On Karma Yoga: VI - Choiceless Choice

[Guest guest]

Choiceless choice:

 

After reading the last post, Shree Rajesh Ramachander asked some

relevant questions starting from - what should guide our choice of

action and what are its consequences? Before we address these issues,

it important to recapitulate from the second chapter of Geeta the

fundamental law of action that Krishna provides.

 

‘karmaNyevaadhikaaraste maa phaleshu kadaachana|

maakarma phalaheturbhuuH maate sangostvakarmaNi||

Recognize that you have only right (choice) to perform an action and

never in the results. Do not let the fruits of the action motivate your

action. Also, do not let your attachment be towards inaction.

 

The first part contains the law of action and the second part contains

some guidelines to follow. Let us examine the law of action first.

adhikaari is normally translated as right, where as in the context here,

‘choice’ is more meaningful as we shall see.

 

Human being is a crown in the creation since he is given a choice to

evolve rapidly. What makes him to standout among the creation? It is

the discriminative intellect or buddhi, which is the most precious gift

to humans. BartRihari subhaashhitam says:

 

ahaara nidraa bhaya maitunamca saamaanya metad pashhubhirnaraaNaam|

buddhirhi teshaa adhiko visheshhaH, buddhyaa vihiinaaH pashubhiH

samaanaaH||

 

Eating, sleeping, being afraid, producing, etc are all common for both

humans and animals. Humans have something more than what the animals

have, and that is the discriminative intellect or buddhi. If one does

not have it (or use it properly), then he is as good as any animal.

However, animals are pre-programmed and follow the path specified by the

Lord; where as a man without buddhi will behave like unprogrammed

animal, which is worse than an animal. animal does not become a

Rakshasa. Man alone has the capacity to become either sura or asura,

godly or devilish being.

 

Hence, Shankara says in VivekachuuDaamaNi that three things in the order

are rare indeed. First is the birth in the human form. It is not a

choice but a gift. Having been given such a rare birth, the second

difficult thing to have is the intense desire for liberation. Krishna

gives a statistics –

manushyaaNaam sahasreshhu kaschidyatati siddhaye|

yatataamapi siddhaanaam kaschinmaam vetti tatvataH|

Only one in thousand people try to reach me. Of those who try, only one

in many will know Me by complete surrender.

Finally, the third one is the association with a great soul or right

guru who can provide the needed guidance for evolution. These three

come only because of the blessings from the Gods.

durlabham trayamevaitad daivaanugraha hetukam|

munushyatvam mumukshutvam mahaapurushha samsrayaH||

 

Animals are mostly driven by instincts. Birds build their nests exactly

the same way and that skill is in born. Their actions are dictated by

instincts. On the other hand, since a superior intellect is provided

for a human being, a man has to make a choice at every moment. He

always has three choices at any time: to act, not to act and to act in

a different way – kartum shakyam, akartum shakyam or anyathaa kartum

shakyam- are the three choices. Hence, not to act is also a choice of

action that he can exercise. People complain that they do not have any

choice. What they really mean is that they do not have a choice since

they want to have only a particular desired result.

 

The first line of the above the well quoted Geeta sloka says that at

every moment I have a choice to make. In fact I have no choice but to

choose. As an intelligent being, I always act expecting a desired

result. I cannot act without any expectation. I cannot even put a step

forward without expecting to move forward. I may fall in the process;

but that is the result but not my expectation. Even Krishna does not

begin to teach Arjuna without at least expecting Arjuna to learn. That

is the least expectation. Hence, human intellect cannot function

without a goal in mind, which is the expectation for the action.

However, if I am intelligent enough I should also expect that my

expectation could go wrong. Why? Because, I am not omniscient to

dictate the result to meet my expectation. Hence Krishna says “you have

only choice in action and never in the results”. You can only choose

how to act but never can choose the result you are going to get. Let us

illustrate with an example. Let us say I have a big stone in my hand. I

have a choice – I can throw that stone to the left side, to the right,

throw up and pray it will not fall on my head, or throw in the back or

just not throw anywhere at all. These are some of the choices I have.

