Q: The results of my action and indeed “what happens”, is not up to me, so I surrender, relax, let go and let Ishvara do it’s thing. Basically, sit back and watch the movie.
Are you speaking as person, jiva or as Consciousness Atma?
This is the critical distinction, the core of Vedanta, which is to be made and from which answers can arise: “Which viewpoint am I speaking from, person or Consciousness?”
Yes, as person, I have no control over the results of action … “what happens”.
Q: I say “what happens”, because if a dog gets hit by a car in New Jersey, it’s not a result of my action, but just what happened. So, in addition to “the results of my actions are not up to me”… would it not be accurate to also say “what happens is not up to me”?
Yes. The results of action … “what happens” … are not up to me.
Q: I know that “ultimately” I have “no” control over anything (ie. no control over the thoughts that pop into my mind, no control over the actions I take, no control over the results of those actions and no control over the things that happen to this jiva or in the world at all).. Since I have no control “ultimately” over anything, I just surrender and let go..
As person, I do have a little control over which action I do. Swami Paramarthananda calls it ‘contributory free will’. I do have some free will and ‘contribute’ to the flow of action by making dharmic choices regarding which actions I do. I consider, choose, decide and act in an appropriate, ethical and timely manner. This personal choice of ‘contributory free will’ is a very small factor.
If numbers can be used to illustrate, it would be 10%. This means 90% is not in my control. There are so many other factors within myself, in my immediate surroundings and from further afield, even cosmic factors, which have an influence.
As person, I do not have ‘controlling free will’, ie. I am not in complete control over ALL the factors involved in the performance of action.
As far as results of action are concerned, it is 100% not in my control.
As Consciousness, I witness and am not involved in action. By my mere Presence, I, Consciousness, activate the mind-body mechanism which then performs action.
Q: I also have heard that Karma Yoga has to do with the “attitude in which actions are performed”. I understand the idea of performing actions without attachment to outcome (which plays more into the above yoga of “there’s no point in staying attached to an outcome since I don’t have control”), but I am unclear which of the (2) ideas are the “crux” of Karma Yoga:
1. I don’t have control, so I surrender … which is an attitude.
OR
2. Have an attitude of gratitude in whatever action is performed … as you state, is an attitude.
Karma yoga is both attitude and action. It applies to the person, jiva but not to Consciousness.
The word Karma by itself means action.
The results of action are called Karma phalam, Karma ‘fruits’ = results, but is often abbreviated into just Karma.
This can confuse as to what we are discussing … is it action or is it results-of-action?
Attitude 1 … I offer every ordinary action I do in daily life as an offering, a “thank you” to Ishvara. My whole life, all actions are a gift to Ishvara. Why? Not that Ishvara needs it !!!
It is because, as person, I have received so much from Ishvara, eg. life as a human being, because of which I can come to Vedanta and break free from the unending cycle of birth-death-rebirth, my basic needs of life attended to, etc. So, there is gratitude in general and gratitude in the performance of action, a ‘particularised’ or focussed attitude of gratitude.
Swami Dayananda said there is no such thing as atheistic or secular Karma yoga, meaning, there must be a connection with something larger than the individual, ie. Ishvara, the Dharma Field or as some call it “The Universe”. Ishvara is not a person, not a personal God, but the sum total of all the laws, powers, principles, forces, matter, etc. that govern the universe. I offer my actions as an offering to Ishvara.
Attitude 2 … I accept whatever result comes as a gift from Ishvara. The result may be as expected, more than expected, less than expected, the very opposite of what I expected. I accept with gratitude, whatever the result.
So, Karma yoga is the attitude of gratitude in the performance of action which is made as an offering to Ishvara. Karma yoga is the attitude of gratitude in receiving the results of action. This attitude towards action and its result is in the context or background of “generalised gratitude” in life. I am grateful about everything.
In summary
Karma yoga is a technique used in Vedanta for beginner seekers to maintain a strong connection with Ishvara. It involves an extroversion of the mind.
As one matures, the middling seeker is encouraged to introvert the attention through Upasana yoga or meditation practice. The goals of the seeker can be fulfilled only within, hence the need for introversion.
With further maturation, the advanced seeker is introduced to Jnana yoga where the focus shifts to discovering the underlying nature of oneself as pure Consciousness and the unity, one-ness, non-separateness, non-duality between the jiva and Ishvara. This is liberation, the goal of Vedanta.
Swami Paramarthananda describes it as … from “object-dependence”( ie. dependence on objects for happiness, the trap for jiva) … “to God-dependence”, (ie. dependence on Ishvara/God for happinesss, still depending on something external ) … to “Self-dependence”, (ie. dependence on Oneself as Consciousness for happiness).
