The Spiritual Import of the Mahabharata and the Bhagavadgita : Ch -18.7
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Chapter -18: Fix Your Mind on Me Alone-7.
Even this is difficult for many people; they cannot even sit for practice in this manner. They take to devout adoration of God—singing His names, glorifying His Being and engaging themselves in such ways as would be conducive to the maintenance of devotion to God in their daily routine of practice. By way of worship, by way of listening to God’s glories, by singing His names, etc., mat-karma-paramo bhava: “Do your duties as worship of Me.”
If even this is difficult, then perform your duties unselfishly. Everyone has a duty to perform in the station in which one is placed in human society. No one is free from this obligation—everyone knows this very well. Now, this fulfilment of the obligation that we owe in life, the duty that we are expected to perform, is to be conducted in a most unselfish manner as an instrument in the hands of God. The whole doctrine of the Bhagavadgita,
which goes by the name of karma yoga, sums up the principle of the outlook of life that we have to entertain throughout, which is that we are not the agents of action, we are not the performers of duties—we are only instruments in the hands of supernal powers. If this wisdom at least is available to us, certainly it would save us from the folly of imagining that we are the sole agents of action, which mistake will come upon us as karmaphala—the nemesis or the reaction of action, on account of which rebirth may be the consequence.
To put an end to this transmigratory life and the pains that follow as reactions to actions, we are not to regard ourselves as performers of actions but as participants in a cosmic purpose, which is the operation of the law of God. This much, at least, should be capable of performance for every individual.
Swami Krishnananda
To be continued ....
Chapter -18: Fix Your Mind on Me Alone-7.
Even this is difficult for many people; they cannot even sit for practice in this manner. They take to devout adoration of God—singing His names, glorifying His Being and engaging themselves in such ways as would be conducive to the maintenance of devotion to God in their daily routine of practice. By way of worship, by way of listening to God’s glories, by singing His names, etc., mat-karma-paramo bhava: “Do your duties as worship of Me.”
If even this is difficult, then perform your duties unselfishly. Everyone has a duty to perform in the station in which one is placed in human society. No one is free from this obligation—everyone knows this very well. Now, this fulfilment of the obligation that we owe in life, the duty that we are expected to perform, is to be conducted in a most unselfish manner as an instrument in the hands of God. The whole doctrine of the Bhagavadgita,
which goes by the name of karma yoga, sums up the principle of the outlook of life that we have to entertain throughout, which is that we are not the agents of action, we are not the performers of duties—we are only instruments in the hands of supernal powers. If this wisdom at least is available to us, certainly it would save us from the folly of imagining that we are the sole agents of action, which mistake will come upon us as karmaphala—the nemesis or the reaction of action, on account of which rebirth may be the consequence.
To put an end to this transmigratory life and the pains that follow as reactions to actions, we are not to regard ourselves as performers of actions but as participants in a cosmic purpose, which is the operation of the law of God. This much, at least, should be capable of performance for every individual.
Swami Krishnananda
To be continued ....
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