by Sri Bimal Mohanty
VOL No. 50
April : 2005

 


  Atma
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 Sanatan

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UNDERSTANDING DEATHLESSNESS OR AMRITATTVA- Part3
( The importance of karma in GOD consciousness)

"Based on the lectures by Sri Bimal Mohanty"

So, unless the karma is associated with tyAga, the karma is not karma at all that will raise us to a higher level. Lot of us are indeed engaged in some kind of spiritual activity, from individual practices to great social services. Why we lament because nothing perceptible is happening to us? Why we are still ignorant? The answer lies in tyAga. We have not yet learnt to do action dictated by renunciation

Sanatan philosophy does not look kindly at any action – even great charities and missionary endevours, unless they are done with a sense of non-attachment and renunciation. Without the pure test of tyaga they are all forms of hypocrisy.

That brings us to one of the greatest hurdles in the path of very yoga sadhana- bringing in the element of tyaga into all activities of life so that our actions lead to Brahman knowledge and do not end up in making us mere busybodies or purposeless wanderers.

On the face of it, this obstacle is so difficult to overcome, that not for nothing, our saints have described the yogic way of life as difficult as walking on the edge of a sword- kshurasya dhAra yathA.

But is it really so difficult? Let us try to understand the concept of tyaga in life more positively and see how one can be a tyagi in real life

For most of us, all actions, or human endevours, are driven by two things. These are ‘the ego’ and ‘the fruit’- the ahamkAra and phalaprepsA. All other reasons are related to these two. If we can understand the ways and patterns of these two, it would be possible to work out a reasonable state of mind while performing action.

PhalaprepsA or the desire for a reward for every action is indeed not a bad thing. It may sound contrary to what we are accustomed to hear all along. But the bad thing about desire of fruitive result is the limitation in our concept as to what should be the ‘fruit’.

Kim kartavyam? KimArthAya? What is to be done? For what purpose I shall engage in action? Do we know the answers to these questions?

Every action produces a fruit, since the principle of divine management is that every action causes a result. So every action, whether trivial or great, conscious or subconscious that we are engaged in, is automatically producing a fruit and falling on our lap.

The kind of fruit that we get is exactly in relation with the actions and efforts that we put, under the given circumstances. Sincere efforts or indifferent approach by us, wrong or right assessment of the circumstances by our own mind, our own mental condition at the time of action, all these shape the fruits that we get. Only fools ascribe the results to the fate. AtmanA karmadoshAn ca na socati apanditah.

Fruits will be there anyway. You do not have to specifically crave for it. What you wish to reap you shall have to sow accordingly. All you have to be occupied with is, to put in the commensurate action, the right action for the right fruit. You can not pre-empt the fruit if it has not been backed by the adequate action. That is what is said in The Bhagavad Gita ‘karmani eva adhikaraste mA phalesu kadAcana’.

From this then follows: Am I getting the right fruit? And if I am not getting the right fruit, how do I get it?

Our scriptures provide answer for that too. The right fruit is that fruit, which opens the gate of understanding to knowledge, the knowledge of Brahman consciousness, the brahmachaitnya. Any other fruit will not give you satisfaction nor will be enduring

As in real life, any fruit is not a fruit to eat, unless it has food value. In the same manner, no fruit of action is worthwhile unless it leads to ‘knowledge’- the true knowledge of Brahman.

So what does a tyagi do? He simply rejects all claims to the fruits of his actions unless they lead to a higher understanding of Brahman, and thereby, makes him a higher being with a higher mind. He analyses his efforts, refocuses all his actions with the single purpose of knowledge realization. That makes his life worth the life, a life leading to immortality. All other actions drag him to the lower depths, to the darkness of ignorance

How does one practice this tyaga? It is simply done by remaining always conscious of the Lord.

….. sarveshu kAleshu mAmanusmara ….
Mayi arpita manah buddhih mAm eva eshyasi asamshayah.

At all times remember Me only…. With mind and intellect fixed (or absorbed) in Me, thou shall no doubt come to Me alone. Once the mind is seized by God the discrimination of right action, bad action and avoidable action comes automatically. The inner voice keeps on hammering within the heart

Yogasthah kuru karmAni

Perform action, being in Yoga, remaining enjoined with me. Yogastha action is action with tyaga.

Karmajam buddhiyuktA hi phalam tyaktwA manishinah;
Janmabandha vinirmuktAh padam gacchanti anAmayam

The wise, having relinquished the fruits of their actions, rise above the evil influence of birth after birth and achieve the goal.

That is the conclusion.

Next we shall discuss some other aspects of karma and the role played by the ego.

(TO BE CONTINUED)