(KARMAYOGA) What actions we do don't bind us i.e sins or goodness?
0 comments Posted by RisingCitizen at Sunday, June 13, 2010Krishna very beautifully explains in 3 scenarios where our actions do not bind us - which means we are not responsible for the sins or the goodness of doing such an action:
SCENARIO 1:
"O Arjuna, actions do not bind him who has dedicated all his actions to God, according to the spirit of Karmayoga, whose doubts have been torn to shreds by wisdom, and who is self-possessed."
(Chap 4 -verse 41)
"Therefore, Arjuna, slashing to pieces, with the sword of wisdom, this doubt in your heart, born of ignorance, establish yourself in Karmayoga in the shape of even-temperedness, and stand up for the fight."
(Chap 4 -verse 42)
SCENARIO 2:
"The Karmayogi, who is contended with whatever is got unsought, is free from jealousy and has transcended all pairs of opposites like joy and grief, and is balanced in success and failure, is not bound by his action."
(Chap 4 -verse 22)
SCENARIO 3:
"All his actions melt away, who is free from lust/attachment, who has no identification with the body and does not claim as his own, whose mind is established in the Knowledge of the Self and who works merely for the sake of sacrifice."
(Chap 4 -verse 23)
"He whose mind is free from the sense of the doership, and whose reason is not tainted by worldly objects and activities, does not really slay, even having slaughtered all these creatures, nor is bound by sin."
(Chap 18 -verse 17)
"Man is bound by his own action except when it is done for the sake of sacrifice. Therefore, Arjuna, do you efficiently perform your duty, free from attachment, for the sake of sacrifice alone."
(Chap 3 -verse 9)
But what kind of sacrifices?
PS: All or even doing one of these sacrifices do not bind a man to his action. Such actions must be increased in life. Here, sacrifice
Type 1:
"In the practice of seeing Brahma everywhere as a form of sacrifice where the ladle with which oblation is poured into the fire; the oblation is itself Brahma; Brahma is the fire; Brahma itself is the one who sacrifices and Brahma itself is the act of pouring the oblation into the fire; And finally Brahma is the goal to be reached by him who is absorbed in Brahma as the act of such sacrifice."
(Chap 4 -verse 24)
PS: 1) Brahma here refers to GOD and not Brahma (one of the Trimurtis)
2) Here sacrifice is as good as any action we do and we need to consider God itself as the doer,
God itself as the action and God itself is the result.
This is as per Madhavacharya and Ramanuja. (CLICK HERE FOR SOURCE)
Type 2:
"Other Yogis duly offer sacrifice only in the shape of worship to the demi-gods (as given in the VEDAS). Others (Jnanayogis) by worshiping the Supreme Brahman."
(Chap 4 -verse 25)
(ESSENTIALLY WORSHIPING GOD)
Type 3:
"Other Yogis offer sacrifice their senses of hearing into the fire of self-discipline while others offer perceptions of sense objects into the fires of senses."
(Chap 4 -verse 26)
Type 4:
"Other Yogis, who are interested in achieving self-realization through control of the mind and senses, offer the functions of all the senses, and of the life breath, as oblations into the fire of the controlled mind."
(Chap 4 -verse 27)
Type 5:
"Some perform sacrifice with material possessions; some others offer sacrifice in the shape of austerities; others sacrifice through the practice of Yoga; while striving souls, observing austere vows, perform sacrifice in the shape of wisdom through the study of sacred texts."
(Chap 4 -verse 28)
Type 6:
"Other Yogis offer the act of exhalation into that of inhalation; even so others, the act of inhalation into exhalation. There are still-others given to the practice of PRANAYAMA, who having regulated their diet and controlled the processes of exhalation and inhalation - both pour their vital airs into the vital airs themselves. All these have their sins consumed away by sacrifice and understanding the meaning of sacrificial worship."
(Chap 4 -verse 29, 30)
Type 7:
"Arjuna, who does not offer sacrifice, even this world is not happy; how then can the other world be happy?"
