Dear Friends,
Namaste!
We are in the middle of an interesting discussion! “To do or not to do” is as fundamental a question as “To be or not to be” because we express our being by doing! This question has haunted humankind since age immemorial. We must consider ourselves fortunate because unequivocal guidelines about the “Right Action” are given in “KarmaYoga”, a branch of Yoga-Shastra.
We will keep study of KarmaYoga for later but it is still relevant to explore answers to why we should always do the right action and what it constitutes...
From the last session, we have started looking into the “why” of right action. We approached this logically. We said, the law of Karma - the law of action and reaction - operates without exception in all the places at all times. Therefore, if we wish to be totally fit and happy, we must ensure “right” results by taking “right” actions at all times. We also discussed the story of Sage Valmiki as a shining example demonstrating the power of right action where a complete rouge was transformed into one of the most benign personalities who walked the surface of this planet.
We will extend the discussion as to why right action is “necessary and sufficient” for a healthy and happy life by looking at it from another angle.
We all know the game of Snakes and Ladders. We start from position zero. We throw the dice. We progress towards our destination depending upon how much we score in each throw. However, sometimes, we progress more than the dice reading because we hit a ladder that propels us towards our destination. Some other times, we actually regress because a snake swallows us up.
We have no control over how much the dice will display in each throw. We also have no control over when a ladder uplifts us or a snake gobbles us up. The only thing in our control is throwing the dice incessantly without giving up. And if we keep doing that – Lo and behold! We reach our destination eventually. It is only a matter of time!
If we think about it, even our Life is a game of Snakes and Ladders!
The dice in our hands is “Right Action”. When we throw this dice, we have no control over the result because the net result of our action is influenced by innumerable other forces working in that situation at that time. Therefore, the result may sometimes be commensurate with our actions, sometimes we may get extra-ordinary results from a seemingly scant action and at other times, no matter how hard and desperately we try, things just do not work out the way we intend them!
This brings us to the second law of Karma (the first being the law of action and reaction). It states that several forces (including our actions) are at play and there is no saying what the interplay will yield. This is stated by “Yogeshwar” (God of Yoga) Krishna, in Geeta, as “Karmano Gahana Gatih” (The results of our actions are indeed unpredictable). It is beyond human intellect to comprehend, analyze and sum the net resultant of all the forces acting at a point in time and space and hence arrive at the exactly equal and opposite reaction (fruits). Our brains will just explode!
Therefore Krishna has advised us to take the right action and not bother about the results! What he has clearly established is “The worst result coming out of a right action is still BETTER than the best result coming out of a wrong action.”
Hence, he has very benevolently advised that we consistently take the right action and over a period of time, we will reach our destination. In other words, we keep throwing the dice and it is only a matter of time before we reach our destination – no matter how many snakes there are in the way. For every snake, there is a ladder (and vice versa), so we should not be too worried about snakes nor too elated about ladders.
And not throwing the dice is not an option! While stating that we must:
1. Perform the right action at all times
2. Not worry about the results over which we have no control anyway
3. Accept the results
- He has also advised that we must move on and throw the dice again. Not throwing the dice, renouncing any kind of work or activity must not be done. For, "no-work" is a very special kind of work just like deciding to take no decision is itself a very special decision! And even though we may stop activity of our voluntary organs, the involuntary organs will keep working! Life will not stop.
Therefore, keep throwing that dice...
Ta Ta...
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