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Source: The Hindu (http://www.hinduonnet.com)

 

Result should not be the motive for action

 

CHENNAI, NOV. 22. Man has been vested with choice of action in

his life. It is not possible for human beings to desist from

action and hence he must know how to act rightly. Bridging the

gap between ``what I am'' and ``What I should be'' is the Gita

way of life - how life must be lived. No one else can live for

one's sake. One has to live for oneself and hence has to learn to

exercise the right choice. This is the reason that Arjuna

submitted to Lord Krishna and asked Him to teach him the way that

will lead to his ultimate good. The teaching that was taught to

Arjuna at the outset focussed on doing his duty for its sake.

 

As he had laid down his arms saying that he did not want to win a

war that would be the end of his kinsmen, the Lord showed him

that it was his intention which had resulted in his mental

conflict and showed him that his duty as a warrior lay in

fighting for establishing Dharma. So it becomes apparent that

result must not be the motive for engaging in action and one must

learn to act with the intention of discharging one's duty. When

the same Gita teaching is perused at a deeper level it will

become obvious that we have a choice over our actions but not

over the result. There is an element of uncertainty about the

outcome of our efforts.

 

In his discourse, Swami Ishwarananda said an individual could

choose what he wanted to do with his life but he did not have a

choice regarding the result. For instance, a person can provide

all the opportunities and a conducive atmosphere for his child

but he does not have control over how his child will shape up

eventually. This unknown factor which controls man's destiny is

Providence and hence one must understand that the results we get

are what we deserve and not what we desire. So mental

preparedness must be there. Lord Krishna advised Arjuna to fight

because that was his duty as a warrior and not because he wanted

to kill his cousins out of vengeance.

 

The Lord cited His own case as example. Why should the Lord who

is omnipotent and has nothing to gain, manifest in the world and

engage in action? In the Gita He says, ``For the protection of

the good, for the destruction of the evil and for the

establishment of Dharma, I am born from age to age.'' The truth

of this statement can be learnt from nature. The Sun, water and

the Earth are not partial. The Sun shines equally on both the

herb and the weed. But, to ensure that the herbal plant grows

well, the weed has to be destroyed. Unless Dharma prevails there

will not be cohesiveness and harmony in society and to maintain

order evil has to be exterminated.

 

Copyrights: 1995 - 2001 The Hindu

 

Republication or redissemination of the contents of this screen are expressly

prohibited without the consent of The Hindu

[Guest guest]

Thanks for the nice thoughts based on gita.

If you would like to read the the gita text in a comfortable manner i suggest

you clilck here

 

http://in.geocities.com/gitabykrishna/index_texte.html

 

On Thu, 22 Nov 2001 thehindu wrote :

> ========================================================-

> =====

> This article is emailed to you by Ram Chandran (

> rchandran )

> ========================================================-

> =====

> Source: The Hindu (

> http://www.hinduonnet.com)

> Result should not be the motive for action

> CHENNAI, NOV. 22. Man has been vested with choice of

> action in

> his life. It is not possible for human beings to desist

> from

> action and hence he must know how to act rightly.

> Bridging the

> gap between ``what I am'' and ``What I should be'' is

> the Gita

> way of life - how life must be lived. No one else can

> live for

> one's sake. One has to live for oneself and hence has

> to learn to

> exercise the right choice. This is the reason that

> Arjuna

> submitted to Lord Krishna and asked Him to teach him

> the way that

> will lead to his ultimate good. The teaching that was

> taught to

> Arjuna at the outset focussed on doing his duty for its

> sake.

> As he had laid down his arms saying that he did not

> want to win a

> war that would be the end of his kinsmen, the Lord

> showed him

> that it was his intention which had resulted in his

> mental

> conflict and showed him that his duty as a warrior lay

> in

> fighting for establishing Dharma. So it becomes

> apparent that

> result must not be the motive for engaging in action

> and one must

> learn to act with the intention of discharging one's

> duty. When

> the same Gita teaching is perused at a deeper level it

> will

> become obvious that we have a choice over our actions

> but not

> over the result. There is an element of uncertainty

> about the

> outcome of our efforts.

> In his discourse, Swami Ishwarananda said an individual

> could

> choose what he wanted to do with his life but he did

> not have a

> choice regarding the result. For instance, a person can

> provide

> all the opportunities and a conducive atmosphere for

> his child

> but he does not have control over how his child will

> shape up

> eventually. This unknown factor which controls man's

> destiny is

> Providence and hence one must understand that the

> results we get

> are what we deserve and not what we desire. So mental

> preparedness must be there. Lord Krishna advised Arjuna

> to fight

> because that was his duty as a warrior and not because

> he wanted

> to kill his cousins out of vengeance.

> The Lord cited His own case as example. Why should the

> Lord who

> is omnipotent and has nothing to gain, manifest in the

> world and

> engage in action? In the Gita He says, ``For the

> protection of

> the good, for the destruction of the evil and for the

> establishment of Dharma, I am born from age to age.''

> The truth

> of this statement can be learnt from nature. The Sun,

> water and

> the Earth are not partial. The Sun shines equally on

> both the

> herb and the weed. But, to ensure that the herbal plant

> grows

> well, the weed has to be destroyed. Unless Dharma

> prevails there

> will not be cohesiveness and harmony in society and to

> maintain

> order evil has to be exterminated.

> Copyrights: 1995 - 2001 The Hindu

> Republication or redissemination of the contents of

> this screen are expressly

> prohibited without the consent of The Hindu

> Discussion of Shankara's Advaita Vedanta Philosophy of

> nonseparablity of Atman and Brahman.

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