(Chap 4 -verse 31)
Type 8:
"Many such forms of sacrifice have been set forth in detail through the mouth of the Vedas; know them all as involving the action of mind, senses and body. Thus knowing them you shall be freed from the bondage of action (through their performance)."
(Chap 4 -verse 32)
Type 9:
"Arjuna, sacrifice through KNOWLEDGE is superior to sacrifice performed with material things. For all actions without exception culminate in Knowledge, O son of Kunti."
(Chap 4 -verse 33)
PS: IT IS VERY CLEAR THAT KRISHNA CONSIDERS ANY ACTION DONE THROUGH KNOWLEDGE IS FAR SUPERIOR THAN ANY OTHER SACRIFICE, PUJA, or YAGNA.
Krishna also explains the sacrifice at the time of creation and that even rains are produced from the sacrifice.
"Having created mankind along with the spirit of sacrifice at the beginning of creation, the creator, Brahma, said to them, 'you shall prosper by this; may this yield the enjoyment you seek."
(Chap 3 -verse 10)
"Foster the gods through this sacrifice and let the God be gracious to you. Each fostering other disinterestedly, you will attain the highest good."
(Chap 3 -verse 11)
"Fostered by sacrifice, the gods will surely bestow on you unasked all the desired enjoyments. He who enjoys gifts bestowed by them, without giving them in return, is undoubtedly a thief."
(Chap 3 -verse 12)
"The virtuous who partake of what is left over after sacrifice, are absolved of all sins. Those sinful ones who cook for the sake of nourishing their body alone eat only sin."
(Chap 3 -verse 13)
"All beings are evolved from food; production of food is dependent on rain; rain ensues from sacrifice, and sacrifice is rooted in prescribed action. Know that prescribed action has its origin in the VEDAS and the VEDAS proceed from the God; hence the all-pervading Infinite is always present in sacrifice."
(Chap 3 -verse 14,15)
(KARMAYOGA) Do actions bind us, thereby leading to goodness or sin?
0 comments Posted by RisingCitizen at Sunday, June 13, 2010In the GITA, no where is a direct verse indicating that actions bind us. However, there are several places where Krishna talks about liberating ourselves from the results of the actions we do. This clearly means that actions bind us because its consequences are somewhere connected to our actions.
In the Ishwarya Upanishad, there is a verse
One must desire to live even a hundred years by doing prescribed karma only. Thus is it right for you, not otherwise; [if this is done, then] sin will not bind the human.
Source:CLICK HERE
It means that there are actions that do not bind also and which is what Krishna explains very beautifully.
(KARMAYOGA)What perception in action doesn't incur sin?
0 comments Posted by RisingCitizen at Sunday, May 16, 2010We studied in detail about how sin is committed and what factors tempt us to commit sins. Now, Krishna talks about how a perception in action will never incur sin for the doer.
"Treating alike victory and defeat, gain and loss, pleasure and pain, get ready to fight, then fighting thus you will never incur sin."
(Chap 2 -verse 38)
"Resigning all your duties to Me, the all-powerful and all supporting Lord, take refuge in Me alone, I shall absolve you of all sins, worry not."
(Chap 18 -verse 66)
(KARMAYOGA) Analyzing the 2 factors tempting us to commit sin....
0 comments Posted by RisingCitizen at Saturday, May 15, 2010Well, we did see how Krishna says we commit sin. Let's dig deeper as even Arjuna wanted to know. However, the factors are spread in different chapters. So, here they go.
SENSES and SENSE-OBJECTS:
Although all actions involve senses and we do many things to satisfy our senses, the fact remains that it needs to be controlled (and not eliminated).
"O son of Kunti, the contact between the senses and their objects, which give rise to the feelings of heat and cold, pleasure and pain, happiness and distress are like the appearance and disappearance of winter and summer seasons. One must learn to tolerate them without being disturbed." (Chap 2 -verse 14)
SENSES and SENSE-OBJECTS:
Although all actions involve senses and we do many things to satisfy our senses, the fact remains that it needs to be controlled (and not eliminated).