However, once I perform an action – say throw the stone up, I cannot

determine its result. I cannot control its trajectory. I can pray the

Lord to freeze the stone hanging in the air so that it would not fall on

my baldhead. That prayer is also a course of action that I can choose

to make. It may or may not give the desired result. The trajectory of

the stone, however, is determined by the gravitational force, Newton’s

laws of action and frictional forces, etc. I cannot mend or amend those

laws to suite the results that I want, since I am not the author of

those laws. They are part of the creation and Lord is the author of

these laws that dictate the result of my action. Hence, Krishna says

‘you have only a choice in the action, but never in the result. The

results are given by Me since I am the author of these laws. (Hence Lord

is called karma phala data, giver of the fruits of action). You have to

take whatever the result that comes’. I can demand or pray the Lord to

change the Newton’s laws, at least once for my sake, since I have been

very devoted Bhakta all my life, and have been contributing in this

advaitin list since its inception. However, Krishna says; Samo2ham

sarva bhuteshu name dveshyo2ati na priyam| - I am impartial to every

body, I have no liking for any one nor hatred for any one. Whether one

prays or not, whether one is a devotee or even non-believer, Krishna is

impartial. Just as gravitational forces act impartially whether I

believe in it or not whether I pray it four times a day or not. I have

to use my intelligence to learn the laws and think how I can make use of

these laws to my advantage. Hence Krishna says: “ye bhajantitu maa

bhaktyaa mayi te teshu chaapyaham – whoever worships me with devotion

they are with me and I am also with them – Those who understand the laws

of nature and operate correctly they are in union with Me and I also

bless them appropriately”. Therefore, I have no choice than to learn to

accept the results as given by the laws of nature. In the 18th, Ch.

Krishna gives more details of all the factors that enter in formulating

the results of an action.

 

Having a stone in my hand for me to choose the course of action is my

praarabda and what kind of action I do with the stone that I have in my

hand is my purushhaartha. Furthermore, after I receive the results,

what I do next with the results that I have and the next set of choices

that are open to me will determine my next course of action. Hence I am

at cross roads all the time, where I have to choose – to do, not to do

or do it another way. Swami Chinmayanandaji puts this beautifully –

‘What I have is praarabda and what I do with what I have is

purushhaartha’.

Future praarabda is nothing but past praarabda modified by my present

action. If the result is not meeting my expectation, then by observing

the action and the result, I can deduce how the laws of nature act and

devise the next course of action that is more conducive to meet my

expectations. There also, I have only choice in the action. If an

action is performed, you can try to alter the results of the previous

action by performing another action – that is called praayaschitta

karma. There again the choice in the action is only ours but not in the

results.

 

Another way of looking at this law of action is that I can only act in

the present. Past is gone and there is nothing I can do about it. I can

sit down and cry about it but that crying is also my present action.

The future has not yet come for me to act. I can plan for the future,

but that planning is also a present action. Hence, I can act only in

the present. The results of an action follow the action and not precede

it. Thus, results are future to the action. I cannot do anything about

the future. Therefore, I have no control on the results, maa phaleshhu

kadaachana.

 

As a digression, an interesting point to note is that I can act only in

the present and I can enjoy only in the present. In fact, I can live

only in the present. Present only is given to me in a silver plate for

me to act and to enjoy. Past always remains past and future is always in

future, while I live only in the present. Unfortunately, we refuse to

live in the present. We live either in the past (regrets of the past) or

in the future (anxiety about the future) and not in the present. When

someone asks ‘who are you?’ – We answer, giving our whole Bio-data; it

is all about my accomplishments in the past and my aspirations about my

future, but nothing about the present. On the other hand, a sage or

wise man lives in the present. Interestingly, we cannot even define

that present also. Present is a thin imaginary gap where the past meets

the future. I can subdivide that gap as small as possible,

microseconds, nano seconds, peco seconds, etc. Ultimately, the concept

of time itself evaporates. What remains in the present is only my

presence, which is beyond any concept of time. The movement of that

imaginary line creates the concept of time, which is only imaginary.

Actually, the concept of space and time arises in me only, and it is

folded when I go deep sleep state.

