Bhagavat Gita - 15

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Bhagavat Gita - 15

 

Wisdom is not to be confused with inactivity (Chapter 3 verses 27-35)

 

The difference between the wise man and the ignorant man consists in this:

the former is established in the experience that all actions that are

supposed to be his, are only movements of the Prakruthi and that the

'real He', the Self, is the uninvolved witness. The ignorant man, on

the other hand, being absolutely involved in, and identified with, the

movements of Prakruthi feels that he is acting and enjoying. The way to

attain detachment is not by keeping quiet without doing anything, but

by discharging all one's duties, surrendering their fruits and the sense of

agency to the Supreme. Non-attached work (Karma Yoga) and discriminative

understanding of one's basic nature as the 'unattached Self' (Jnana Yoga)

are not contradictory but complimentary. For, non-attachment in work is

impossible unless one practises simultaneously the understanding that one

is basically the 'unattached self'. And, except in the case of a few rare

aspirants, the practice of such discriminative understanding about the Self,

without the support of unselfish work, will end up in pure idleness and

failure to do one's duty. One who fails to do his duty and runs after ways

of life that are alien to his inherent nature and aptitude, only incurs

sin. For, to do what one ought to do, is virtue and avoiding it out of

idleness, or cupidity, or base passions, is sin.

 

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Based on " Srimad Bhagavat Gita - The Scripture of Mankind "

a translation by Rev Swami Tapasyanandaji, published by

Sri Ramakrishna Math - Chennai. http://www.sriramakrishnamath.org/

 

 

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