"O son of Kunti, the contact between the senses and their objects, which give rise to the feelings of heat and cold, pleasure and pain, happiness and distress are like the appearance and disappearance of winter and summer seasons. One must learn to tolerate them without being disturbed." (Chap 2 -verse 14)
"As a strong wind carries away a boat upon the waters, even one of the roaming senses on which the mind focuses can carry away a man's intelligence (ability to discriminate) ."(Chap 2 -verse 67)
"Turbulent by nature, the senses even of a wise man, who is practising self-control, forcibly carry away his mind, Arjuna." (Chap 2 -verse 60)
"Attraction and repulsion are rooted in all sense-objects. Man should never allow himself to be swayed by them, because they are the 2 principal enemies standing in the way of his SELF REALIZATION."
(Chap 3 -verse 34)
"An intelligent person does not take part in the sources of misery, which are due to contact with the material senses. O son of Kunti, such pleasures have a beginning and an end, and so the wise man does not delight in them."
(Chap 5 -verse 22)
"He, however, who has true insight into the respective spheres of GUNAs and their actions, holding that it is the GUNAs (in the shape of senses, mind etc) that move among the GUNAs (objects of perception), does not get attached to them, Arjuna." (Chap 3 -verse 28)
"Those who are completely deluded by the GUNAs (modes) of Prakriti remain attached to those GUNAs and actions; the man of perfect Knowledge should not unsettle the mind of those insufficiently knowing fools." (Chap 3 -verse 29)
MIND:
Before we go to Gita, let's see an important verse from the AMRITA BINDU UPANISHAD (from Krishna Yajur Veda). Click here for the source
"For man, mind is the cause of bondage and mind is the cause of liberation. Mind absorbed in sense objects is the cause of bondage, and mind detached from the sense objects is the cause of liberation."
"One must deliver himself with the help of his mind, and not degrade himself. The mind is the friend of the conditioned soul, and his enemy as well." (Chap 6 -verse 5)
"For him who has conquered the mind, the mind is the best of friends; but for one who has failed to do so, his mind will remain his greatest enemy." (Chap 6 -verse 6)
ARJUNA actually says a very valid point - "Krishna, the mind is very unstable, unsteady, turbulent, tenacious and powerful; therefore, I consider it is as difficult to control as the wind." (Chap 6- verse 34)
In Katha Upanishad - it is written “Know that the Self is the rider, and the body the chariot; that the intellect is the charioteer, and the mind the reins.”
"For him who has conquered the mind, the mind is the best of friends; but for one who has failed to do so, his mind will remain his greatest enemy." (Chap 6 -verse 6)
ARJUNA actually says a very valid point - "Krishna, the mind is very unstable, unsteady, turbulent, tenacious and powerful; therefore, I consider it is as difficult to control as the wind." (Chap 6- verse 34)
In Katha Upanishad - it is written “Know that the Self is the rider, and the body the chariot; that the intellect is the charioteer, and the mind the reins.”
Krishna Questions the VEDAS and worldly pleasures?
"Arjuna, those who are full of worldly desires and devoted to the letter of the Vedas, who look upon heaven, as the supreme goal and argue that there is nothing beyond heaven are unwise. They utter flowery speech recommending many rituals of various kinds for the attainment of pleasure and power with rebirth as their fruit. Those whose minds are carried away by such words, and who are deeply attached to pleasure and worldly power, cannot attain the determinate intellect concentrated on God." (Chap 2 -verse 42,43,44)
"Arjuna, the Vedas thus deal with the evolutes of the 3 Gunas i.e worldly enjoyments and the means of attaining such enjoyments and the means of attaining such enjoyments; be thou indifferent to these enjoyments and their means, rising above pairs of opposites like pleasure and pain etc, firmly established in the Eternal Existence, absolutely unconcerned about the supply of wants and the preservation of what has been already attained, and self-controlled."
(Chap 2 -verse 45)
WHY IS IT IMPORTANT TO CONTROL THE ABOVE TWO?