 

Efficiency in action:

 

Efficiency is different from proficiency. A doctor may be most

proficient surgeon in the world, yet his efficiency goes down the drain

if the patient on the operating table is his own beloved son. The

attachment makes his intellect blind and makes him inefficient. Arjuna

had the same problem. Hence, perform the action, without any attachment

for the fruits of the action. There are three channels through which

our energy gets dissipated while performing an action. One is the

regrets of the past, second is the excitement while acting in the

present and the third is the anxiety about the future. I can optimize my

energy in the present action and perform to my best by arresting all

three channels of energy leak. I will be most efficient in my action

and that happens when I perform the action as an offering to the Lord.

Even though Lord provides the results impartially whether I offer or

not, but recognizing His role and offering the action itself as a

prayer, I ensure that I perform the action to the best that I can.

Secondly, Krishna says if it done in the spirit of yagna then the action

will not bind us.

 

Right Choice of action:

 

The questioner asked, since I have no choice but to choose, what should

be the right choice of action, or what should guide my choice of action.

Since what I have is praarabda and what I do with what I have

purushhaartha, I should know what is right purushhaartha that determines

my right choice of action. The scriptures provide the primary

guidelines. The four purushhaartha-s that scripture provides is dharma,

artha, kaama and moksha. Artha and karma, earning wealth and fulfilling

the desires are bounded first by dharma and with a goal in moksha. What

is my dharma? We have discussed this aspect before in terms of what is

my swadharma. We can give a simple rule to guide what is the right

course of action.

 

Whatever I expect others to do to me, I should do that to others.

Whatever I expect others not to do to me, I should not do to others.

This is a basic ethical and intelligent living and dharma for humanity

itself (animals do not need dharma – they have no choice but to live by

dharma). For example, I want others to be good to me, treat me kindly,

compassionate towards me, forgive my mistakes, help me when I am in

need, etc. Then I have to be good to them, treat them kindly,

compassionate towards them, forgive their mistakes, help them when they

are in need; these become my dharma. Similarly, I expect others not to

lie to me, not to steal my property, not to hurt me, not to step over me

for their needs, etc then I should not do those to others. One need not

be religious to follow these simple ethical principles. By following,

these ethical principles my mind is purified and it brings in healthy

attitude in life. At any time before getting action, think what would I

expect others do or not to do if they are in the same situation. That

forms my swadharma – since I have a value for those set of actions. As

grow and learn, my intellect becomes more and more sensitive to other’s

needs and my actions will be governed by what is right rather than what

I feel like doing.

 

The next level of dharma is to follow the sanaatana dharma what is

wrongly translated as Hinduism. It is not an ‘ism’ but a way of life to

appreciate my role in the creation. That involves the panca bhuuta

yagnas to appreciate my inheritance in this earth. I am born in a

culture and tradition that is centered on the moksha as the eternal goal

of life. Every art – dance, music, education, festivals, etc– all

centered on guiding me towards higher values of life. I have to begin

to recognize that I am a full time devotee as we discussed before.

Performing the action as a prayer to the Lord becomes my attitude in the

action. Every act that emanates from me becomes a devoted action,

whether it is in the temple or outside the temple, since I recognize

that Lord is everywhere and in every set-up. adhaarmic choices of

action, I would not even entertain, since those will hurt me more than

they will hurt others. Whatever I offer to the Lord has to be

immaculately pure and noble and to the best that I could do since I am

offering to the Lord of the entire universe. That is what devotion calls

for and the choice of action is dictated by those values. Krishna gives

exhaustive details of the values that one should follow in several

chapters of Geeta. These help to purify myself. These include the right

course of action that I should do and food that I should eat etc, all

discussed in the 18th Ch. of Geeta. Prof. VK has discussed these

exhaustively and one can get that information from his web site.

 

How do I know that a particular action is dhaarmic action or not? This

is the problem with Arjuna also? I do not know what my dharma is – “Hay

Krishna I am your student, please teach me. I will follow whatever you

instruct me” – was the outcry of Arjuna. First, by education I learn

what is right and what is wrong. Education from parents, from teachers

and from noble persons, I learn what is the right choice of action.

