1.Do not be impotent 2.3
2. Do not claim a right to results of actions 2.47
3. Do not have results as your inspiring motive 2.47
4. Do not remain attached to inaction 2.47
5. Do not worry your enemies are already killed by me 11.34
6. Do not yield to distress at this terrific cosmic form of mine! 11.49
7.Do not grieve your qualities are divine 16.5
8.Do not grieve I shall save you from all sins 18.66
The Sanskrit word implying 'do not..' is 'Maa' and it appears eight times in the Geeta.
1. Bhagavan Sri Krishna begins by whipping up the Pandava prince Arjuna saying -Do not give in to impotence! Rise up and fight, ridding your heart of this paltry weakness!". The message thus is of strength and active resistance to evil outside and within us. Tireless, noble activity is the very means to bring ourselves to the gates of spiritual enlightenment. Without passing this phase of a dynamic life. ever responsive to the call of duty, any attempt at higher spiritual practices like Vedanta study, meditation etc. would only flop badly. So do not be nerveless.
2. Impatience almost amounting to arrogance makes an unwise man to insist, in his own mind, on certain results to accrue to him. But results of actions, success or failure are the product of many factors, known and unknown to man. While we may and should put in our best efforts, to think that such and such results alone should come about is foolish. If we thus insist, the departure of events from our expectations deals a bad blow to our ego. Disappointment comes to them who make appointments with future' says Pujya Gurudev. So, act with enthusiasm taking delight in work itself and accept whatever comes as the result gracefully. So do not hang on to dreamy ideas of fruits of action.
3. The motivating force behind action is generally presumed to be desire for some pleasing result. While an idle man is often goaded to activity by some incentive, such a method of motivation has limitations and painful consequences from which all materially developed societies do suffer. Greed, jealousy and lack of true love for work cause havoc to the psychological domain of individual and society. Sri Krishna's teaching of Kannayoga is like a remedy with no side-effects. Developing in oneself love of work for work's own sake, without entrusting one's happiness to the uncertain future, men can work creatively, enjoying peace during and after work! So do not work goaded by desires!
4. Of course, asking us to give up our egocentric insistence on the fruit of action and not to allow thought of some pleasurable reward become the motivation, does not imply a prescription for a life of inaction! Act we must. To act and yet remain free of ego's bad odour of selfish desires is the skill (kaushala) called Kannayoga.
So do not be inactive.
To be continued
About the author
Swami Chidananda
Swami Chidananda has been a spiritual teacher, speaker, and writer for two decades. He is presently the Joint Secretary of Rajghat Education Centre, Varanasi, which is a chapter of Krishnamurti Foundation India (KFI). His deeper calling took him to the study of the Vedanta under the world-renowned teacher Swami Chinmayananda. He served the Chinmaya Mission for sixteen years. He now lives on the banks of Ganga in Varanasi, working for the cause of right education as well as rural service.
2. Do not claim a right to results of actions 2.47
3. Do not have results as your inspiring motive 2.47
4. Do not remain attached to inaction 2.47
5. Do not worry your enemies are already killed by me 11.34
6. Do not yield to distress at this terrific cosmic form of mine! 11.49
7.Do not grieve your qualities are divine 16.5
8.Do not grieve I shall save you from all sins 18.66
The Sanskrit word implying 'do not..' is 'Maa' and it appears eight times in the Geeta.
1. Bhagavan Sri Krishna begins by whipping up the Pandava prince Arjuna saying -Do not give in to impotence! Rise up and fight, ridding your heart of this paltry weakness!". The message thus is of strength and active resistance to evil outside and within us. Tireless, noble activity is the very means to bring ourselves to the gates of spiritual enlightenment. Without passing this phase of a dynamic life. ever responsive to the call of duty, any attempt at higher spiritual practices like Vedanta study, meditation etc. would only flop badly. So do not be nerveless.
2. Impatience almost amounting to arrogance makes an unwise man to insist, in his own mind, on certain results to accrue to him. But results of actions, success or failure are the product of many factors, known and unknown to man. While we may and should put in our best efforts, to think that such and such results alone should come about is foolish. If we thus insist, the departure of events from our expectations deals a bad blow to our ego. Disappointment comes to them who make appointments with future' says Pujya Gurudev. So, act with enthusiasm taking delight in work itself and accept whatever comes as the result gracefully. So do not hang on to dreamy ideas of fruits of action.
3. The motivating force behind action is generally presumed to be desire for some pleasing result. While an idle man is often goaded to activity by some incentive, such a method of motivation has limitations and painful consequences from which all materially developed societies do suffer. Greed, jealousy and lack of true love for work cause havoc to the psychological domain of individual and society. Sri Krishna's teaching of Kannayoga is like a remedy with no side-effects. Developing in oneself love of work for work's own sake, without entrusting one's happiness to the uncertain future, men can work creatively, enjoying peace during and after work! So do not work goaded by desires!
4. Of course, asking us to give up our egocentric insistence on the fruit of action and not to allow thought of some pleasurable reward become the motivation, does not imply a prescription for a life of inaction! Act we must. To act and yet remain free of ego's bad odour of selfish desires is the skill (kaushala) called Kannayoga.
So do not be inactive.
To be continued
About the author
Swami Chidananda
Swami Chidananda has been a spiritual teacher, speaker, and writer for two decades. He is presently the Joint Secretary of Rajghat Education Centre, Varanasi, which is a chapter of Krishnamurti Foundation India (KFI). His deeper calling took him to the study of the Vedanta under the world-renowned teacher Swami Chinmayananda. He served the Chinmaya Mission for sixteen years. He now lives on the banks of Ganga in Varanasi, working for the cause of right education as well as rural service.
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