Part 3.
Bhagwad Gita contains the famous verse (2:47):
कर्मण्येवाधिकारस्ते मा फलेषु कदाचन। मा कर्मफलहेतुर्भूर्मा ते सङ्गोऽस्त्वकर्मणि ॥
Many people consider this verse as an advice to not be attached to the fruits of one's actions. After having done one's duty, one should leave the rest to ... fate perhaps?
There are quite a few problems with this interpretation. One, it is not clear when the action is over and when it is the "rest of it" phase. Most projects in life require ongoing effort, and to let go of one's passion at a late stage is no recipe for success.
Two, efforts are passionate because favorable results are strongly desired. The strength of the passionate efforts is in direct proportion to the strength of the desire for the results. It is just illogical to expect that after making efforts, one can suddenly switch off the emotional momentum behind the project.
Three, as I illustrated in the parable in Part 3, the good or bad result of one's acts are opportunities for motivation, inspiration and learning. Success leads to more energy and confidence that one is on the right track, and failure can be an indication that one needs to correct one's course.
Of course, despite doing everything right, one can still fail. But a diminution of one's own role in the outcome, as advocated by the Gita ("Never consider yourself the cause of the results of your activities"), can only lead to a helpless whine "What can I do? I did my best. God must have other plans."
In the parable, Dryden had a lot of passion and energy for his first book. Its success would have propelled him to be even more enthusiastic for his second one. Its failure would have made him realize how to write better. But as he unwisely tried to not be affected by success and failure, he ended up being emotionally paralyzed, unwilling to write his next book.
I present the next parable:
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Jimmy's grandpa gifted him a new Schwinn bike on his tenth birthday. Jimmy was very happy and became very fond of the beautiful bike. It was deep red, with a shiny leather seat, and the chrome rims of the wheels glittered in the sunlight. It was the envy of all his friends.
He was very possessive about it though, and didn't like anyone besides himself riding it.
He cared for his bike lovingly and patiently. He oiled its gears, kept the air pressure in the tires just right, and made sure it was gleaming and shiny at all times.
One day, as he went inside a candy store, he left his red bike outside, unlocked. He was only going in for a minute, and locking it seemed such a hassle.
When he came out, the bike was not there. It had been stolen.
He cried all the way to his home. Bitterly.
A few years later, he dropped out of school, and decided to live the life of a bum. He vowed to never own anything that he couldn't bear losing.
Sixty three years later, when he, a homeless bum, died of cold weather on the street, his bum friends went through his tattered and smelly bag. They couldn't find anything of use. The most useless thing they found was a rather rusted key. There was something written on it. One of the bums had a magnifying glass and he tried to read what it was. After spending close to an hour, he was finally able to read just four letters: S C _ W _ N.
As the social services people took away old Jimmy's body, the bums threw away the little key into the sewer.
---
(to be continued)
Bhagwad Gita contains the famous verse (2:47):
कर्मण्येवाधिकारस्ते मा फलेषु कदाचन। मा कर्मफलहेतुर्भूर्मा ते सङ्गोऽस्त्वकर्मणि ॥
It is usually translated as:
You have a right to perform your prescribed duty, but you are not entitled to the fruits of action. Never consider yourself the cause of the results of your activities, and never be attached to not doing your duty.I have briefly commented on this verse earlier, in the sixth essay on the Four Noble Truths of the Buddha.
Many people consider this verse as an advice to not be attached to the fruits of one's actions. After having done one's duty, one should leave the rest to ... fate perhaps?
There are quite a few problems with this interpretation. One, it is not clear when the action is over and when it is the "rest of it" phase. Most projects in life require ongoing effort, and to let go of one's passion at a late stage is no recipe for success.
Two, efforts are passionate because favorable results are strongly desired. The strength of the passionate efforts is in direct proportion to the strength of the desire for the results. It is just illogical to expect that after making efforts, one can suddenly switch off the emotional momentum behind the project.
Three, as I illustrated in the parable in Part 3, the good or bad result of one's acts are opportunities for motivation, inspiration and learning. Success leads to more energy and confidence that one is on the right track, and failure can be an indication that one needs to correct one's course.
