position. The other is a mental health technician position. While these would no doubt pay much better than retail, and would no doubt build great experience, I'm wondering if I should take either.

Mainly for the following reasons:

1.) I'm planning on returning to graduate school in the future anyway, so it's not like there would be no other opportunities for a career job.

2.) I'm only young once. I don't know if I would ever get another chance in the near future to travel like this.

I need your thoughts and advice. Take neither and go on the journeys? Or suck it up and take up a possibly decent job? Even if it's only for a few months?
go with number 2
 

StarryNightshade

Spiritually confused Jew
Premium Member
Thanks for the responses.

I just got a call to go into a competency test for the technician job tomorrow and I had mentioned that I'm looking primarily for part-time/temporary positions (when I applied, there was a "temporary" option). Even if I don't stay with them that long, it would be nice to have some experience.
 

Laika

Well-Known Member
Premium Member
I think this depends on your priorities; if would be safer to take the job. but if you have the money and can put off getting the job for a while, you will probably be happier taking the trip. If not, I'd be giving you some bad advice by saying do it anyway as unfortunately money does matter. it's a risk, but it's up to you.

Life is short, so it's best to spend doing thing you love, so long as you can afford it.
 

StarryNightshade

Spiritually confused Jew
Premium Member
I think this depends on your priorities; if would be safer to take the job. but if you have the money and can put off getting the job for a while, you will probably be happier taking the trip. If not, I'd be giving you some bad advice by saying do it anyway as unfortunately money does matter. it's a risk, but it's up to you.

Life is short, so it's best to spend doing thing you love, so long as you can afford it.

Right now, I'm leaning towards taking the trip, but will take employment if it's part-time or contract/temporary.
 
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Vinayaka

devotee
Premium Member
You're Hindu. You're not here for economic gain, or the prestige of a job. You're here to find Self-Realisation, and attain moksha. It is your destiny. Decisions should be made with that in mind, not of the survival of this 'bag o' nine holes.'

Use youth as an opportunity to get an everlasting permanent sense of who you are. This is the duty at the end of brahmachaya stage, so that then, once your next stage duties are over, you can return to this permanent sense, and delve right into it. Then, in the stage after that, you can use what you learned now to soar within like a bird, to the light wthin the lotus of the heart.

Failure to make that trip to India, to delve in now will leave you not knowing about it. Once the worldly duties take over, all that will be forgotten, ... unless you permanently etch it in your subconscious.

This is the Hindu perspective. I would advise you to ignore other perspectives that are non-Hindu.
 

ShivaFan

Satyameva Jayate
Premium Member
I do not think it is necessarily a one or the other choice. I travelled all over the world, including of course India and Nepal, built relationships and so on internationally, and yes while young and afterwards, all the while holding down nice paying employment in Information Technology and computer science.

When I had the opportunity to work a well paying job, I took the opportunity to work such a project and gain the experience and resume, while at the same taking the vacation that typically comes with a good job (typically it might be only 1 week initially but more common 3 weeks and more over time) to travel to India for example. I understand you want to take a month, however initially the first time to India is extremely rewarding and doable as an emergence process in a single week journey by targeting ONE REGION, the single week which is really 9 days if you count the weekend days before and after the 5 day vacation time thus 9 days total. But you need to be willing to take the "red eye" flight with little sleep when you land in Delhi, Mumbai, Kolkata or elsewhere. You can do it, not that hard. Remember, a truly rewarding Hindu experience can occur in a very "small sacred space" such as a particular temple or tirtha. You could have an experience of a lifetime in one mile by one mile radius in India, and there are literally thousands of sacred zones and dhams, and sometimes your best experiences come from the sacred zone that is alive in the soul of a fellow Hindu or savant and not even paydirt.

When you look for a good job, and have the initiative and get up and go, consideration could be made whether the job has possible opportunity to travel abroad? That is what I have taken advantage of as well, your travels can be business-adventure-pilgrimage combined. Put your nose to the grinder and figure it out. But think long term how a job can give you the resources to further foster your ability to really expand your horizons.

In addition, you can form relations and experience that on an international level compliment your business value. Knowing multiple languages is also a plus in today's business climate. You can balance both. These relationships often network and open avenues to be part of families which are Hindu.

