Action and its Fruit

Am back with thoughts related to 2.47, the much talked about and often misinterpreted Gita shloka.

Well to warm up, karma in general is action.

Action always has a reaction. And there are multiple possibilities.

We throw a dice and there are 6 possible outcomes!!!

That is a quick outcome, but sometimes outcomes are in future..as much as in next birth!!!

Karma theory is about you reap what you sow

Hindus believe in karma's being related to soul and not just the body ! So we have Karma's accumalated from past

Karma types : based on timing

• Sanchit : Accumalated from the past , over janma's , good and bad karma
• Prarabdh: those that have fructified 
• Agami : yet to happen
• Kriyami : happening now, at this moment!

And Karma types with a different perspective

1. Nitya Karmas (everyday )

2. Naimittika Karmas (occassional)

3. Kaamya Karmas (towards artha & kama within dharma)

4. Nishiddha Karmas(forbidden )

5. Prayaschitta karmas . (Repentence )



Karma is action and will have a reaction or fruit is certain, just when and what is not known.


Every action of ours/ Karma has a 4 fold impact

1. The result

2. The impact on our character

3. The impression / vasna it leaves on our mind

4. The impact on others in the world

Karam Yoga is a lot more than just action

It is action

1. Done to the best of our ability
2. With no attachment to result
3. For the good of society
4. Dedicated to God


Take an example of a surgeon , operating to save a life. He/she will do what he can best do and takes no responsiblity of outcome. But a karam yogi surgeon will do that but will also not take the credit for the positive outcome and will dedicate his action as service to lord.

Or a tutor while teaching if he gives his best and then advertises that his students get A* , is he a karam yogi???


Every action can have multiple outcomes. To simplify, largely in 4 categories ...

• What we expect
• Better than what we expect
• Worse than what we expect
• Completely unexpected

Example we want to cross the road to catch a bus

1. We do exactly that

2. We cross and get a ride from a friend

3. Before you cross someone distracts you and you see the bus go. So we miss the bus & no taxi coming as well..

4. We get hit while crossing the road...or lightning strikes...or you get a call and the need to go ends


Now coming to making choices for action. Inaction is not a choice ( doing nothing is an action of sitting around!!)


The letters of ACTION include

• I CAN 
• as well as I CANT 
• and I NO ACT???!!!!
• as well as A TIC ON

Self effort is of highest importance. Heard about "God helps those who help themselves!!" and "Its mind over the matter "


The choice for action is key.

Now coming to the shloka...it has 4 elements

1. Your right (Responsibility / choice/ competency ) is to work only

2. You have no control over / choice of  /  plan for the fruits

3. The fruits of action should not be the motivation for you to act. Do not try to be the author of your fruits of action

4. Also do not let your attachment be to inaction , duty is to act but only to act not be distracted to inaction.


(Suggest you also read olds post related to the topic)

Prioritising / making choice

When a child is sick parents will force the medicine in, no listening to I don't like, don't want, it is bitter. Parents know it is good and essential for child.

Similarly for minor aches or feeling tired parents do not allow children to miss school or a extra curricular activity.

Then why when it comes to attending spiritual classes or doing seva, they think otherwise.

We all have heard of its too hot/cold for something or too far or have a birthday to go for and so on. When parents do that, they themselves are making a choice of being in comfort zone of they want to do instead of what they should do.

Will this demonstration teach the kids that they need to complete the wants and then work on shoulds?

Prioritising and making choices is done always by everyone and we need to be aware of what choices we make as they all have consequences.

Life of Pi

If you have read the book and watched the movie, you will be able to relate.

Pi was admirable as a character ...trying to do what is right, trying to see that the tiger was there to give him reason to live, his immense gratitude towards Richard Parker at the end of his adventure.

His belief that he will be saved and his faith in God that he will reach land was commendable. His ability to make the most of everything. Gratitude for the small blessings amidst all the chaos.

