I write this because I am confused.
Geeta says Karmanye Vadhikarasya ma Faleshu Kadachan. You have right to action but you have no rights on fruits thereof.
One philosophy of Karma is, set goals, set targets, and pursue your goals. It says, the whole object of action is to attain some Goal, some fruits.
Geeta also noticed this goal-based philosophy but it objects to it on two grounds
1) In Goal based Karma yoga, there are thousands and thousands methods of achieving a Goal. And none guarantees an outcome. This path is full of confusion. You can get lost.
2) Second objection: The fruit of an action is result of five variables: Doer, his method of doing, time, place and Luck. Fruits can never be exclusive result of your action. Doer cannot claim exclusive right to fryits when other factors are also contributing to outcome of an action.
Krishna says, on the other hand, His suggested philosophy of Claiming no right on fruit have only one method to master:-
"
Choose you action wisely
Do not worry about fruits.
Do not get attracted by fruits.
Nor do things with only object of fruits."
According to Him, this path of Karmayog is better that "For the Fruits only" method of Karma yoga.
Now if we look at it from other angle, by birth, we are trained to see some attractive thing, desire it and then do things to get that thing. We are trained to work only for salary or fruits.
Geeta suggests us to train ourselves in opposite to our natural tendency.
If we look at the whole western culture, it is Goal-fruit oriented. They set targets and move to achieve targets.
Diseases like diabetes, stress, depression, blood pressure are often seen in people who live totally goal-based life.
They also commit crimes to reach targets.
Their end lives are marred with tragic ends.
I have seen an allegedly corrupt chief justice of India lying today in bed as paralytic since many years.
Once a most powerful man of India, now paralytic in bed. His life was goal based.
Now which path to choose? Tell me your firm opinion. Krishna has firmly told in Geeta that his Karma Yog policy is much better than goal-fruit based life style. I look around and I see people setting goals and grabbing fruits. And they are called successful.
Haresh Raichura
3/10/2012