Scriptures teach us what is the right course of action. Ultimately, Guru

teaches us, what is the right course of action, provided one becomes a

disciple just as Arjuna did. If none of these available, just surrender

to the Lord and do what you think is the right course of action taking

it as Lord’s dictate. Know that wherever dharma is Lord is, and wherever

Lord is dharma is.

 

As long as I have the notion that I am doer (kartRitva bhaava), I have

to do my best in any action that I undertake in the spirit of yagna. As

long as I have a feeling that I am the doer, the results belong to me

along with the associated impressions or vasanaas-s. When I do the

action in the attitude of yagna, then the results are neutralized since

I accept the results as prasaadam. My attitude is only service and

results are not the motivating force. Hence, Krishna advises in the

sloka do not let fruits of the action motivate your action. More than

that, if my vision is in the results, my mind is already in the future

since results are future to the action. Therefore, the mind is not

available for the action that is being done in the present. I have to

engage all the equipments that I have – body, mind and intellect-

completely and fully in the action for it to become a devoted action, in

the spirit of yagna. In addition, inaction is not the choice either.

 

Therefore, Krishna advises that everyone to be participant in the

eternal wheel of action. There are only few exceptions to this rule and

that we will discuss in the next post.

[Guest guest]

Namastey Shree Sadananda Ji:

 

 

Thank you Sir. Your explanation on choice of actions "Choiceless

Choice" is extremely insightful.

 

Sir, you state that “my actions will be governed by what is right

rather than what I feel like doing.”

The degradation of 'Dharma' that we see in the world now is all

because of the choices that we make towards situation we face. Instead of doing

the right thing people now often resort to doing things what they deem is good

for them. This short sightedness has resulted in much of the miseries that we

see of the world. We must always be willing to sacrifice for doing right

things. What we seriously seem to be lacking is the spirit of sacrifice. Being

prone to competitiveness, possessive and materialism we are attached to the

fruits of our actions in life. Our attachments to results make us take actions

that are not in tune with dharma. We understand from your writing that dharma

should mainly guide us in our choices of action at all times. Only by adhering

to dharma completely at all times shall our actions also be right at all times.

 

Many thanks again for the splendid posting.

 

 

Pranam,

RR

 

 

 

 

 

 

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[Guest guest]

Pranaams RR:

 

What is Dharma? What is Dharma in one context may be Adharma in

another context. We cannot really say this is 'Dharma ' and this

is 'Adharma' - Everything depends on circumstances and the situation.

It is better to practice 'Swadhrama' at all times. For example, a

soldier's 'swadharma' is to fight for his country even though he

knows fully well that his country is launching an unprovoked

aggression on the so called 'enemy' country.

 

So, the meaning of 'dharma' is not limited to 'righteousness' . It

has a wider connotation.

 

When Lord Krishna says ' sarva dharmam parityajya mamekam sharnam

vraja' , what he means is take 'refuge' in me alone abandoning all

other yogas. ( here, dharma means other yogas not faiths or what is

right)

 

 

Your opinion is appreciated

 

PS

 

 

 

 

 

advaitin, Rajesh Ramachander

<rrajeshchander> wrote:

>

[Guest guest]

Rajeshji

Thanks for your kind words. What you say is right but what I think is we

can change the world only by changing first ourselves. As Krishna is

going to teach us in the next post- yadyadaacharti shreshhTaH ... we

need to follow the vedic dharma. The children will learn from what the

parents do. Gandhiji became mahaatma because he taught by practicing

himself first. Once I change the world will also slowly change. Let us

do our saadhana sincerely and by setting ourselves as an example try to

change the environment we are in - and leave the rest to Him to worry

about.

 

Thanks again, you helped me to reformulate the karmayoga series.

 

Hari OM!

Sadananda

 

 

--- Rajesh Ramachander <rrajeshchander wrote:

> Namastey Shree Sadananda Ji:

>

>

> Thank you Sir. Your explanation on choice of actions

> "Choiceless Choice" is extremely insightful.