Knowledge that he had before helped him and that indicates knowledge as a saviour.

And the knowledge that he acquired during his time as a castaway also relates to the truths revealed in meditation or in solitude.

His multi religion practices relates to trying to connect to God by different routes.

His relating the story to a journalist relates to sharing his experience and knowledge like wise and enlightened folks.

The connections to France, India, Mexico & Canada make me thing all world in one and connected in a way we don't understand.

Everything in that story has spiritual undertones. Think about it.

Joy of giving ( edit to a copy paste from FB)

There is a saying in Sanskrit, ‘Naalpe sukham asti yo vai bhumaa tat sukham’. The mind always goes for something that is bigger; some bigger joy, bigger bliss. It is its nature, you cannot avoid it. The mind wants to have something bigger, and spirituality gives you that bigger joy, bigger happiness.
There is one kind of happiness that you get by taking; as children we all have it. However, a grown up person has happiness in giving; like a mother at home. She enjoys cooking for everybody, but when she is all by herself she doesn’t make five or ten different varieties of food and eat. She never does that. She will have a cup of tea or coffee and munch something. So there is the joy in giving. Authors and literary giants have this joy that I gave something to society, I wrote something. There is a joy in it; go for that.

The Sun shines not for itself and the tree bears fruit not for itself.

We all have something to give to others. The divine in us is a skill or ability to do something and when we use it for others or for social good , it brings us joy as well as makes the world a better place.

Who am I ??

If you answer it with your name, then to know that its a word given by parents to address you , may confuse you.

If you say child of X & Y , and then someone explains they were the medium for you to take birth and they were given responsibility to look after you, then you wonder  !!!!!!

Then you try and a man/woman, Indian/ other nationality, or Hindu/Other religion ....

All these identifications are true yet not the answer.

So who am I ?

Bigger Order

We sow many seeds & we water them all , but not all sprout.
And then though all are in the same soil and environment but not all grow or not grow to same size.
Then not all flower and not all flowers bloom fully. Some flowers fall to the ground and some are plucked and reach the altar and some reach a funeral and some bloom and wither away still on the tree. Why???

Imagine walking and sometime we step on some ants. Unknowingly we kill some ants . So why only those ants get killed? and others survive.

Why some people have a very unfortunate life???

Why some people are good and still have a bad end?

All these questions are valid , but answers are not easy.

Its all a part of the big order that we as humans cannot understand.  Accepting that we are part of the creation and only the creator knows why somethings are.

We may see the thread and then see the knot and get troubled by it, but the thread and the knots are part of a big net is something we may not be aware of.  Only the creator knows.

New spiritual acronyms

KPI : Krishna's Powerful Instructions
GITA : Get In To Action
AAA: Arise Awake & Act

The Trinity

Brahma: Creator, Orginator, Generator, Constructor
Vishnu : Protector, Operator, Care taker
Mahesh (Shiva) : Destroyer

Generator
Operator
Destroyer

Actions for the benefit of society

Karam Yoga in chapter 3 talks about this , working for a higher goal and with right intentions. There are various examples shared in Gita sessions here are some ....

1.
A helper in a kitchen cutting onions.
He can merely be cutting onions or helping prepare a meal
He is helping prepare a meal to feed hungry people
He is  helping prepare a meal to feed hungry people to enable them serve God.
Is the intention and the larger goal identifiable?

2.
I want money ...seems like a selfish desire
I want money to give to a needy guy...sounds better
I want money to open a training centre to help needy people learn and then earn for themselves....that sounds noble.

3.
I want to write a blog ...so!!!
I want to write a blog and increase the hits & make more people visit it ... sounds selfish
I want to write a blog and increase the hits & make more people visit it so I can share my thoughts about knowledge with more people  ... sounds better??

