Bhagwad Gita - Post 64

Verse 8 

Naiva kinchit karomeeti

Yukto manyeta tattwavit;

Pashyan shrunvan sprishan jighran

Nashnan gacchan swapan shwasan.

“I do nothing at all”—thus will the harmonized  knower of Truth think—seeing, hearing, touching, smelling, eating, going, sleeping, breathing.

One engaged in this process of yoga or the science of the individual consciousness attaining communion with the absolute  consciousness perceives himself  as separate from the activities of the body and that the senses reside in the very sense objects desired. Seeing, hearing, touching, smelling and tasting are the functions of the organs of knowledge - the eyes, ears, hands, nose and tongue. 

The knowers of the Brahman or the spiritual substratum pervading all existence being free from all conceptions of doer-ship are not subject to reactions from their actions although performing so many activities. 

The Vedanta Sutra VI.I.XVI states that when knowledge of the Brahman is realized, the result is the permanent eradication of all previous reactions and the inability to receive reactions for any subsequent actions. 

How does the Sankhya Yogi react when he sees someone acting?

He simply says, “That person is not acting, because he is “ATMAN”. What is perceived as action is executed by his body, and this action is colored by his intrinsic nature of three gunas.”

A normal jiva, on the other hand, thinks that it is he or the lower self which acts, but as far as the yogi himself is concerned, it is always the body which acts, irrespective of whose body it is. He is totally above the “body consciousness”.

In Yoga Vasishta, Sage Vasishta  advised Lord Rama:

Karta bahirkartāntarloke vihara rāghava

“O Rama, externally engage in actions diligently, but internally practice to see yourself as the non-doer and God as the prime mover of all your activities.”

In this divine consciousness, the karma yogis  see themselves as mere instruments in the hands of God.  

In one of the talks, the author  went on to teach few sadhakas that neither Sai nor any incarnation, nor a jivanmukhta, actually do anything like normal human beings do.

In both cases, in case of an avatar or a Jivanmukhta, from time to time, on a moment to moment basis, whatever is required to be performed by them, such actions just happen, and they do not plan or deliberate such actions.

And once such actions manifest from / through them, even while acting and after the action is over, they attach least importance to  such actions. 

Living, speaking, eating, acting apparently like any other human being, they are eternally in the realization of the truth that while their body / mind acts as per the requirement of the hour, the pure atman that they really are, is unmoved!

While the whole world may not be aware of the above truth about them, they have no urge / reason to even think as to why or whether the world is aware about such secret about their action less actions or the world is not aware at all.

Love.

Bhagwad Gita - Post 63

Verse 5 

        

Yatsaankhyaih praapyate sthaanam

Tad yogair api gamyate;

Ekam saankhyam cha yogam

Cha yah pashyati sa pashyati.

That place which is reached by the Sankhyas or the Jnanis is reached by the (Karma) Yogis. He sees who sees knowledge and the performance of action (Karma Yoga) as one.

Lord Krishna now clarifies specifically that atma tattva or realization of the soul is the result and that persons who practice renunciation of actions attains this same result as those that practice prescribed Vedic activities without desire for reward and thus for one who sees this similarity of result sees that both paths are actually one. 

The word yoga meaning the science if the individual consciousness attaining communion with the ultimate consciousness denotes by the suffix api meaning also of one who is a practitioner of yoga

Without spiritual intelligence one's actions can never be properly established. Whereas performance of activities in spiritual intelligence without desire of rewards automatically leads one to renunciation. The person who performs actions with renunciation offering the results to the Supreme Lord attains the eternal Brahman or the spiritual substratum pervading all existence. 

The detachment of the Sankhya yogi is quite unusual and not easy to cultivate. If the Sankhya yogi has such a withdrawn outlook, then how come the Karma yogi who is not only involved in action but does not claim that he has a withdrawn outlook, is able to attain the same goal as the Sankhya Yogi? 

Perhaps, Sri Krishna has the answer!!

True, the karma yogi does not, like the Sankhya Yogi, say that it is merely his body that acts, nor does he say “I am the Atman” .

