What is our destination?
Where will our efforts take us, in this life?
Where will our efforts take us, in this life?
Spiritual Practice part J
Karma (action)
(Pronunciation note. A dot under a letter or a bar above it, called diacritics, are important, for they indicate proper pronunciation of sacred language. Please read my webpage “Pronouncing the Sanskrit.”)
Contents
J 1. What Causes Our Suffering?
J 2. Bhagavad Gita Verses on Karma.
J 3. Detachment and Letting Go.
J 4. Karma Yoga
J 5. Bhagavad Gita verses on Letting Go.
J 6. Working with Detachment from Results
J 7. Swami Mukundananda and Letting Go.
J 1. What Causes Our Suffering?
Much of our suffering comes from the hurtful things we say and do to each other. As we develop our consciousness and sensitivity, we become aware of the immediate repercussions within our own heart and mind, when we impose such pain onto others. So we develop a common agreement among eachother to refrain from such hurtfulness towards eachother. The reasons are obvious.
Sometimes we can see the hurtful intention behind this, sometimes not. Often we are upset, and this naturally obscures our consciousness. Or we can only see how harmful it was until we have the wisdom of hindsight.
Much of our suffering comes also from hurt filled and hurt driven thought, that does not spill over into speech and action. This can invade much of our mind when our consciousness lapses..
Another cause of our suffering are the troubles that come when our efforts do not yield the results that we need and expect. Also the troubles when we are anxious about the results of our work while we are busy, to the extent that this disturbs our peace of mind and creates rush and hurry, with the risk of injury, damage, burnout, and exhaustion.
So the Bhagavad Gita talks about another Sanskrit word, similar in sound to the Sanskrit kāma but different in meaning, that also can be a major cause for our suffering. This is karma. (karma is pronounced as in curry or hurry, kāma is pronounced as in father.)
In Sanskrit, karma literally means “action”, and includes thought, word and deed. This includes attitudes, habits and judgement. But the meaning of karma is not limited just to the action, but also the intention behind the action, and the inevitable results or consequences of it. To the extent that people often refer to karma as the results of past action, and the Buddha once declared that the important thing about karma is the intention behind it.
Karma done with good intent has good outcome, and karma with bad intent has bad outcome. Where goodness comes from happiness and brings happiness, and badness comes from suffering and brings suffering. This is the so called ‘Law of Karma.’
Because the quality of our thought, word and deed (ie karma) is so important to the happiness of our lives, it is the first theme explored in depth in the Bhagavad Gita. Chapter 1 is not about spiritual practice, so it is quite different to the rest of the Bhagavad Gita. Chapter 1 is about Indian history, and enables the Bhagavad Gita to be embedded in the Maha-Bharata, the greater (maha) history of India (bhārat.) Chapter 2 is really a summary or introduction to the rest of the Bhagavad Gita.
J 2. Bhagavad Gita Verses on Karma.
Chapter 3 of the Bhagavad Gita is entitled Karma Yoga. It talks of –
- letting go of the results of our efforts (karma yoga, BG 3.7), and
- working (karma) with the most positive attitude we can manage (BG 3.9 – 10),
- and how this can attract prosperity and abundance into our lives (BG 3.11).
- taking responsibility for the results of our karma (BG 3.16), and
- how harmful action or bad karma is driven by misdirected desire (kāma) (BG 3.37 – 41).
- that letting go of the results of our work or karma does not mean abandoning our work, and
- abandoning what we need to do in this world will actually cause problems, and not solve them (BG 3.17 – 26) .
J 3. Detachment and Letting Go.
In translating BG 3. 7, I have written : “letting go of the results of our efforts”. But when we study the Sanskrit in word-for-word translation, we find that chapter 3 does not specify “detachment from results”. This is another interpretation of Chapter 3, which might be fairly popular.
The Sanskrit scripture actually talks of action (kārya and karma) with detachment (asaktah or tyaktvā or āsaṅgam). It does not specify what we should detach from. So the question arises : what are we supposed to detach from? What is the meaning of “detachment” or letting go?
Letting go is foundational to spiritual practice. And training the mind to let go of thoughts is foundational to meditation training for Buddha’s enlightenment. Allowing the mind to let go of clutter, chatter and noise. Allowing it to return to its natural state of being clear, still, alert, bright, strong, focussed, and very happy to be like this. This in turn will help us to learn what to let go of in daily life, how to let go, and what letting go really is. For true letting go always brings a sense of relief, release and peace, and comes from peace and release.
Letting go is important because there is so much attachment in our lives, and attachment plays such a central role in life.