4.
I want to do a fund raiser...good idea
I want to do a fund raiser to be more visible in the school / society....sound self centric
I want to do a fund raiser to help the cause and also be more visible in the school / society....mixed up intention!!!
I want to do a fund raiser to help the cause and not for my image , that is a by product ...now that sounds like real charity

5.
I need firewood so will cut a tree...how simple and limited to self
I need firewood so will cut a tree, but will that harm nature, or the ecological balance ...what a thought!
I need firewood so will cut a tree, but since that will that harm nature and ecological balance , I must plant another 5 trees...now that seems like a noble action.

6.
I need good grades in school to please my parent...hmmmm
I need good grades in school to please my parents and they want what is good for me ......getting better
I need good grades in school to please my parents and they do want what is good for me and that will help me become capable to work for myself and contribute to the society.......now that is even better

7.
I want to look pleasant ...why?
I want to look pleasant so people will compliment me ...so ?!
I want to look pleasant so people will compliment me and see me as a manifestation of God ....now that is a new way to think


Our thoughts and intentions impact our actions. Noble thoughts with society and world at large will purify them and selfish thoughts will make them impure.

Laws of Nature & Manifestation of God

Just like gravity and water cycle there are many laws and functions that happen in nature.

Things always fall towards earth and hot days lead to rain in the equatorial land is known.

When we sow a grain of wheat, we get 100+ grains from the plant.  This is the glory of the creator that 1 grain becomes 100+.  Also the law is that when we sow wheat we get wheat and not rice.

Earth revolving around the Sun is a universal truth but a beautiful sunrise and a soothing sunset, its all manifestation of God.

The more you look around the more laws of nature and glories of God you will be able to see.

Connecting to God

In Gita it is mentioned that we are the doers of the God and once we accept that and do all actions with submission to God we are always connected.

For example a river is by itself knows its a river and flows with enthusiasm to connect with the ocean. The river collects minerals and soil and waste and pollutants along the way and keeps accepting them knowing its on its way to meet the ocean. The river gets flowers of prayer and rubbish thrown into it during its course.

When the river meets the oceans with all its water and pollutants , it merges with the ocean and looses itself completely. Even though the ocean is far away and the water at a point is yet to reach the ocean the river feels connected all the time.

For people who go through life feeling the divine connection , they accept all the experiences : good, bad, happy, sad... et all with ease as they submit all to God .

I can be a pot of water standing on its own or try to be like a river.  Or in the interim a pot of water floating,  tumbling and moving with the river towards the ocean.

Choice and Action are key

They say if not the whole Gita everyone must read the chapter 3 - Karam Yoga. It details about action and why it is key to choose the right action.

We are always doing an action voluntary or involuntary ( breathing etc). Even to have fun and indulge in the "not suitable" activities like drinking alcohol we need to do some actions.

Whether we do what we "should" or what we "want" there is action and there is choice.

When we choose the "should do" path, most of the "wants" are miraculously fulfilled.

We are always posed with choices. Knowing what is right is important but acting on what is right is more important. Just knowing right from wrong is not enough, if we don't have the ability, intention & courage to act on it. Does this remind you of "Action speaks louder than words."

For example when a mother is teaching her child to make vegetable eating a habit, she rewards the kid with a bit of chocolate. And for a child by doing what he should ( eat vegetables)  his desire for chocolate is fulfilled as well :-)

Or when a teacher drives students to stretch to complete work, he announces free time to have fun as well.

Knowledge leads to choice and then ability to act and desire for self realisation leads to actioning upon the right choice.

2*2=4 and TRUTH

2+2 = 4, and kids learn that in Kindergarten
2*2 = 4, and kids learn that in maybe grade 1
or in other words 2 square = 4, and kids learn that in say grade 4

Truth is revealed over a period of time as we are ready to understand the same.
The equations hold true always just we learn and understand at different ages.

2 is a special number as same equations are not true for 3 or any other number 3+3=6, but 3*3=9.

Mathematical truths and all truths have to be understood and then they are simple.
The universal laws of nature have always been there and hold true, its just when we become aware of them we begin to understand them our perspective and reactions in life change.