My friends in Hinduism also have their careers. For example, I had a friend in the Defense Department. Not only him, but others as well in my relationships, incredibly some even largely paid the bill for some of my travels, especially to India, to simply leverage my own travel acumen and Hinduism while they went to India with me for both job and pilgrimage. The time involved? If I could find a week, I would go, the other person may be in India for 3 weeks but we would go out and I would help the person "get their feet on the ground" and then I would fly back on my own on the 7th or 8th day.

Your career pays for your Hinduism in one way... your life is in front of you. If you have a head on your shoulders and some brains, you can become wealthy. In my career, I have 6 weeks vacation every year. I could also move and live well in India tomorrow if I wanted to.

Yes, travel while young, take every advantage. Also build your career, chose carefully which career can compliment your adventures and Hindu path. You can do both. I would not recommend becoming a hippie bum in India, and also remember though I do not want to sound negative but there are those in India who are awaiting to take advantage of you. Most of the bums I have seen fail totally both in India and in Hinduism. Also, don't expect India to embrace you as a bum coming with no real contribution or money to spend as if it is a welfare wasteland. I know that would never be your intention nor your nature, but do not be a burden on others as it will only weigh you down and actually drag along your path. Do not be a burden to Mother India. And those wonderful souls who you will surely meet, many if most also have families, commitments, duty and dharma, do not take them away from that or take advantage of their good will. For Hindus, a guest is as good as God. You may be a God on that day as a guest, but don't be a burden, a distraction, nor an "ugly American". And when you pay more for that taxi fare, for that cottage industry art or Hindu item or anything, think of what a privilege it is to "hold and touch" a part of India. You are not the sacred cow. You do not know more about Hinduism than the grandmother.
 

StarryNightshade

Spiritually confused Jew
Premium Member
I do not think it is necessarily a one or the other choice. I travelled all over the world, including of course India and Nepal, built relationships and so on internationally, and yes while young and afterwards, all the while holding down nice paying employment in Information Technology and computer science.

I, in essence, agree. There is no reason that I can't work and travel at the same time. I suppose my concern is that, once I settle down into a career, that I won't be able to actually do the things that I plan on doing. Kind of like a "in-hindsight-I-should-have-done-things-for-me" kind of scenario.

My current plan is that, if I'm offered a better job, I may take it on for a few months. That way, I can visit India for at least a couple of weeks, and later in the year go stay with my guru. I really hope that the technician job goes somewhere, as it's in the field I'm studying, and it may look really well on my applications for graduate school.

I understand you want to take a month, however initially the first time to India is extremely rewarding and doable as an emergence process in a single week journey by targeting ONE REGION, the single week which is really 9 days if you count the weekend days before and after the 5 day vacation time thus 9 days total. But you need to be willing to take the "red eye" flight with little sleep when you land in Delhi, Mumbai, Kolkata or elsewhere. You can do it, not that hard. Remember, a truly rewarding Hindu experience can occur in a very "small sacred space" such as a particular temple or tirtha. You could have an experience of a lifetime in one mile by one mile radius in India, and there are literally thousands of sacred zones and dhams, and sometimes your best experiences come from the sacred zone that is alive in the soul of a fellow Hindu or savant and not even paydirt.

Based on what we have been discussing, the bulk of the trip would be in Andhra Pradesh. I think we would be flying into Bangalore.

Your career pays for your Hinduism in one way... your life is in front of you. If you have a head on your shoulders and some brains, you can become wealthy. In my career, I have 6 weeks vacation every year. I could also move and live well in India tomorrow if I wanted to.

I honestly don't want to be wealthy. I want to earn enough to live comfortably. Pay my bills, put some in a savings for travel plans, and just enjoy this lifetime.