Of course, despite doing everything right, one can still fail. But a diminution of one's own role in the outcome, as advocated by the Gita ("Never consider yourself the cause of the results of your activities"), can only lead to a helpless whine "What can I do? I did my best. God must have other plans."
In the parable, Dryden had a lot of passion and energy for his first book. Its success would have propelled him to be even more enthusiastic for his second one. Its failure would have made him realize how to write better. But as he unwisely tried to not be affected by success and failure, he ended up being emotionally paralyzed, unwilling to write his next book.
I present the next parable:
---
Jimmy's grandpa gifted him a new Schwinn bike on his tenth birthday. Jimmy was very happy and became very fond of the beautiful bike. It was deep red, with a shiny leather seat, and the chrome rims of the wheels glittered in the sunlight. It was the envy of all his friends.
He was very possessive about it though, and didn't like anyone besides himself riding it.
He cared for his bike lovingly and patiently. He oiled its gears, kept the air pressure in the tires just right, and made sure it was gleaming and shiny at all times.
One day, as he went inside a candy store, he left his red bike outside, unlocked. He was only going in for a minute, and locking it seemed such a hassle.
When he came out, the bike was not there. It had been stolen.
He cried all the way to his home. Bitterly.
A few years later, he dropped out of school, and decided to live the life of a bum. He vowed to never own anything that he couldn't bear losing.
Sixty three years later, when he, a homeless bum, died of cold weather on the street, his bum friends went through his tattered and smelly bag. They couldn't find anything of use. The most useless thing they found was a rather rusted key. There was something written on it. One of the bums had a magnifying glass and he tried to read what it was. After spending close to an hour, he was finally able to read just four letters: S C _ W _ N.
As the social services people took away old Jimmy's body, the bums threw away the little key into the sewer.
---
(to be continued)
2 comments:
"There are quite a few problems with this interpretation. One, it is not clear when the action is over and when it is the "rest of it" phase. Most projects in life require ongoing effort, and to let go of one's passion at a late stage is no recipe for success."
I think you are over analyzing here. Agreed, there is no "rest of it" phase in life. But to be fair to the author of Gita and there is no "rest of it" in the verse either. The verse simply means that one has to keep oneself engaged in action without worrying over the results. This attitude may cause some other moral issues but not the one you are mentioning.
"Two, efforts are passionate because favorable results are strongly desired. The strength of the passionate efforts is in direct proportion to the strength of the desire for the results."
You are right. I have tried it with group of students where one student is blindfolded and is asked to arrange a small tower of wooden blocks as per the verbal cues of his team mates. The group which is given a firm and high target consistently outperforms the one who is told to do ones best.
“ It is just illogical to expect that after making efforts, one can suddenly switch off the emotional momentum behind the project.”
It may not be illogical for a believer. For him the real goal of karma yoga is pleasing God. Emotional impact of the mundane result – whether positive or negative -automatically gets diluted once you believe that the mundane result was not the goal anyway. Substantial part of Gita is devoted for cultivating this equanimity.
“Of course, despite doing everything right, one can still fail. But a diminution of one's own role in the outcome, as advocated by the Gita ("Never consider yourself the cause of the results of your activities"), can only lead to a helpless whine "What can I do? I did my best. God must have other plans."
What else would you suggest to someone who despite doing his best did not get the expected results? To brood over? I do not think it is anyway healthy. Probably you would advise him to review his plans and priorities and act again. That option is open even for a believer in the Gita. The only difference is that he does not have to undergo the emotional pain of someone who does not believe in Gita.
In my opinion you have left out the most crucial aspect in your analysis. As far as “do not worry for the results” strategy is concerned it is definitely a good self help advice. The real issue is whether it is really a good moral precept. If I am a Nazi officer, does it really absolve me if I keep doing my Nazi duties to the best of my abilities without caring for the results?
In my opinion the real drawback of Gita’s philosophy is that for the follower of Gita, all actions are morally neutral. It is only the attitude that matters. This philosophy has dangerous moral implications.
@sanjay: You make a good point. I have touched upon the moral aspect of being only considered with the act (and not with the result) elsewhere, so didn't address it here.
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