Hey reader,

Far away in some kingdom, there existed one person. One who was very smart, very well educated, use to do every task with so perfection that he was set as an example for others, everything was working perfectly fine. But, all this recognition, praises and success, made him so thirsty of the good end results that he started taking too much pressure thinking about the output and end result. Slowly, his performance started to decline. He started to feel less confident and was all time thinking about the ideal result. How can he again come in the spotlight, how can he again become the perfectionist?

This is not just one story, we all are someway a part of it. How many of us don’t think about the end result first? How many of us dream about the successful life, luxury car, dream house and how many of us do actually think about doing the work in plate perfectly? Why this is important, let’s find out.

Hoping that you read the previous blog. This is in continuation of the conversation between Lord Krishna and Arjun from Bhagwad Gita. Hope you enjoy and learn from it as much as possible.

Arjun: If righteousness (dharma) is based upon compassion, then in this war I will be killing millions of warriors. My soul won’t get wicked and impure? 

Lord Krishna: Actions are bounded but not the cause. Understand the difference between Actions (Karma) and Causes (Karya). 
All actions are causes, but all causes are not actions. Action is something, where one is expecting some end result. When someone works/acts expecting growth, recognition, praise, then he gets bounded with the end result. When someone acts with some expectation and desire of end result, that is called selfish acts or Sakarma, while the actions which are done without expecting of any desired outcome, then it is called a selfless act or Nishkaam Karm. Hence, any person isn’t bounded with its actions but with the desires and expectations around that action.

Arjun: But how?

Lord Krishna: if you desire to win this war, then you will be extremely upset with the loss as well. If you are defeated in this war, the grief will make you do something for which you will reborn. And if you win, you will become arrogant and will desire to win the whole world, and hence kill millions and millions more, finally surrounded by all your sins.
But now, if you fight this war, without thinking about the victory or defeat, then after the war, you will feel happy or sad?

Arjun: Neither Lord!

Lord Krishna: So you are not bounded by war, but by its end result. If you fight this war, abandoning the end result of victory or defeat, and treating happiness and grief equally, then your soul will stay pure, and will not be doing any sin. This is called karma yoga. One who understands this, he knows that it’s not about the body but about the soul. All the pleasures and experiences of this birth are until the death and are just the illusions, he becomes a karma yogi.

Arjun: but, if we are bounded by action, then isn’t it good to give up actions and take renunciation (sanyaas)?

Lord Krishna: This war is the result of that renunciation only. If Good and Satvik people who know about the righteousness (dharma), they take the retirement, then people filled with tamas (selfish) rule the world. It’s just like that water evaporates, but the mud stays. Similarly, the Satvik people retire from their duties and hence bad people rule the world.
Karmayogi is not about giving up the actions, but about giving up the thoughts of end results. An ideal karma yogi stays in the same world, and lives a similar life, has a family and children, but never hopes of anything or desires about the end results.

Arjun: But if a karma yogi stays with family, educates its children and takes good care of his family, then why is it incorrect of expecting anything from its children?

Lord Krishna: Does human loves its child or trades with its child?

Arjun: Love, almighty!

Lord Krishna: Then why this desire of fruit? The children payback the same way they are brought up by their parents. It’s all about what sacraments and education are given to the children. To keep an expectation from a child is unnecessary.
If you see Arjun, there is no need to keep expectations with any of the things in this world. When the universe is almighty, and almighty is present in every being, then every action is performed by the almighty itself, man doesn’t do anything by its own.
Keep fulfilling your duties, don’t think of the end result, and just keep performing your actions. Results are all in the hands of almighty, so just keep discharging your duties and keep performing your actions.
Remember, if someone leaves the food in order to control its taste buds, they always keep thinking about the taste and flavours and never get away with it. In fact, due to an incomplete diet, they get weak and unhealthy, but the greed for the taste always stays. So, don’t leave the food (actions) but just give up the taste (expectations of the end result).

So, its quite clear and understandable that we are not bounded by actions but our expectations. We expect the outcomes, from our jobs, from our friendships, from our relationships, and that results in a lack of focus around our actions. We sometimes fail to deliver the project within the timeline, or sometimes fail to fulfil our duties as a child, as a parent, as a friend or as a life partner, but never miss out on our expectations.

What I learnt out of this conversation:

1. I don’t do anything on my own, it’s all meant to be like this. I’m just a carrier of getting the work done. So, in a way, doing something good or bad of someone isn’t in my hands. I can try to help someone, but if my help will be useful, it may or may not be true.

2. I should fulfil my duties, being a son, being a brother, being a friend, being an employee, and being a citizen as well as human. I must fulfil and discharge all my duties without expecting the outcome or desiring an outcome in or against my favour. Let the result be whatever it is, for example,
– keep helping my loved ones without expecting that they will help me too someday.
– keep staying with my friends without expecting that they will stay forever.
– keep doing my tasks at the office, one after another, without thinking about any praise out of it. If the tasks are done properly within time, they will be eventually praised.
– keep continuing to work, irrespective of the previous outcomes and results. Start fresh if something messed up in previous assignment, or just improve and continue the good work from the previous success.

This time is tough when the world is going through a pandemic and a resultant economic slowdown, but I just hope that whosoever is reading this, just forget what all happened, and focus on what can happen. Focus on your current actions and make the best for your future. This too shall pass, see you in the next one, till then, take care!

– Navneet