Acharya Prashant explains that from a spiritual perspective, the division of labor must be based on a person's internal state of consciousness. You have to work at a point where you are really situated internally. He illustrates this with the example of a Buddhist monastic community. It would be a great loss to the world if the Buddha, a person of supreme consciousness, were made to do menial tasks like brooming the floor or cooking. While the Buddha in his humility might agree, his time is best used to uplift humanity. Therefore, he must be stationed at a job that befits his level of consciousness. It is a wastage to the entire world to not utilize his consciousness appropriately. Conversely, for someone like the Buddhist master Tilopa, who was a learned scholar, being assigned to work with sesame seeds in a kitchen for years was the most beneficial work for him at that stage. This task helped him efface his ego and realize that nothing remains, which was his ultimate learning. The kitchen, which would be of no use to the Buddha, was of great use to Tilopa. This demonstrates that the kind of work that benefits a person depends on their state of consciousness. The freer a person's consciousness, the more resources they can be entrusted with, as a small-minded person would use resources destructively. This principle is also seen in Plato's concept of the Philosopher King, who undergoes decades of rigorous testing to ensure they have no personal pleasure in power and can thus be entrusted to rule. The social hierarchy, therefore, should be based on one's level of inner freedom. This is not exploitative, as it would be an injustice to force people into high positions of responsibility that they do not want, especially since such positions demand great sacrifice. People are often happy with their little lives and should be allowed to continue with them without interference.