Attachment and dependence is an important feature of relationships and pursuits of all kinds, and the ownership of possessions of all kinds. It is what normally drives us to take care of these important things in our lives, and to initiate and develop them. Without this motivation, there can be a real danger of not taking sufficient care of relationships, possessions and pursuits, and not making sufficient effort to initiate and develop them.
Therefore, a theme about detachment and letting go needs careful application, lest it be more a hindrance than a help in our lives.
When a pursuit or person in our lives fails us badly, and we are assailed by feelings of disappointment, mild or severe, we will usually be driven to question “Should I continue with this person or pursuit, or should I abandon them, in whole or in part?” Usually we are upset, and therefore unable to let go. More likely, we can be driven to lash out in our pain, and inflict damage to the relationship or pursuit. Here, the theme of letting go does not mean let go of the person or pursuit, but let go of the pain filled and pain driven thoughts about them. And keep our resolve of : “No decisions until well after the pain is released !”
When we have achieved this, and we have properly settled down, then we are in a position to properly assess the key question “Should I continue with this person or pursuit, or should I abandon them, in whole or in part?”
In this, there cannot be any universal rules about whether we should let go of the person or pursuit, or continue with them. The decision needs to come from insight and wisdom, based on the particular situation.
The universal rule is to let go of the defilements, or try to. Often this is easier said than done. Defilements would be of no real problem to us, if they were always easy to let go of. There is a sticky-ness (saṅgasya, BG 4.23) to them, and it’s easy to get entangled (nibadhyate, BG 4.22) in them.
There is always something in a pursuit or relationship that complicates and troubles it. Clearly, we cannot be responsible for the attitudes and conduct of others, but we certainly can take responsibility for our own, and need to. So we can reflect : what thoughts, attitudes, judgements, habits and addictions do I have, that is disrupting and spoiling the show from my end? Herein we can discover what we need to let go of in the pursuit or relationship.
J 4. Karma Yoga.
BG 3. 7 introduces the important theme of karma yoga. In the ashram, this usually means working to develop or maintain the ashram that everyone depends on, and working without wage. As a gift, or service.
But we can expand the meaning of this Sanskrit phrase ‘karma yoga’ to apply to each moment of daily life. Let’s go to the root meanings of these two words.
Yoga comes from the Sanskrit root yug, which means “yoke”. Thus karma yoga can be translated as thought, word and deed that is yoked to the spiritual Qualities, and not coming from the defilements.
For the ox to contribute to the farming economy, it needs a proper yoke and harness to pull against. In this sense, the yoke enables the energy and action to be properly harnessed for healing and spiritual practice, and not squandered in futile pursuits. Mukundananda translates yoga as : “united with God.” (I use Mukundananda’s translation on https://www.holy-bhagavad-gita.org/ for all my writings about the Bhagavad Gita.)
I now give the full Sanskrit text of BG 3. 7 -
कर्मयोगमसक्त: स विशिष्यते
karma yogam asaktaḥ sa viśiṣyate
thought, word yoked to detached from is supreme.
and deed spiritual Qualities defilements
J 5. Bhagavad Gita Verses on Letting Go.
The Sanskrit title of Chapter 4 of the Bhagavad Gita is Karma Sanyās Yoga, the Yoga of letting go, when we perform karma. The Yoga of renunciation.
BG 4. 19 – 23 further develops this theme of letting go and detachment. However, a theme about detachment and letting go needs careful application, lest it be more a hindrance than a help in our lives. So I have adapted the translation provided on - www.holy-bhagavad-gita.org
BG 4. 19
यस्य सर्वे समारम्भा: कामसङ्कल्पवर्जिता: |
yasya sarve samārambhāḥ kāma saṅkalpa varjitāḥ
whose every pursuit desire intention free of
In every pursuit, intend to be free of misdirected desire.
BG 4. 20
त्यक्त्वा कर्मफलासङ्गं नित्यतृप्तो निराश्रय: |
tyaktvā karma phala saṅgam
let go of karma fruit attachment
nitya tṛipto nirāśhrayaḥ
always content unaffected
Let go of the attachment to the fruit of karma (thought, word and deed),
and be content and unaffected.
BG 4. 21
निराशीर्यतचित्तात्मा त्यक्तसर्वपरिग्रह: |
nirāśhīr yata chit ātmā
expectations direct pure higher self
consciousness
tyaktas sarva parigrahaḥ
let go of all grasping, manipulation,
possessiveness, jealousy
Let go of grasping, manipulation, possessiveness, and expectations. Take the direction to pure consciousness and the higher self or ātmā.
