Why Gita is important for us? 5 – J K Sivan
PHALA THYAGA. – no desire for fruit of action.
Our actions usually exhibits two types of attitude. It can be analysed as below:
For instance, ‘If I do something, I am sure to be successful in my effort and therefore I shall enjoy the fruit of my labour because I am alone is entitled to it.’ Alternatively we say and exhibit another attitude: ‘I shall not act at all, and will not do the work, because if I am not going to enjoy the fruit of my actions.’
Krishna does not think like us. He explains a different attitude: He says in Gita; ‘You must, of course, act; and work but do not have any claim over the fruit of your actions’.
We feel we work and act and so are certainly entitled to enjoy the fruit of our actions, but one should voluntarily give up that right.
Rajo Gunam within us prompts: “I shall act only if I am going to enjoy the fruit of my actions.”
Thamo Gunam within us says: “If I am not going to enjoy the fruit, why should I? I shall not act at all.”
These attitudes are like two sides of the same coin and there is nothing to choose between them. One should go beyond both of them and adopt pure Sattva attitude. We need and should act, perform our karma, but relinquish the fruits of actions; and act without any claim over them. The desire for the fruit should never be there, either before or after the action.
Whatever work we do should be perfect, without any desire, attachment to its result, fruit of action. It will be better than the act of the person who performs karma with desire for fruit of action. Why? Attachment to the fruit, involves wastage of time and energy in day-dreaming about the fruit of his action whereas, every moment of the desireless doer’s life and every bit of his energy would be spent only in the work in hand, the karma. A river knows no respite; wind takes no rest; the sun shines for ever. All these dont perform their acts expecting any reward for their actions. A desireless doer, performer of karma, is only engaged in unremitting service. For doing a work without expecting any reward brings the equanimity of mind. It is a great quality. Imagine, when equanimity of mind is combined with the skill of the hands, even any ordinary work of an artisan is bound to be better and more beautiful.
A man having an eye on securing the fruits looks at the work from a selfish point of view. In his view, the action as well as its fruits are exclusively his own. But a desireless doer has a moral sense of duty towards his work. He is, therefore, extremely alert to avoid any shortcomings therein. Hence his work is bound to be more flawless. Thus, from whatever angle one may see, phala tyaga (renunciation of the fruits of actions) proves to be a sound and effective principle. That is why it could be called a sort of yoga or the art of living.
When engaged in doing a work without aiming for its fruit, there is a joy which cannot be found in the fruit. Total absorption in one’s own work is an everlasting spring of joy.
If you tell a farmer not go to the field, not to graze the cattle or draw water from the well, and offer him as much grains as he wants, he would certainly not agree to it if he were a true farmer. A farmer goes to the field in the early morning. There the Sun-god welcomes him. Birds sing for him. Cattle gather around him. He caresses them with affection, casts a loving glance at the plants. There is a sattvik, sublime joy in all this. This joy, in fact, is the true and main reward of his work. Compared to it, the material fruit of action is secondary.
Krishna in Gita, clearly points out that when the performer’s attention is taken away from the fruit of his actions, it increases hundredfold his concentration in his work through this ingenuity. Therefore when his mind is free from the desire for the fruit, his absorption in his work attains the character of samadhi. Hence his joy is also hundred times more than that of others. Looked at from this angle, it is clear that the desireless action is itself a great reward.
The ways of the world are strange. Gita asks us to relish work, to rejoice in it, to be fully absorbed in it and draw life-blood from it. To act itself is everything. A child plays for the joy of playing. He does get the benefit of exercise thereby, but he does not think of this benefit. His joy is in playing only.
Is it not a beautiful example. The above clearly tells you how and why we should perform our karma, do our actions, without thinking of resultant fruit or benefit of our actions with any selfish motive. Has this been made clear to you?
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