What kind of work – ‘You will say, ‘All right, we’ve all understood that it is not pleasure that will give us happiness. But what will?’ And my answer to that is: ‘Work!’ To replace pleasure by work is to replace an ordinary, selfish activity by one that is nobler and more generous, one that expands your consciousness and opens you to new possibilities.

It is not a question of depriving yourself of all pleasure, but simply of not giving it priority, of not making it the goal of your existence, for it inevitably weakens and impoverishes those who do so.

Seeking pleasure burns up our reserves
Those who seek pleasure before everything else are like someone who tries to keep warm in winter by throwing all their furniture and everything that is made of wood onto the fire. Doors, windows, chairs, beds, cupboards… everything is consumed by the flames. Before long he has nothing left.

This is exactly what happens to those who are guided exclusively by the pleasure principle; the emotions and sensations that warm them today burn up all their reserves. They will never know the treasures of the soul and spirit, only the sensations and demands of their stomach, their belly, their sexual organs.

Work to radiate light, warmth and life
Instead of making pleasure the goal of your existence, therefore, you must make work your goal. And what is this work? It is the work of the sun. I have never discovered any activity superior to that of the sun, for the sun spends all its time radiating light, warmth and life. Human beings have never taken the sun’s work seriously: they are only interested in worthless trifles.

One day, in spite of the clumsiness and imperfection of their first attempts, disciples who seriously decide to adopt the same profession as the sun will begin to radiate the same light, heat and life as the sun.

Experience joy and fulfilment that nothing can match
Once they undertake this work, other activities begin to appeal to them less and less. All those mean little pleasures, all those trivial amusements pale before the glorious task of working as the sun works. Then they experience a pleasure, a joy and fulfilment that nothing can match.’

Omraam Mikhaël Aïvanhov
Izvor Book 231 The Seeds of Happiness
Chapter 3. Happiness is Found in Work