[Guest guest]

Namastey:

 

Shree Sadananda Ji’s posting on “On Karma Yoga: VI - Choiceless Choice”

already seemed to have answered your question on Swadharma. Kindly read that

posting carefully for insight.

I will leave it here to other learned members of this forum to

clarify it further.

Pranam

RR

 

 

Purusha <purush_artha wrote: Pranaams RR:

 

What is Dharma? What is Dharma in one context may be Adharma in

another context. We cannot really say this is 'Dharma ' and this

is 'Adharma' - Everything depends on circumstances and the situation.

It is better to practice 'Swadhrama' at all times. For example, a

soldier's 'swadharma' is to fight for his country even though he

knows fully well that his country is launching an unprovoked

aggression on the so called 'enemy' country.

 

So, the meaning of 'dharma' is not limited to 'righteousness' . It

has a wider connotation.

 

When Lord Krishna says ' sarva dharmam parityajya mamekam sharnam

vraja' , what he means is take 'refuge' in me alone abandoning all

other yogas. ( here, dharma means other yogas not faiths or what is

right)

 

 

Your opinion is appreciated

 

PS

 

 

 

 

 

Shopping

Find Great Deals on Holiday Gifts at Shopping

 

 

[Guest guest]

Namaste:

 

The question of ethics (Dharma) always arises while making decisions

on what to do under various circumstances. Swami Chinmayanandaji in

one of his discourses (Question and Answer session during 1982

Spiritual Camp in Michigan) suggests the following options:

 

The first point of reference is 'Shastras - Scriptures' such as the

Bhagavad Gita.

 

For those who do not find a direct reference point, they should look

for 'role-model characters' of the great epics of Ramayana,

Mahabharata or Puranas. The simple rule is "Do what Rama did and

Krishna Said."

 

Still some situations may not provide any clear guidance from either

Sastras or role-model characters. In those cases, look for some

decent people around you, talk to them and take their advice for

guidance.

 

Finally, in rare situations, we may not find any clues anywhere. Then

close your eyes, contemplate for few minutes and act what your heart

tells you to do.

 

In all these course of actions, we should remember, that we are just

the actors and our right is only to 'act' and we should accept the

results without over-excitement (when we succeed) or deep-depression.

What we control and what we don't control are explained in very clear

terms in Gita, chapter 2, verse 47.

Karmanyevaadhikaaraste maa phaleshu kadaachana;

Maa karmaphalahetur bhoor maa te sango'stwakarmani.

 

Your right is to work only, but never to its fruits. Do not allow the

fruits of actions to become the motive for your action, nor let your

attachment to inaction. This verse contains the essence of what

Sadaji has explained it in his series on Karma Yoga.

 

We all play multiple roles while conducting our duties in our daily

life. For example, the teacher's role is to teach, the soldier's role

is to fight and mother's role is to take of her baby. There is no

problem when there is only one role to play at a moment. But when

the mother has to teach her child, she should remember to `detach'

her role as a mother. Most of the problems arise while we play

multiple roles and we face self-created conflicts of interests and

don't recognize the right dharma. Sastras do provide some clues on

the hierarchy of `dharmas' when we play multiple roles at the same

time. Within the context of Bhagavad Gita, dharma refers

to `righteousness' that is accepted by all at the society level. This

is the reason for Lord Krishna to suggest Arjuna the soldier to fight

the war without worrying about the consequences! Soldiers who fight

the war can't help killing other soldiers. In the same way, the

surgeons in hospitals have to use knifes and other sharp instruments

during surgery, sometimes, some patients do happen to die!

Finally, I may have to disagree with your interpretation of another

famous verse from Gita, chapter 18, verse 66:

Sarvadharmaan parityajya maamekam sharanam vraja;

Aham twaa sarvapaapebhyo mokshayishyaami maa shuchah.

Abandoning all duties, take refuge in Me alone; I will liberate thee

from all sins; grieve not.

The list has discussed this verse in greater detail before and I

suggest that you check the archive for the interpretation, It is my

understanding, that Lord Krishna asks Arjuna to surrender

the `doership' to Him and free himself from his worries about the

sins of killing his friends and relatives!

