(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)
(KARMAYOGA) - If action can't be avoided, what action do we do?
0 comments Posted by RisingCitizen at Thursday, March 11, 2010Answer: We need to do our alloted duties. Of course, the GITA doesn't explain what these duties are, but refers to all scriptures and asks to follow us. It is however, ambiguous to follow all texts and given the fact GITA doesn't specifically mention anything other than the VEDAS, we can assume or refer to it. However, the wheel of life brings us to experience relationships like mother, father, sister, wife, husband etc and following or fulfilling these relationships is DEFINITELY one of the ALLOTED DUTIES. The Other duty Krishna repeatedly mentions (will cover later) is any task that benefits the SOCIETY.
"Perform your prescribed duty, for doing so is better than not working. One cannot maintain one's physical body without work." (Chap 3 -verse 8)
"Keenly devoted to his own natural duty, man attains the highest perfection in the shape of God-realization. Hear the mode of performance whereby man engaged in his duty reaches the highest consummation."
(Chap 18 -verse 45)
"By worship of the Lord, who is the source of all beings and who is all-pervading, a man can attain perfection through performing his own work." (Chap 18 -verse 46)
"Better is one's own duty, though devoid of merit, than the duty of another well-performed; for performing the duty ordained by his own nature man does not incur sin." (Chap 18 -verse 47)
"Therefore, Arjuna, one should not abandon one's innate duty, even though it may be tainted with blemish; for even as fire is enveloped with smoke, all undertakings are clouded with demerit." (Chap 18 -verse 48)
"Therefore, Arjuna, the scripture alone is your guide in determining what should be done and what should not be. Knowing this, you ought to perform only such action as is ordained by the scriptures." (Chap 16 -verse 24)
Actually the above quote is ambiguous because it doesn't mention which scriptures? In Hinduism there are so many scriptures that we really get lost. So, this is perhaps one area where the Gita is not clear.
Actually the above quote is ambiguous because it doesn't mention which scriptures? In Hinduism there are so many scriptures that we really get lost. So, this is perhaps one area where the Gita is not clear.
(KARMAYOGA) - Can action be avoided?
0 comments Posted by RisingCitizen at Wednesday, March 10, 2010In the previous question, it has already been answered that we are forced to act. Krishna, further confirms this in the following verses.
"That action too which you are not willing to undertake through ignorance - bound by your own duty born of your nature, you will helplessly perform." (Chap 18 -verse 60)
"Arjuna, God abides in the heart of all creatures, causing them to revolve according to their Karma by His illusive power, seated as those beings are in the vehicle of the body. "
(Chap 18 -verse 61)
"If, taking your stand on egotism, you think- I will not fight-, vain is this resolve of yours; nature will drive you to the action." (Chap 18 -verse 59)
Krishna says, - "Everyone is forced to act according to the qualities he has acquired from the modes of material nature (3 GUNAs), therefore no one can refrain from doing something, not even for a moment."
(Chap 3 -verse 5)
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