Hari
OM
Application - that is what 'Workings-days' are about!
VEDANTA IN ACTION.
This is the title of a publication from CM which,
whilst it of course has items by Gurudev, also includes selections of writing
from other well-esteemed Gurus from the Vedantic tradition as well as leading
businessmen. Its focus is the working life. We shall be exploring these essays
for the next few weeks on Workings-day as, clearly, they pertain directly to
the premise of this section of AVBlog! As ever, you are encouraged to read back over previous
posts, to ensure full benefit.
3: Actionless Action.
Liberated While Working (Q&A with Sri Anandamayi
Ma)
"How can one benefit spiritually by action?"
One
can gain benefit by doing work for its own sake, engaging in karma yoga. As
long as a desire to distinguish oneself is lurking, it is karma bhoga
(self-satisfaction/enjoyment). One does the work and enjoys its fruit because
of the sense of prestige that it brings. Whereas, relinquishing the fruit of
expectations on returns becomes karma yoga.
| (1896-1982) |
"How is it possible to work without desire?"
One
can do this by doing service with the feeling that one is serving the Supreme
Being in everyone. The desire for God-realisation is obviously not an ordinary
one. "I am an instrument, deign to work through this, your
instrument." By regarding all manifestation as the Supreme Being, one
attains to communion which leads to liberation. Whatever work is undertaken,
let it be done with one's whole being and in the spirit of "Thou alone
workest" so that there may be no opportunity for affliction, distress, or
sorrow to creep in. Another point; if the attitude "through my
shortcomings the work has not been done well enough, greater pains ought to
have been taken to complete this service" is not persisted in, the work
must be considered to have been done carelessly. Therefore, as far as it lies
in your power, there should be no neglect. Beyond that, feel that whatever
happens is in His hand; your but His tool.
Put your body, mind and heart into every work and for the
rest, it is as it comes.
"It does not seem possible to perform action devoid of
attachment to that work or its fruit, working only for the duty… yet what is
taken up in spirit of dedication to God may well develop into work done without
desire. Please explain further"
Whether
with or without desire, it is still action. One cannot possibly remain without
action until the state of Pure Being comes. Therefore, let this aspect of the
matter be understood.
When
you surrender yourself to your guru, you have to obey his or her orders
unconditionally. In this your sole motive is to carry out the guru's will.
Consequently, when going about the task, you grow eager to do your utmost. Can
you all this also a desire in the ordinary sense of the word? To set your heart
on being efficient, with only one object to complete the task for the guru, is
certainly a good desire. If for any reason there should arise even the least
feeling of resentment, the action can no longer be said to be without
attachment. Suppose, for example, after having accomplished by far the greater
part of some work, you have to abandon it and someone else takes it up,
completes it and gets the credit for having achieved the whole of the task. If
you mind this even in the slightest degree, how can the work really have been
done disinterestedly? Obviously it was not quite free of your sense of
ownership on the task, nor free from desire for recognition.
When
you have given yourself up to the guru, s/he may do anything, subject you to
countless tests, yet you still regard yourself as a tool in His hands. You will
then have reached a stage, in spite of the difficulties, where you persist with
the work knowing it to be the guru's order. By this attitude you will grow
steadfast in endurance, patience and perseverance and you energy capacity will
be enhanced. Keep this in mind.
In
action there is bound to be conflict. When can there be freedom from this?
There can be freedom only when there is no question of hurt. Even in the midst
of work, at all times and under all circumstances, one must be prepared to obey
any kind of order. Imagine you are hungry and your are just raising your hand
to put food into your mouth, then you are asked to go elsewhere. At that very
instant you should gladly let fall the food and obey the call. Such an attitude
is an indication of one's becoming established in a happiness that is not of
this world. When one is nearing effortless being, whether one is blamed or not
for some short-coming, one is quite indifferent. Then only does one become an
instrument in His hands. The body moves like a tool and one watches it with the
nature of a spectator. Then one observes what a great variety of work gets done
by such a body and how efficiently. Egoless work is full of beauty, for it is
not promoted by a desire for self-gratification. As long as the knots that
constitute ego are not unravelled, even though you intend to act impersonally,
you will get hurt and this will produce a change in the expression of your eyes
and face and be apparent in you whole manner. To long in the essence of
"let my heart be free from craving of results" is still a desire for
a result! Nevertheless, by thus aspiring after selfless action, there is hope
of its coming to pass.
A
knot in the heart means resistance. Hence, as long as ego persists, there will
be clashes at times, even when impersonal work is attempted, because one is
bound and therefore pulled in this or that direction.
...tbc...
