III: 8

[Krishna Jaya]

Chapter 3, Verse 8

 

“Activity is better than inertia. 

Act, but with self-mastery. 

If you are lazy,

You cannot even sustain

Your own body.”

 

Paramahansa Yogananda:

 

“In his absolute nature as spirit, God transcends all the activity of creation, yet his power is active in every atomic cell of the vast body of the physical cosmos.  God expects us to perform similarly the duties connected with daily life and the maintenance of the body, while at the same time remaining inwardly focused on him and his creative power.”

 

Sri Aurobindo:

 

“Krishna says, in so many words:  ‘Do action with self-mastery.  Knowledge does not imply the renunciation of works; it means an attitude of equality and non-attachment to desire and the objects of the senses, the poise of the intelligent will [purified Buddhi] and the pure delight of spiritual realization.  Buddhi Yoga is fulfilled by Karma Yoga.  The Yoga of the self-liberating intelligent will finds its full meaning in the Yoga of desireless action.’

 

But still there remains an essential difficulty unsolved.  How, our nature being what it is with desire as the common principle of its action, is it possible to perform a really desireless action?  What we ordinarily call disinterested action is not really desireless; it is usually the replacement of certain smaller interests by other larger ones: virtue, country, humankind, etc.  How is true desireless to be brought about?  By doing all works with worship as the only object, will be the reply of the divine Teacher.”   

 

A friend:

 

“Is it thus appropriate to devote (or have the intention to devote) every action to the greater power in which we personally believe, even if we are still acting with desire?

For example I devote doing my taxes to Lakshmi and abundance for the world, instead of just getting something done that’s kind of boring and annoying, with the hope that I break even or get a small return instead of owing more money!”

 

[Yes, this is what the sages say. They also say that when this attitude becomes uninterrupted, pure instrumentality is achieved...the desireless state of being.]