Choosing the Right Career Path for Your Child – What You Should Know

What profession should a child choose?
This is one of the most important questions for parents.
What are the criteria that should decide this choice?
There are several points that parents take into consideration like -
The prospects, the earning prospects of a particular career.
What is the starting salary, and how much can he or she grow?
This is the reason most parents encourage their children to take up Medicine, Engineering, Management, CA - these kinds of highly paying careers.
Some parents also consider stability, whether the field itself is there after 10 years or 20 years.
Many fields have peaked out, and many have just started and may grow and stay for a long time.
The child's capability is another factor - intellectual capability, interest to study, and perseverance.
Some parents pay attention to the child's interest or passion also if any and give support.
Some of them go for the professional guidance of a career counselor and go accordingly.

There is one factor that all of them are missing out.
In all these approaches, the focus is only on gain and success merely from a materialistic perspective.
We are completely ignoring and neglecting the spiritual aspect of our careers.
What is the spiritual aspect of a career?
If your means of livelihood is good and noble, you don't have to put much effort for spiritual progress.
We have seen in the Mahabharata, the story of Tuladhara.
A Sage who performed severe austerities, tapas, an oracle told him that there was a trader in Kashi who was much more evolved than him.
This trader is Tuladhara.
The Sage went toKashi to find out what was so great about a trader so that he spiritually ranked above a tapaswi.
What sadhana was he doing?
Nothing.
Tuladhaara said, 'I don't harm others.’
‘I don't hurt others.’
‘Even in my livelihood, I dont cause anxiety or fear in anyone.’
He calls this abhaya - not causing bhaya in anyone.
Just by practicing the principle of abhaya he reached much above a tapaswi.
What is it that he gained by doing this?
Peace of mind, happiness, name, and fame.
See, we are talking about him even now.
Aren't these that everyone wants for their child?
Or police cases, litigations, betrayals, income tax raids, sudden losses, anxiety, depression, dependence, fear of loss of job, loss of income, loss of status?
Is this what you want for your child or a comfortable life?
Tuladhara lives in full comfort by practicing the principle of abhaya.
Nothing else.
There are two more aspects to this.
Money earned through a noble livelihood itself will purify you when that is put to use, even when you are enjoying comforts.
Nobody is telling you not to enjoy life.
You have to enjoy life.
While you aspire for spiritual growth, you should enjoy material comforts also equally.
Your enjoyment is a livelihood for several others.
Even as you enjoy a meal in a five star hotel, see how many families YOU are feeding.
All the staff, all the workers there, their vendors, they all depend on what you spend there.
There is no harm spending
But make sure that your source is pure, harmless.
For that matter, most of the professions that we have today are harmless because they all function under the framework of the law of the land.
Then what is the problem?
There is a problem which is context specific and also a matter of choice.
Mahatma Gandhi beautifully brings out one such situation.
Today, all our great soldiers are delivering their duty for protecting the motherland, protecting all of us.
It is one of the most noble professions.
But back then, under the British, in the British army also the majority of soldiers were Indians.
Only the officers used to be British.
But these soldiers were used by the British to terrorize and suppress us.
Not for the protection of our country.
In that situation, Gandhiji's advice to them was to quit.
They had steady income.
But quit, go back to whatever you were doing.
Even if that means facing poverty.
Go back to farming, weaving, or whatever you can do.
Don’t support the British who are using you to create fear, terror among your own people.
See this is the difference between soldier of today and soldier of then.
This applies to many professions.
What is a CA supposed to do?
To ensure compliance.
So that entities are able to assess their tax obligations and contribute towards the wellbeing of our nation.
If you do it this way, then you are in a noble livelihood.
But we know, there are some professionals who devise ways and means to evade tax. Illegally.
Saving tax is different, evading tax is different.
Evading tax is theft, you are stealing somebody else's right.
That money goes to satisfy the hunger of a poor man or goes for the treatment of a poor patient.
When you evade tax, you are snatching away their rights.
And the professional who aids in this, he is equally a thief.
A police officer who ensures protection of the citizens is noble but a police officer who takes bribes is evil.
Simple and clear.
In such professions where possibilities of misuse of knowledge and power is possible, you need great strength of character, strong values not to fall into the wrong path.
If you fall, you suffer the consequences also, because your karma would never leave you unless you undergo its results.
This should be a top consideration when you choose a career for your child.
This applies to many fields.
You can be a good banker or become involved in stashing away black money.
You can be a good lawyer who stands for upkeep of justice, or be someone who earns by protecting real criminals.
I said two more aspects.
The third aspect is the proclamation in our scriptures that you career is a holy teertha, just like how a holy river purifies, just like how the presence of noble people purifies, your own career can purify you, keep you out of troubles and give you comfort , happiness and peace provided you choose the right career and conduct yourself virtuously while earning your livelihood out of it.