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Attachment is I + My Want | From Chaos To Clarity | Episode 17
In Episode 17 of 'From Chaos to Clarity,' Swami Swarupananda delves into the teachings of Chapter 4 of the Bhagavad Gita, focusing on the concepts of selfless action and the nature of attach...
Attachment is I + My Want | From Chaos To Clarity | Episode 17
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Speaker A
You're listening to From Chaos to Clarity where Swami Swarupananda simplifies the teachings in Chapter 4 of the Bhagavad Gita. In the 17th episode, Swami Swarupananda explains the way to discover the Atma is by acting selflessly, without ego or attachment and free from Karma, Vasanas and the cycle of Samsara.
Speaker B
Namam Karbani Limpanti. Actions do not taint me means do not leave behind an impression in the form of Papa Punya, in the form of Vasanas, in the form of sin or merit or say Vasanas. Why? Neither actions taint me nor do I have any desire in me. And therefore I have no attachment for any particular result because I do not do it for myself, not out of any ego. Ithimam yo Abhijanati Karma Bheernasa Badyati. And one who knows this Abhijanati, such a person also does not get bound by action. Karmabhirnasa Badhyate. Such a person does not get bound. Throughout the Bhagavad Gita, Bhagavan has pointed out one thing. Actions by themselves don't bite. But when you have got attachment for the result, attachment is not that you are caught physically. You know, two people are stuck together. Attachment is mental. Whoever or whatever you think is going to give you happiness, you cling on to that mentally as well as physically. This is called as attachment. And therefore Gurudev has given a beautiful equation to attachment. And he says I plus I want. Simple attachment is what I plus my want, I plus my want is attachment. And when there is I the doership, then I want something the for myself the way I expect it to be. And therefore when the result comes, I react to it. And that leaves behind a vasana. This is called as Karma Bandhan. For there is birth, death, birth, death, action, reaction, action, reaction. So Karma, Bandhan, Janmara and Samsara. This is constantly there and throughout the Bhagavad Gita. Krishna has pointed out action does not bind, it is the reaction that binds. And reaction comes where there is attachment. And what is attachment? I am the doer and I want a particular result for myself. Naturally the mind is going to react. You say what's wrong with that? Nothing wrong with it. It's just that you react. Nothing wrong with it means you are in bondage. Nothing wrong with it that you are the one who suffers. You get the point. And any action which is done without the sense of doership that I am the one who did this Action, then of course the result must be for me selfishness. When we do it as a sense of gratitude, duty and we do the action, then when the result comes, you accept, you don't react, you are not bowed. So as Ishwara Bhagavan is saying that I, even though I create, I don't create for myself according to what your karma, your vasanas demand, that is what you invoke. And this creation is there. But I neither have a sense of doership, I created even though it's statement you have to say, nor I am attached to my creation and therefore I am not bound. And those who have understood the secret of my action, that even doing all this I am not the doer. This knowledge remains with me. The same verse. Now you take to the next level Abhijanati by knowing you to be a non doer, how can I get liberated? One is I act accordingly as God, therefore act godly. But the deeper meaning here is those who know that Lord because of which all your actions are are happening and knows me the self, the Atma as not the doer and recognizes the Atma, the self, not to be the doer, then Guna guneshu vartante ithimatvana sajjate recognizes that the world of matter functions in the world of matter. But I am not the doer. And the Atma which is complete has got no desire, no incompleteness, no desire. And since no desire, no attachment and whatever result comes cannot taint the atma. Even if a storm blows in the space, the all pervading space accommodates the storm, the dust and the wind, the smog, but the space does not get touched. And one who knows me Abhijanati as one's own self, which is neither the doer and neither the one who gets affected. Such a person does not get the result of action, which is the subtle result of action, does not get bondage Evam gyatva In this manner knowing Purvairapi mumukshubhi in the past Mukshus, those who are desirous of liberation, Karma kritam, they did actions and Guru Karmaiva tasmatwam and therefore Arjuna, you also who desire peace and liberation, do the action Purvai purvataram kritam. Just as the ancients, those of the past, your ancestors or those in the past who were seekers of liberation, they did not give up action, but in fact did action. But get knowing this knowledge, knowledge of first you have to understand Karma Yoga that how to act and not get bound. Therefore they did not escape from action. Whatever were the duties, what was the requirement of the times they did it. And two things Bhagavan goes on repeating in the Bhagavad Gita in different ways. That when you do not know the truth directly, when there are vasanas, because you are identified with this sense of doership, because of your identification with the body, mind and intellect. And therefore Bhagavan says that such people to exhaust. And when I say exhaust your vasanas, you saw that? You know, Swamiji, I want to join the Vedanta Brahmachari course. You know, Brahmachari Brahmacharyani course which is starting on Makar Sankrati 2024. And my son and my daughter want to join. But Swamiji, I'm telling them that you can join. But first you exhaust your vasanas and you know you do your duties. Such type of people say that exhausting of vasana doesn't mean uncontrolled expression because you create more vastness. But whenever you act without ego means doership and egocentric selfish desires. Your existing vasanas, the result of your past action, your destiny exhausts itself and you do not create more. Therefore, mumukshu sadhakas, those who are desirous of liberation, those who are sadhakas, they do action for what without attachment, for the purification of their mind. The exhaustion of vasana is purification of mind. And those who act with the knowledge that the Atma is without desire, without doership and without attachment, and does not get tainted, affected this knowledge at the moment also is knowledge of the they do not fear action. And as far as a realized master is concerned, we got nothing to fear. Act or not act. All this has been said in the third chapter of the Gita. But you're bringing it together for us to understand. So therefore, if you are ignorant and still a seeker of liberation, then act in the spirit of Karma Yoga. And as far as the realized masters are concerned, who have got the knowledge that the Atma is not the doer nor the Atma is finite and therefore has got any limitations or. Or therefore wants anything there. Bhagavan had said in the third chapter of the Kirta, such wise ones, such realized masters also act, but not for themselves. Local Sangraha for the well being of everyone. Now that you are living, you might as well do something. Yeah. Therefore, for Loka Sangra. Okay, Bhagwan, you are telling me to do like the others? You tell me no. This is the right way of doing, I'll do it. Why do you say that like the great people did it?
Speaker A
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