All right, let’s get to work again!—This is the spirit of people of genuine substance. Those who avoid hard work or neglect the things they have to do, who just while away their time, eating, sleeping, playing, watching television—such individuals will never experience true happiness, satisfaction or joy.
Where is happiness to be found? The famous Roman philosopher-emperor Marcus Aurelius (121–80) said, “A man’s true delight is to do the things he was made for.” Human happiness, he maintained, lies in doing those things only humans can: seeking the truth and acting to help those who are suffering. Goethe, too, asserted that those who work cheerfully and take joy in the fruits of their labor are truly happy. These are the words of great thinkers, and as you can see they are in complete accord with the teachings of Buddhism.