LORD KRISHNA SAYS !
LOVE YOUR WORK WITHOUT ATTACHMENT !
KRISHNA SAYS, "LOOK AT ME, ARJUNA! IF I STOP FROM WORK FOR ONE MOMENT, THE WHOLE UNIVERSE WILL DIE. I HAVE NOTHING TO GAIN FROM WORK, I AM THE ONE LORD, BUT WHY DO I WORK? BECAUSE I LOVE THE WORLD". GOD IS UNATTACHED BECAUSE HE LOVES, THAT REAL LOVE MAKES US UNATTACHED. WHEREEVER THERE IS ATTACHMENT, THE CLINGING TO THE THINGS OF THE WORLD, YOU MUST KNOW THAT IT IS ALL PHYSICAL ATTRACTION BETWEEN SETS OF PARTICLES OF MATTER - SOMETHING THAT ATTRACTS TWO BODIES NEARER AND NEARER ALL THE TIME AND, IF THEY CANNOT GET NEAR ENOUGH, PRODUCES PAIN, BUT WHERE THERE IS REAL LOVE, IT DOES NOT REST ON PHYSICAL ATTACHMENT AT ALL. SUCH LOVERS MAY BE A THOUSAND MILES AWAY FROM ONE ANOTHER, BUT THEIR LOVE WILL BE ALL THE SAME, IT DOES NOT DIE, AND WILL NEVER PRODUCE ANY PAINFUL REACTION.
TO ATTAIN THIS UNATTACHMENT IS ALMOST A LIFE-WORK, BUT AS SOON AS WE HAVE REACHED THIS POINT, WE HAVE ATTAINED THE GOAL OF LOVE AND BECOME FREE, THE BONDAGE OF NATURE FALLS FROM US, AND WE SEE NATURE AS SHE IS, SHE FORGES NO MORE CHAINS FROM US, WE STAND ENTIRELY FREE AND TAKE NOT THE RESULTS OF WORK INTO CONSIDERATION, WHO THEN CARES FOR WHAT THE RESULTS MAY BE?
DO YOU ASK ANYTHING FROM YOUR CHILDREN IN RETURN FOR WHAT YOU HAVE GIVEN THEM? IT IS YOUR DUTY TO WORK FOR THEM, AND THERE THE MATTER ENDS. IN WHATEVER YOU DO FOR A PARTICULAR PERSON, A CITY, OR A STATE, ASSUME THE SAME ATTITUDE TOWARDS IT YOU HAVE TOWARDS YOUR CHILDREN - EXPECT NOTHING IN RETURN. IF YOU CAN INVARIABLY TAKE THE POSITION OF A GIVER , IN WHICH EVERYTHING GIVEN BY YOU IS A FREE OFFERING TO THE WORLD, WITHOUT ANY THOUGHT OF RETURN, THEN WILL YOUR WORK BRING YOU NO ATTACHMENT. ATTACHMENT COMES ONLY WHERE WE EXPECT A RETURN.
IF WORKING LIKE SLAVES RESULTS IN SELFISHNESS AND ATTACHMENT, WORKING AS MASTER OF OUR OWN MIND GIVES RISE TO THE BLISS OF NON-ATTACHMENT. WE OFTEN TALK OF RIGHT AND JUSTICE, BUT WE FIND THAT IN THE WORLD RIGHT AND JUSTICE ARE MERE BABY'S TALK. THERE ARE TWO THINGS WHICH GUIDE THE CONDUCT OF MEN. MIGHT AND MERCY/ THE EXERCISE OF MIGHT S UNVARIABLY THE EXERCISE OF SELFISHNESS. ALL MEN AND WOMEN TRY TO MAKE THE MOST OF WHATEVER POWER OR ADVANTAGE THEY HAVE.MERCY IS HEAVEN ITSELF, TO BE GOOD, WE HAVE ALL TO BE MERCIFUL. EVEN JUSTICE AND RIGHT SHOULD STAND ON MERCY.
ALL THOUGHT OF OBTAINING RETURN FOR THE WORK WE DO HINDERS OUR SPIRITUAL PROGRESS, NAY, IN THE END IT BRINGS MISERY. THERE IS ANOTHER WAY IN WHICH THIS IDEA OF MERCY AND SELFLESS CHARITY CAN BE PUT INTO PRACTICE, THAT IS, BY LOOKING UPON WORK AS "WORSHIP" IN CASE WE BELIEVE IN A PERSONAL GOD. HERE WE GIVE UP ALL THE FRUITS OUR WORK UNTO THE LORD, AND WORSHIPPING HIM THUS, WE HAVE NO RIGHT TO EXPECT ANYTHING FROM MAN KIND FOR THE WORK WE DO. THE LORD HIMSELF WORKS INCESSANTLY AND IS EVER WITHOUT ATTACHMENT. JUST AS WATER CANNOT WET THE LOTUS LEAF, SO WORK CANNOT BIND THE UNSELFISH MAN BY GIVING RISE TO ATTACHMENT TO RESULTS. THE SELFISH MAN BY GIVING RISE TO ATTACHMENT TO RESULTS. THE SELFLESS AND UNATTACHED MAN MAY LIVE IN THE VERY HEART OF A CROWDED AND SINFUL CITY, HE WILL NOT BE TOUCHED BY SIN.
NOW YOU SEE WHAT KARMA-YOGA MEANS, EVEN AT THE POINT OF DEATH TO HELP ANY ONE, WITHOUT ASKING QUESTIONS. BE CHEATED MILLIONS OF TIMES AND NEVER ASK A QUESTION, AND NEVER THINK OF WHAT YOU ARE DOING, NEVER VAUNT OF YOUR GIFTS TO THE POOR OR EXPECT THEIR GRATITUDE, BUT RATHER BE GRATEFUL TO THEM FOR GIVING YOU THE OCCASION OF PRACTICING CHARITY TO THEM. THUS IT IS PLAIN THAT TO BE AN IDEAL HOUSEHOLDER IS A MUCH MORE DIFFICULT TASK THAN TO BE AN IDEAL SANNYASIN, THE TRUE LIFE OF WORK IS INDEED AS HARD AS, IF NOT HARDER THAN, THE EQUALLY TRUE LIFE OF RENUNCIATION.
KARMA - YOGA, THEREFORE, IS A SYSTEM OF ETHICS AND RELIGION INTENDED TO ATTAIN FREEDOM THROUGH UNSELFISHNESS, AND BY GOOD WORKS. THE KARMA-YOGI NEED NOT BELIEVE IN ANY DOCTRINE WHATEVER. HE MAY NOT BELIEVE EVEN IN GOD, MAY NOT ASK WHAT HIS SOUL IS, NOR THINK OF ANY METAPHYSICAL SPECULATION. HE HAS GOT HI OWN SPECIAL AIM OF REALISING SELFISHNESS, AND HE HAS TO WORK IT OUT HIMSELF. EVERY MOMENT OF HIS LIFE MUST BE REALISATION, BECAUSE HE HAS TO SOLVE BY MERE WORK, WITHOUT THE HELP OF DOCTRINE OR THEORY, THE VERY SAME PROBLEM TO WHICH THE JNANI APPLIES HIS REASON AND INSPIRATION AND THE BHAKTA HIS LOVE.