Yes, travel while young, take every advantage. Also build your career, chose carefully which career can compliment your adventures and Hindu path. You can do both. I would not recommend becoming a hippie bum in India, and also remember though I do not want to sound negative but there are those in India who are awaiting to take advantage of you. Most of the bums I have seen fail totally both in India and in Hinduism. Also, don't expect India to embrace you as a bum coming with no real contribution or money to spend as if it is a welfare wasteland. I know that would never be your intention nor your nature, but do not be a burden on others as it will only weigh you down and actually drag along your path. Do not be a burden to Mother India. And those wonderful souls who you will surely meet, many if most also have families, commitments, duty and dharma, do not take them away from that or take advantage of their good will. For Hindus, a guest is as good as God. You may be a God on that day as a guest, but don't be a burden, a distraction, nor an "ugly American". And when you pay more for that taxi fare, for that cottage industry art or Hindu item or anything, think of what a privilege it is to "hold and touch" a part of India. You are not the sacred cow. You do not know more about Hinduism than the grandmother.

Like you had mentioned, I can easily work for a while and then travel. We'll just see how things go in this upcoming week. As far as careers go, I'm considering counseling or maybe teaching.

And no, I would never try to bum around India or assume that I know more than someone who was born there.
 

Asha

Member
Namaste

As some of you know, I have been planning a trip to India for later this year. I also have been planning on taking a few months off to travel the country and to stay with my guru for a couple of months.

Maloladas, you just took Bramacharya so please quick decide either you write to your Guru and say I am sorry I am not ready to be your student because I canot detatch my self from material life, or you write to the employment bureau and say thank you but no thank you !
A job you can get at any time !

Dont you see this is just Maya testing you to see which way you will leap.

So the question is for you to answer. We cant answer it for you, you have to decide are you a Karmi boy or do you want to be a devotee?

Sorry if it sounds like I am being harsh but someone once said similar to me, when I was facing what I thought at the time was a tough descision, turned out it was the best thing any one could have said to me because I was just lacking courage and a bit weak in my faith. it was just the kick that I needed.

So Malola do you want to be a material boy or a devotee?
which must come first ?


Jai Shree Krishna

Asha
 

StarryNightshade

Spiritually confused Jew
Premium Member
@Asha

Look, I understand that it's not ideal to be as active in the material world as I am while one is a brahmachari. If I had my choice, I would go stay with my guru near full time and fully immerse myself in my studies.

However, keep this in mind, in today's world (speaking as a westerner), it's impossible to not engage in the secular/material world if one wants to basically survive. Especially considering when one has students loans and bills to contend with. I'm still fulfilling my dharma as a student, but the fact of the matter is I have to work in order to get by; a least for a little while. I really doubt this makes me a "karmi boy".

Besides, after some thought, I think I'm just going to stick with the job I currently have. Keep working there for a few more months, save up money, and then take a leave up absence for the summer and early fall. Like you said, I can always look for a better job in the future. That, and the fact I plan on going back to school either in the fall or next year anyway.
 

Asha

Member
Namaste

@Asha

Look, I understand that it's not ideal to be as active in the material world as I am while one is a brahmachari. If I had my choice, I would go stay with my guru near full time and fully immerse myself in my studies.

Sorry if I sounded hard on you but you did ask, and I have been through the same myself, the big descision do I plan my spiritual life around my material life or visa versa ?
I chose the latter. it becomes a matter of Faith If Krishna wants his devotee to survive, Dont worry he will look after you, there will be a million and one job oppertunities, spiritual life needs to come first and to do this whilst still young is the best of all opertunities.

It is not a question of being active in the material world , we all have to do this in some form or another just to keep a roof over our heads and food in our bellies, It is about which one puts first .

However, keep this in mind, in today's world (speaking as a westerner), it's impossible to not engage in the secular/material world if one wants to basically survive. Especially considering when one has students loans and bills to contend with. I'm still fulfilling my dharma as a student, but the fact of the matter is I have to work in order to get by; a least for a little while. I really doubt this makes me a "karmi boy".

yes, I am a westerner too, the whole point I am making is where we put our importance on planing our career or planing our spiritual life , .....

Besides, after some thought, I think I'm just going to stick with the job I currently have. Keep working there for a few more months, save up money, and then take a leave up absence for the summer and early fall. Like you said, I can always look for a better job in the future. That, and the fact I plan on going back to school either in the fall or next year anyway.

briliant :) I am sure you wont regret it:):)

Jai Shree Krishna

Asha
 
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