Gita reflection Ch 5 Verses 12 & 13

3rd May 2024

• No one can embark on any work without first thinking and planning for the outcome. The result ultimately determines the method and procedure of any action. 
• However, a wise person recognizes the hand of God in both the action and the result. He understands that it is God who enables the action to take place through him, and therefore, he detaches himself from the results, which belong solely to God, and becomes peaceful.
• On the other hand, someone who lacks this knowledge gets attached to both the action and the outcome. He also suffers temporary gains and losses. 
• But a wise person, comfortably dwelling in the nine-gated abode (the body), remains fully withdrawn in the mind. Being desireless he does engage in selfish actions and also does not initiate action in others.

Gita reflection Ch 5 Verses 10 & 11

2nd May 2024

• "A yogi undertakes action, offering everything to God, and is not affected by what he does, just as the leaf of the lotus that grows in water is untouched by the water!" 
• This quote from Lord Krishna is a classic example of the mind of a saint while working. 
• Pujya Gurudev Swami Chinmayananda demonstrated excellence in performing all actions with complete attention and love, even in the simple act of replying to a letter from his devotee. 
• Yogis perform all actions with their body, speech, and mind to enhance the purity of their mind. They maintain a pure mind that expects nothing from the world, not even from God. 
• While tirelessly working in the world, a yogi keeps the welfare of others first. They work in silence, like nature, for the well-being of all.

Gita reflection Ch 5 Verses 8 & 9

1st May 2024

• The Self is actionless, yet no action can happen without it. 
• This concept is explained by Pujya Gurudev Swami Chinmayananda with the example of gas - every car moves because of gas, but gas itself does not move at all. 
• When one realizes the actionless Self, they will continue to see, hear, taste, smell, touch, walk, talk, and so on, but without the notion of "I am hearing," "I am walking," "I am talking," etc. 
• In this state, the organs of perception and action derive their power from the presence of the Self, which allows them to engage with the world while the Self remains the witness. 
• This state of being is known as sahaja samadhi by Sri Ramana Maharshi.

Gita reflection Ch 5 Verses 6 & 7

30th April 2024

• Renunciation without dispassion for the results of action will be hypocrisy, according to Lord Krishna (BG 3.6). 
• Often, we make resolutions on New Year's Day to follow certain disciplines or practices in life, but we tend to give up within a few days or weeks. The reason behind this is that we lack conviction, or our habits are too strong to break. 
• Renunciation is a lifelong practice of dispassion, which is enhanced by Self-knowledge. 
• Karma Yoga, by itself, does not provide knowledge but prepares one for it. The purity gained through Karma Yoga helps one to gain mastery over the mind and senses, and through knowledge, one can achieve the vision of Oneness. 
• A person with Self-knowledge remains unaffected even when working in the world like any other person.

Gita reflection Ch 5 Verses 4 & 5

 29th April 2024

• A ladder has several steps, and the first step is lower than the fourth or fifth step. Regardless of whether someone starts from the first or the fourth step, they will eventually end up at the same final destination.
• Similarly, Karma Yoga, also known as the Yoga of Action, is the first step, and Sankhya Yoga, also known as the Yoga of Knowledge, is a higher step. However, the ultimate goal of both paths is liberation.
• Karma Yoga involves giving up attachment to the fruits of one's actions, while Sankhya Yoga involves renouncing the sense of being the doer itself, which requires detachment from the results of action.
• Karma Yoga and Sankhya Yoga complement each other and do not compete. The practice of Karma Yoga finds fulfillment in Sankhya Yoga, and both together lead to moksha, liberation..

Gita reflection Ch 5 verses 2 & 3

28th April 2024

• There are two types of renunciation or monkhood. The first type is when someone embraces monkhood after realizing their true self. The second type is when someone decides to engage exclusively in study and reflection to realize the Self.
• However, the first type is very rare. Pujya Gurudev Swami Chinmayanandaji observed that embracing sannyasa, or monkhood, does not give someone a license to remain a parasite in society. 
• Selfless action is necessary to strengthen detachment, which mere solitude cannot provide.
• Lord Krishna also points out that both those who embrace monkhood of this kind and the non-monks who work selflessly in the world can obtain a higher degree of spiritual maturity. 
• Indeed, the true monk is someone who neither hates nor desires anything in the world. He who has gone beyond the pairs of opposites such as joy and sorrow, success and failure is free, even while working in the world.

Gita reflection Ch 5 Introduction & Verse 1

 27th April 2024

• Swami Chinmayananda explains that there are three stages of self-development - the first is characterized by selfish actions, the second by selfless actions, and the third by meditation. 
• Most people remain in the first stage, and only a few progress to the second with the guidance of a wise teacher or with an inner urge to free themselves from worldly bonds.
• Even Arjuna, the famous character from the Mahabharata, did not seek liberation initially. He was only looking for guidance to help him make a decision. However, Lord Krishna guided him towards the ultimate goal of human life - liberation.
• Like Arjuna, many of us may wonder which path to follow - engaging in worldly actions or renouncing them in favour of meditation. Is it possible to fully renounce all actions and remain in meditation for an extended period of time without any urges to act?