Inquiries into the Absolute: Digest 78

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Digest 78, January 14th, 2004

Answers by His Holiness Romapada Swami Maharaja

*** You are welcome to send in your questions to HH Romapada Swami at

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Working without expectation in Bhagavad-gita

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In Bhagavad-Gita 2.47, Lord Krishna says, "You have the right to perform

your prescribed duty, but you are not entitled to the fruits of action.

Never consider yourself the cause of the results of your activities, and

never be attached to not doing your duty."

 

Question a)

In this world activities are performed with the results in mind and in fact

the results are the motivation for one to do work. How does one perform his

activities in this world without expectation of fruits / results?

 

Ans a)

Krishna is not saying here that the results should be ignored or that the

duties be carelessly performed without concern for the results. What He is

saying is simply that we are not entitled to the be the enjoyer of the

fruits of our duties or activity. They are meant to be dedicated to Him.

We have the right to do our duty - very nicely and conscientiously - not

so we can enjoy the results but for Krishna to enjoy. If you are

cultivating a garden, for example, you should make every effort to get

the best yield; however, the actual yield of that garden is up to Krishna.

Whatever is produced, offer those fruits to Krishna.

 

Krishna is the actual beneficiary or enjoyer of the results. This is only

natural, because Krishna is the actual proprietor of everything, including

the strength and intelligence with which we perform our work. Motivation

for work in this case comes not from the expectation of how the results

will benefit oneself, but from the expectation of pleasing Krishna, which

is far more satisfying, and hence far more motivating than any meager

material achievements.

 

Question b)

Apparently we are doing the activity. So how do we reconcile that "I am

not the cause of my activities"?

 

Answer b)

In Bg 18.14, Krishna explains that there are five factors of action, only

one of which is our self, the others being the senses and instruments, the

field of action, the different endeavors and ultimately the Supersoul. As

said above, everything required for performing an activity, including our

own intelligence and strength comes from Krishna. Our independent will

constitutes one of the factors, but we are miniscule and dependent on the

Lord for every movement and can act only under His sanction. Thus, with a

little introspection, we can understand that we are not the cause or doer.

We may be an immediate or intermediate cause, but the ultimate doer is

Krishna.

 

See also BG 5.14 ("The embodied spirit, master of the city of his body,

does not create activities, nor does he induce people to act, nor does he

create the fruits of action. All this is enacted by the modes of material

nature.") Material nature is creating the fruits of all material

activities, not the soul. We have the capacity to perform work, we make

various endeavors, material nature creates results...and material nature

works under Krishna's direction (BG 9.10).

 

Question c)

Does this mean that because of one's past karma one gets results, and

not by just one's own efforts only?

 

Answer c)

Certainly past karma influences the results we get now. From observing

around us and from our own experience, we can see that people don't

always get results in exact proportion to their endeavors. This does not

render our present efforts useless; they make up our future karma!

(Please refer to our previous discussions on karma and freewill.

Digest 4, 70)

 

 

Question d)

What is the significance of one's free will and efforts?

 

Answer d)

As Krishna has unlimited freewill, so we have minute freewill, by which

we can choose and desire to enjoy in so many ways in this world, and make

efforts to attain them. Alternately, by our freewill we can choose to act

in relationship with Krishna and offer our efforts in His service. By doing

our prescribed duties without attachment to the results, as advised by

Krishna, we are still exercising our freewill, but in subordination to

or in harmony with the Supreme Will.

 

Srila Prabhupada often gave the simple example of the finger in relation

to the body. If a finger decides to feed itself instead of doing its

prescribed function of bringing the food to the mouth, and detaches itself

from the body, then despite working hard, its efforts will bring no

benefit to the finger. Similar will be our efforts for obtaining our

individual interests in this world apart from Krishna. Such efforts may

bring some temporary enjoyment but ultimately leaves the soul suffering

the miseries of material existence.

 

[For additional details to discussions on this topic, please refer to

the Digest of Answers available on the web page.]

 

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----- Festivals over the next week ------

Jan 18 2004, Sunday Ekadasi Sat-tila (Break fast 07:24-10:41) (Fast)

Jan 21 2004, Wednesday Ganga Sagara Mela

 

*** NOTE: All times are for Washington D.C, USA, EST ***

For festival information for your city please go to http://www.iskcondc.org and

click on 'Calendar'

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