But an important thing is that, he dedicates everything to God. For him, God may seem to be external but that does not matter. Since all actions are offered to God, nothing ever touches him. Arjuna, note carefully that because the Karma yogi is all the time thinking of God, for him also, God eventually becomes internal!!!

The Sankhya yogi, by fully identifying himself with “Atman” or the inner SELF, totally disassociates himself actions and therefore also from the consequences – in other words, actions do not bind him.

For a karma yogi also, actions do not bind him as he has offered all actions and results of actions to God. (Pujari and Prasad talk / post covers this aspect). 

The unbinding is achieved by two different techniques- in one case, total focus inside and in the other, total absorption in God who might be perceived as external, but has actually become internal. For reaching the ultimate Supreme state or Brahman, it does not matter which of the two strategies is adopted. The important thing is to ensure that actions do not bind.

Sri Ramana was totally absorbed in Inner Self whereas Sri Ramakrishna was totally absorbed in worship of Ma Kaali and did everything for the divine mother. 

Yet, if one carefully looks at their lives, one can know that both of them reached the ultimate goal of Realization.  Thus, when it comes to the attainment of Goal and after attainment of goal, typecasting a yogi as either a Sankhya yogi or a Karma yogi is a meaningless exercise. 

Love.

Bhagwad Gita - Post 62

Dear All,

Let us see the question put up by Arjuna .

Verse 1

Arjuna Uvaacha:

Sannyaasam karmanaam Krishna

Punar yogam cha shamsasi;

Yacchreya etayorekam

Tanme broohi sunishchitam.

Arjuna said:

Renunciation of actions, O Krishna, Thou praisest, and again Yoga! Tell me conclusively which is the better of the two.

The Lord answers:

Verse 2

Sri Bhagavaan Uvaacha:

Sannyaasah karmayogashcha

Nihshreyasakaraa vubhau;

Tayostu karmasannyaasaat

Karmayogo vishishyate.

The Blessed Lord said:

Renunciation and the Yoga of action both lead to the highest bliss; but of the two, the Yoga of action is superior to the renunciation of action.

Verse 3

Jneyah sa nityasannyaasi

Yo na dweshti na kaangkshati;

Nirdwandwo hi mahaabaaho

Sukham bandhaat pramuchyate.

He should be known as a perpetual Sannyasin who neither hates nor desires; for, free from the pairs of opposites, O mighty-armed Arjuna, he is easily set free from bondage!

According to the Lord, he is a sanyasi who "neither likes nor dislikes." Likes and dislikes, success and failure, joy and  sorrow and such other pairs-of-opposites are the wheels on which the mind rolls forward earning the experiences of life. 

Arjuna has asked which path is better - Path of renunciation or path of action.

How does one reconcile action and renunciation or inaction, which seem to be opposite to each other? 

Krishna gives a simple answer. “Change the definition of renunciation”.

It is impossible to give up action as long as one is in a society, whether as a house holder or even as  a Swami running ashram for imparting knowledge to the world.

Krishna asserts that it is not action that should be given up but  what is to be given up is DESIRE for action and for the fruits of such action.

Swami says,

“Let us consider how to deal with desire. To conquer desire, you have to have a sacrificing nature. You must be steeped in renunciation. Renunciation does not mean that you give up your family and go to the forest. Nor does it require to give up all property and take up Sanyasa. Once you realize the defects in any object, you recognize the transitory ness and worthlessness as far as   helping you to reach the ultimate Goal (God realization), you will automatically stop desiring it”.

Such a being who neither hates pain and the objects which give him pain, nor desires pleasure and the objects that give him pleasure, who had neither attachment nor aversion to any sense object should be known as a perpetual sanyasi though he may ever be engaged in action.

One may not even take to Sanyasa formally but if he has the above mental attitude, he is a sanyasi.  What is wanted is pure heart with true renunciation of ego.

So, for the question put up by Arjuna, Krishna is clarifying that out of Karma Yoga (Performing actions not with desires but as a Yoga)  and Karma Sanyasa (renunciation of action), Yoga is better.

Love.