Devoted Action

[sarabhanga]

The Bhagavadgita explains the Yoga of devoted action in life, essentially for the repayment of karmic debt:

Day after day, in a secret place that is pure, in deep solitude, on a restful seat (neither too high nor too low) covered with sacred grass, a skin, or a cloth, rest in stillness and silence, with upright body, neck, and head, and with inner gaze fixed between the eye-brows, withdraw the senses into the harmony of recollection and rest the mind in divine contemplation, devotion, and love.

With resolution, let all thoughts be silence, still all passion, and in joyful union with God know the oneness of love.

Set your heart on your work, and never on the reward, but never cease to do your work, unmoved by success or failure.

Free from all attachments and desire, devote your Self to pure, consecrated action.

Perform your task in life unselfishly, for the good of all, no matter how humble it may be, rather than that of another.

Find silence in your work, and know that silence is work. Expect nothing; rely on nothing.

Offer to Shri Krishna all your works, with inner peace, free from vain hopes, selfish thoughts, and jealousy.

Surrender all: whatever you do, eat, suffer; offer your senses in the inner harmony of meditation, your breath in Pranayama, your wealth, sacred studies, knowledge, your life, your soul.

Enjoy what remains of the sacrifice; have faith and a good will, and gladly accept whatever God provides.

All sacrifice is holy work ~ even the smallest offering made with devotion is accepted by Krishna.

Respect, serve, and learn from, those who have seen the Truth; do not disturb the unwise in their selfish work, but with devotion show them the joy of good work.

Yoga is harmony in eating, resting, sleeping, waking, and work ~ a perfection in whatever one does.

Cultivate humility, sincerity, non-violence, forgiveness, righteousness, devotion, purity, steadiness, self-harmony, fearlessness, generosity, adoration, austerity, truth, serenity, modesty, energy, fortitude, good-will, chastity, freedom from attachments and any thought of ‘I’ (egotism), freedom from anger and pride, aversion to fault-finding, sympathy for all beings, and peace from greedy cravings; study the scriptures and devote yourself to sacred learning and contemplation.

Eat food that is pure, tasteful, soothing, and nourishing; choose words that are good, beautiful, and true.

In constant faithfulness, begin all work with the word AUM, perform all work and renounce all reward with the word TAT, and complete all work with the word SAT. Each of these words is one word for Brahman.

Be one, in self-harmony, and have an unshakable faith ~ above all duality you will find freedom.

Behold all with inner peace and the same evenness of love.

“Kill with the sword of wisdom the doubt born of ignorance that lies in thy heart; be one in self-harmony, in Yoga; and arise great warrior, arise!”

[Singhi Kaya]

Hari Om

Devoted action is one thing. The doctrine of desireless and selfless work sacrificed to the lord. It may indeed be the greatest Yoga as sometimes claimed.

But is that all about Gita and the doctrine of work? What is the right/dharmic/daivi work? Feeding a few beggers here and there? Offering our daily work which suits us very well to the lord and repeat in our mind "take my work lord ... and start crying"? Is this all about the teaching of Krishna? Does this really mean one is walking in the path of the Atman or it means one is acting according to his moha's in mind and in mind pretending to offer his work to the lord? Are we really killing that ignorance in our hearts by this?

when this questions are answered and what is that disireless work according to the higest dharma defined, then will we know what krishna was talking about. Otherwise it is just another bhakti yoga book-we have abundance of them.

I have become convinced gita is far more than what it seems at first. It is not just another yoga, bhakti or philosophy book. It starts from the philosophic and yogic foundations of the sanatana dharma but ends in something, which has never been spoken so clearly before and ofcourse was never spoken ever afterwards!
It is indeed the nectar of the vedas and the greatest dharmic discourse ever. As Sri Aurbindo once said, it is India's only chance of liberation and awakening. We have had countless yogis and siddhas in past 2 thousand years, but I doubt anyone ever speaked from the ground of complete perfection where the lord was standing. So what has come out from their mouth are great words and discouses in yoga, philosphy, tantra, maya, samsara, anitta and devotion - what hasn't come out since then is another Gita.

[Gill Harley]

To me, the point of Bhagavad-gita is when Krishna reveals his true form to Arjuna. This is what I long for...without it, everything is just dry dogma.

[Singhi Kaya]

Hari Om

Variuos people long for variuos stuff. Some for wine and some for girls, some for God. Any one doesn't seem special to me. Every idea in mind is a dogma. Some have the key to reach out beyond it. We will act according to what we think and understand - and that includes not liking dry dogmas.

2 cents.

At the end everybody are free and decide their own destiny. Sometimes it appears they take others with them too. But it is an illusion.

[satay]

To me, the point of Bhagavad-gita is when Krishna reveals his true form to Arjuna. This is what I long for...without it, everything is just dry dogma.

Adhaya 9 and 10 are my favourite. I can never have enough reading of these two chapters.

satay

[Singhi Kaya]

To me, the point of Bhagavad-gita is when Krishna reveals his true form to Arjuna. This is what I long for...without it, everything is just dry dogma.

Too me this is the point of the Gita

O Arjuna, have you heard this with concentrated attention? O conqueror of wealth has you bewilderment due to illusion dispelled?

These were the last words of the Lord.
If we choose to remain bewildered about anything, Gita has slipped pass our understanding. again IMHO.

[rkannan1]

Bhakti is not mere emotional attraction. Although for most of us in the present state is merely instinctive attractions and hatred(affected by duality of pain, pleasure etc.), that is not what Gita or Vaishnavism teaches of all sects.

Without right knowledge, Bhakti is impossible. Also Karma Yoga explained in Gita is not as simple as "we do something we like and say Krishnarpanam".

Bhakti is a state where every thought, word, and deed at all times is motivated only to serve Lord. Again it is not what we think is right, but what Bhagavan thinks is right.

How do we know what Lord wants ?

That is why we do sadana and we need (realized) Gurus.

They show us the path as per shastra. This is a long strenous process of study, analysis, nama smarana, performing vedic duties and application through Yogic practices.

One reaches a state called "Aparoksha Jnana" after a lot of sadana. At this state one will always behold (have Darshana of) Bimba Rupa(antaryami) of Narayana as per dvaita. In this state one is capable of having perfect Bhakti.

The following link has some good information on what is Bhakti, for Bhakti is the main teaching of Gita and mental acrobatics is not Gita's teaching.

Public username and password: dvaita
http://www.dvaita.org/list/list_44/msg00082.html