Fruitless actions: how to
Namaskar,
Baba has blessed us with the special formula for how to live in this world yet escape from the endless cycle of samskaras -- actions and their reactions -- and attain that supreme stance.
Common human feeling
It is the universal human desire that everyone wants to experience happiness in their life. Not just fleeting happiness, but rather that infinite and permanent happiness known as bliss or a'nandam. Everyone wants this, knowingly or unknowingly. That is Baba's eternal teaching.
http://anandamargauniversal.blogspot.com/
Bound by karmic law
At the same time, by living in this world one is bound by the rigours of samskara theory: Good actions yield good results, and bad actions yield bad results. Bound by this principle, human beings acquire so many samskaras-- some good and some bad. In that condition, one must return again and again to this mundane world and undergo so much pain and suffering. This is the way the cycle of bhava works.
Mucyate bhavabandhana't
Ananda Marga ideology says, "What does the word bhava mean here? It means the minimum reactive momenta-- that is, the minimum part of the sam'ska'ras of any individual's actions, the unrequited sam'ska'ras, for which the person will have to be reborn, will have to come to earth again. Bhava is the very small part of the acquired sam'ska'ras that is left over as a residual and that causes rebirth in the world; those minimum residual sam'ska'ras are called bhava." (1)
In this way, by always creating more and more bhava, people return again and again to this transitory world.
http://anandamargauniversal.blogspot.com/
A well-known answer - but not so easy
Since the time of Lord Krsna, the solution or teaching has been given that one should do work without being attached to the results. Then only can one escape the endless cycle of actions and reactions.
Karman'yeva'dhika'raste ma' phales'u kada'cana;
Ma' karmaphalaheturbhu'ma' te saungo'stvakarman´i.
"O human beings, you have the right to action, but not to the fruits thereof. So don't perform any action hoping for certain results." (2)
However, as true as the aforesaid theory is, in the practical realm it is not so easy to follow.
For example, if a student is told that they should try again and again to pass the exam, but they should not be concerned with whether they pass or not. This type of theoretical advice is enough to confuse and befuddle any student because if they do not think about the result of passing the exam then they do not have any inspiration to study. Or they may think that if it does not matter whether they pass or fail, what is the use of taking the exam in the first place. This is the type of confusion that can creep into the mind.
http://anandamargauniversal.blogspot.com/
Similarly, if any businessman is told that they should engage all day in doing business, but they should not be concerned with whether they make a profit or not, this will be extremely puzzling for them. Just like the quandary of the student in the above example, without thinking about the prospect of making money the businessman may lose all inspiration to carry out his work. Or he may think, “What is the use of starting a business if it does not matter if I make a profit or not.”
So, although the theory of not being attached with the fruits of one's labour is seemingly very simple and straightforward, in the practical sphere it often seems absolutely impossible-- except for those who know the inner secret.
Baba’s special teaching: adopt devotional approach
Baba's special guideline is that we are to adopt a devotional approach-- remembering Him always. Then this concept of nis'ka'm karma-- fruitless action-- is quite attainable.
For example, if when doing any work one thinks, “This entire world is His creation and that I am doing work with His strength with the desire to serve and please Him”, then one will not acquire any samskara for whatever works they do.
http://anandamargauniversal.blogspot.com/
And if one's underlying feeling is that they are only doing the work to please Him then they will get constant inspiration to move ahead and one will not suffer from any consequences-- the pain or pleasure of negative or positive results. Rather one will always drift in bliss. This is Baba's practical guideline.
Practical ways for moving ahead
So if the business man thinks that, “This business is my allotted duty by God and, by this way, I am to serve the society and earn something for my family, and, by this approach, I am serving and pleasing Parama Purusa”, then the businessman will have the motivation with which to move ahead yet they will not be bound by the result of their actions. In that circumstance, they will not develop any negative samskara, and they will have a strong determination to do the work.
Likewise if a sadhaka-- i.e. one propagating His ideology-- goes to a pracara program with the sole motive of pleasing Parama Purusa, and they are not concerned with how many people come or not, then they will not suffer the consequences of any samskara. And, ultimately, in the deepest sense they will be successful in their endeavour since their ideation is proper.
http://anandamargauniversal.blogspot.com/
In contrast, if one sadhaka is chiefly concerned about whether their pracara program is written about in the newspaper etc then they will certainly acquire samskaras by their action. And if one thinks that it does not matter what the result is, then they may not be inspired to do any pracara at all.
So no matter what one's role in life, the whole secret behind this theory of fruitless actions is to do one's allotted duties with the desire to please Him. If that devotional desire is embedded in the mind, then the sutra "Karman'yeva..." will work perfectly. In that case, one will go on executing the work without acquiring any samskaras, and side by side one will be fueled with constant energy and inspiration to move ahead with their activities. This is Baba's practical guideline for how to do nis'ka'm karma-- fruitless action.
Only bhaktas can do
Ultimately, only those who are bhaktas can do nis'ka'm karma. And, by Baba's grace, every Ananda Margii has this requisite amount of bhakti. That is why, in our Marga, everyone does sadhana in order to satisfy and please Parama Purusa—and not to get samadhi per se or to become endowed with occult powers etc. Just we do our kiirtan and sadhana to please Him. And this approach should be applied to all one's activities.
http://anandamargauniversal.blogspot.com/
So if one thinks they are doing just to please Baba then that is the special secret for doing the action without being attached to the result. In that case, one can do all sorts of work and not acquire any samskaras at all. Hence doing with the desire to please Him is the secret of nis'ka'm karma-- fruitless action.
Conclusion
Ensconced in the ideal of nis'ka'm karma -- fruitless action -- we are to move ahead and do great works in this world, thinking of pleasing Him always. This is Baba's blessing on every AM sadhaka.
Ananda Marga ideology states, "O' human beings! be established in the radiance of divinity and the splendour of valour and chivalry, because yours is the path of revolution. Your path is not the path of extra caution and scheduled movement. You are the traveller of a rugged path. You are travellers of an impregnable path. You have to march ahead proudly with the flag of Marga upright. You have no time to stagger or to look behind." (3)
Namaskar,
Ramashankar
References
1. Discourses on Krśńa and the Giita, Even the Greatest Sinners
2. Ananda Marga Karma Yoga in a Nutshell, You have the Right to Action Only
3. Subháśita Saḿgraha Part 1, Yajiṋa and Karmaphala
* * *
The below sections are entirely different topics, unrelated to the above material.
They stand on their own as points of interest.
* * *
== Section 2: Important Teaching ==
Back pain: cure & prevention
The following is an English summary of Baba’s original teaching given in Bangla in Shabda Cayanika part 8:
When calcium builds up and gets deposited in the back it becomes hard. That is why when people are very young then their backbone is quite flexible but due to an accumulation of calcium over just a few years then by the time they are teen-agers already their spinal column has become stiff and rigid.
Doing noakasana, utkata paschimottanasana, and shalabasana etc eliminates the possibility of developing a hunched back. So those doing hard manual labor that demands bending the back for extended periods of time should do these aforementioned asanas on a regular basis. That will prevent them from suffering from hunch-back in the future.
== Section 3: Links ==
Other topics of interest