BG 4. 22
सम: सिद्धावसिद्धौ च कृत्वापि न निबध्यते
samaḥ siddhau asiddhau cha
balanced success failure and
kṛitvāpi na nibadhyate
acting not entangled
Be balanced and equanimous in success and failure, and act without being entangled.
BG 4. 23
गतसङ्गस्य मुक्तस्य ज्ञानावस्थितचेतस: |
mukta jñānā avasthitasya chetasaḥ
liberation know established intellect
trust-worthiness
gata saṅgāt
move from addictions
Let the thinking know liberation and be established in trust-worthiness.
Steer away from addictions.
BG 4. 23
यज्ञायाचरत: कर्म समग्रं प्रविलीयते
yajñāy ācharataḥ karma samagraṁ pravilīyate
as offering performing karma fully free
Perform karma (thought, word and deed) as an offering to Presence, and so be free of (any) harmful consequences, or - Be fully Present when performing karma, as so be free of harmful consequence.
Chapters 9 and 12 of the Bhagavad Gita (section L 4 and L 5 of “Scripture”) give much detail on Presence, and the Presence of Deity.
J 6. Working with Detachment from Results.
BG 5. 12 line 1 says :
युक्त: कर्मफलं त्यक्त्वा
yuktaḥ karma phalaṁ tyaktvā
liberated action fruit lets go of
one
The liberated one lets go of the fruit of their actions.
Taken out of context, this theme is easily misunderstood to mean not caring about the results of one’s efforts, at work and elsewhere. It could suggest that diligence and efforts to do our best are not important.
It could also be misunderstood to mean that the results of our efforts are not important, because they are judged to be merely “worldly” gains or “selfish” gains.
One of the most important motives to provide the best service and thus protect one’s job and place of employment is the desire to have good results from one’s efforts. When this is achieved, and our finances secure, then the rewards are equally valuable. The same thing applies to efforts in recreation, such as entertaining guests for a meal, or attending a meditation class.
Similarly, the disappointment when our efforts are not successful can be quite painful. It really does not help the healing process to then dismiss the importance of the poor results, and say the whole project “did not matter.” The pain of disappointment is present, and we need to recognise this, and let go of the hurtful thoughts that will inevitably arise. We need to wait until well after the pain is released before we can let go of the disappointing results.
Some occupations require considerable letting go of the results. In farming, the income is so unpredictable due to weather, crop prices, and corporate inflexibility or greed. We can reflect on this when we see a whole shelf of unmarked fruit in the shop, and wonder what happens to the misshapen and marked fruit, and to the farmer behind this. Farmers can be our teachers in letting go of the fruit of our efforts. “Every body needs farmers ....”
While we are working, we can be anxious about the results of our work while we are busy, to the extent that this disturbs our peace of mind and creates rush and hurry, with the risk of injury, damage, burnout, and exhaustion. This helps us understand what we need to let go of while we are working. And the importance of seeking a workplace where this is possible, at least to some extent. And the value of a good job that is reasonably free of relentless stress.
Peace is most important. So let’s now look at BG 5. 11 lines 1 and 2.
युक्त: कर्मफलं त्यक्त्वा
yuktaḥ karma phalaṁ tyaktvā
liberated one action fruit lets go of
The liberated one lets go of the fruit of their actions (line 1)
शान्तिमाप्नोति नैष्ठिकीम्
śhāntim āpnoti naiṣhṭhikīm
peace is attained lasting
and so attains lasting peace. (line 2)
If lasting peace does not come from letting go of the fruit of our actions, then there is something wrong with our approach, and we need to re-evaluate.
J 7. Swami Mukundananda and Letting Go.
This theme of letting go of results of our actions was given much prominence, when I visited https://www.holy-bhagavad-gita.org/ one day in October 2022. Swami Mukundanada’s talk on this topic was featured prominently on the home page. Available on -
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wckWNr4vPQA&t=666s
This Youtube video might be a useful one for us to view, at least in part. For it gives us a taste of the incredible charisma of these great gurus, who can fill entire halls with people with their public talks. Mukundananda toured USA in 2019, teaching his 5 day Yoga course in a dozen American cities, and he will tour India from October 2022 to Jan 2023, with 16 events listed on https://www.jkyog.in/events/ His talk on Youtube gives another perspective on this topic of letting go of the results of our work.
Yet Mukundananda was not commenting on BG 5. 11, but on BG 3. 7. This is the very verse that I give so much attention to, on this webpage. BG 3.7 is available on -
https://www.holy-bhagavad-gita.org/chapter/3/verse/7