 

Warmest regards,

Ram Chandran

 

advaitin, "Purusha" <purush_artha> wrote:

>

> Pranaams RR:

>

> What is Dharma? What is Dharma in one context may be Adharma in

> another context. We cannot really say this is 'Dharma ' and this

> is 'Adharma' - Everything depends on circumstances and the

situation.

> It is better to practice 'Swadhrama' at all times. For example, a

> soldier's 'swadharma' is to fight for his country even though he

> knows fully well that his country is launching an unprovoked

> aggression on the so called 'enemy' country.

>

> So, the meaning of 'dharma' is not limited to 'righteousness' . It

> has a wider connotation.

>

> When Lord Krishna says ' sarva dharmam parityajya mamekam sharnam

> vraja' , what he means is take 'refuge' in me alone abandoning all

> other yogas. ( here, dharma means other yogas not faiths or what is

> right)

[Guest guest]

Pranaams RR :

 

Thank you so much for directing me to the earlier posts on this

thread on Karma Yoga. There is a full length post on Swadharma (post

number 29595 for reference) which explains in detail the concept

of 'Swadharma' which I found valuable.

 

KS' explanation of Varnashrama dharma based on Guna and Karma is

also intellectually appealing.

 

Besides, it was great to see the verse Sarva Dharmam Parityajya

interpreted correctly - KS SAYS " one need not go through that path

since one can directly go from karma yoga to bhakti yoga using

charama sloka(sarva dharmaan parityajya..) as the basis, where one

surrenders all dharma-s other than, of course, service to the Lord or

Kainkarya Dharma. "

 

Prappti or sharnagati is the highest Tattwa and thank you KS for

highlighting this. In Jnana yoga also one surrenders but here the

aspirant surrenders his 'little self' to the 'higher' self.

 

I found the next post on 'Devotee and devotion' equally useful and

liked what KS had to say on playing multiple roles. In this context,

Rmachandran gave the example of the surgeon performing his duty as a

surgeon and said the patient may die. If it is patient's Poorvika

karma is to die on the operating table , he will die no matter how

skilled the surgeon is.If the surgeon is found of guilty of

negligence , then the surgeon also incurs Prarabda karma. That is why

I liked KS'S examples better. Be a surgeon but be a devotee

surgeon.

 

 

I tend to agree with Br. Vinayaka on the definition of 'Dharma'.

There are many Dharmas - Stri Dharma, Pativrata Dharma, Kula Dharma,

Yuga Dharma etc etc . Here Dharma means performing one's duties. For

Example, Sita followed Rama to the forest - that is her Stree dharma.

Sita subjected hersdelf to 'Agni Pariksha' - that was her Pativrata

Dharma -to prove to the World she is chaste and pure.

 

Rama banished Pregnant Sita to the forest on hearing one of his

subjects complain about Sita's chastity. That was his Dharma as a

King - To please the 'praja' ( ruled) is the primary duty of a Raja (

king). Rama the king performed his 'dharma' but the act itself was

not full of 'righteousness'. So, sometimes one can commit

transgressions while performing one's prescribed duties also.

 

I agree with Vinayaka - Dharma is not synonymous with 'Truth' or

Satyam. There are many 'Dharmas' but only one Truth.

 

The upanishads declare 'Satyam Vada , Dharmam chara' 'Satyam vada,

Dharmam chara'Always speak the truth and practice dharma.

 

Here, Truth does not mean not telling a lie. Truth here refers to the

eternal , absolute, unchanging Truth - 'Brahmaiva Satyam'- Truth is

Brahman and Brahman is truth.

 

Dharma is a more comprehensive term and as KS pointed out it is one

of the Purusharthas. Dharma is 'righteous' conduct. It is also a way

of life . A whole philosophy. That is why Hinduism is

called 'Sanatana' Dharma - the Eternal Dharma.

 

 

Best regards

 

PS

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

advaitin, Rajesh Ramachander

<rrajeshchander> wrote:

>

> Namastey:

>

> Shree Sadananda Ji's posting on "On Karma Yoga: VI -

Choiceless Choice" already seemed to have answered your question on

Swadharma. Kindly read that posting carefully for insight.

> >

>