"He who has not controlled his mind and senses can have no reason; nor can such an undisciplined man think of God. The unthinking man can have no peace; and how can there be happiness for one lacking peace of mind?" (Chap 2 -verse 66)
"Therefore, Arjuna, he, whose senses are completely controlled from their objects, is said to have stable mind." (Chap 2 -verse 68)
"For one who has conquered the mind, the Supersoul is reached, for he has attained tranquility. To such a man, happiness and sadness, heat and cold, honor and dishonor are all the same." (Chap 6 -verse 7)
"Therefore, Arjuna, you must first control your senses, and then kill this evil thing called lust (when senses go beyond control) that obstructs Knowledge and Vijnana (self-realization)."
(Chap 3 -verse 41, 43)
"The mind is restless no doubt, Arjuna; but it can be brought under control by repeated practice (YOGA) and by the exercise of dispassion." (Chap 6 -verse 35)
(KARMAYOGA) - How does man commit sin?
0 comments Posted by RisingCitizen at Tuesday, April 13, 2010What makes man commit sin while performing actions?"O Arjuna, It is lust begotten of RAJAS Guna, which appears as wrath; it is insatiable and grossly wicked. Know this to be the enemy in this case." (Chap 3 -verse 37)
"As flame is covered by smoke, mirror by dirt and embryo by the womb, so is Knowledge of the living entity covered by lust." (Chap 3 -verse 38)
"And, Arjuna, Knowledge stands covered by this eternal enemy of the wise, known as lust, which is insatiable like fire." (Chap 3 -verse 39)"The senses, the mind and the intellect are declared to be its seat; screening the light of the Truth through these; it is this lust that deludes the embodied soul." (Chap 3 -verse 40)"The man dwelling on sense-objects develops attachment for them. From attachment lust develops and from lust anger arises." (Chap 2 -verse 62)
"From anger, complete delusion arises and from delusion bewilderment of memory. When memory is bewildered, intelligence is lost, and when intelligence is lost one falls down again into the material pool." (Chap 2 -verse 63)
"Lust, anger and greed - the triple gate of hell brings about the ruination of the soul. Therefore, one should avoid all these three." (Chap 16 -verse 21)
(KARMAYOGA) - How should action be performed?
0 comments Posted by RisingCitizen at Tuesday, April 13, 2010
In the last question, we saw action cannot be avoided and what sort of actions must be done. Now, let us explore how action should be performed? THIS IS THE CENTRAL CORE OF THE GITA.
"YOUR RIGHT IS TO WORK ONLY, BUT NEVER TO THE FRUIT OF IT. NEVER CONSIDER YOURSELF TO BE THE CAUSE OF RESULTS OF ACTIVITIES AND NEVER BE ATTACHED TO NOT DOING YOUR DUTY." (Chap 2 -47)
"Offering the fruit of actions to God, the Karmayogi attains everlasting peace in the shape of God-Realization, whereas, he who works with a selfish motive, being attached to the fruit of actions through lust, gets tied down." (Chap 5 -verse 12)
"Perform your duties established in YOGA, renouncing attachment, and be even-tempered in success and failure; such an evenness of temper is called YOGA." (Chap 2 -verse 48)
"Go on efficiently do your duty without attachment. Doing work without attachment man attains the Supreme." (Chap 3 -verse 19)
"It is performing action without attachment alone that Janaka and other wise men reached perfection. Having an eye to maintenance of the world too you should take to action." (Chap 3 -verse 20)
(i.e anything that benefits the world must be done and man has to act and not remain passive)
"For whatever a great man does that very thing other men also do; whatever standard he sets up, the generality of men follow the same. " (Chap 3 -verse 21)
"He who acts offering all actions to God, and shaking off attachment, remains untouched by sin, as the lotus leaf by water." (Chap 5 -verse 10)
"A KarmaYogi performs actions with senses, mind, intellect and body as well, but after withdrawing the feeling of MINE in respect of them and performs simply for the sake of self-purification." (Chap 5 -verse 11)
"Arjuna, he who performs all his duties for MY sake, depends upon Me, is devoted to Me; has no attachment and free from malice towards all beings, reaches Me." (Chap 11 -verse 55)
"Dedicating all actions to Me with your mind fixed on Me, the SELF of all, freed from hope and the feeling of lethargy and cured of mental fever, O Arjuna, fight." (Chap 3 -verse 8)
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