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Is it possible to work without expecting results? || Acharya Prashant, on Bhagvad Gita (2020)
Scriptures and Saints
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1 year ago
Shrimad Bhagavad Gita
Shri Krishna
Nishkam Karma
Ego
Self-doubt
Fulfillment
Spirituality
Law of Karma
Description

Acharya Prashant explains that the wisdom of Shri Krishna in the Shrimad Bhagavad Gita, specifically regarding action without attachment to results, is not for those who are comfortably settled in their existing patterns. He emphasizes that spiritual teachings begin at the point of deep dissatisfaction. If an individual is content with the simple cycle of working for money or interacting with family for superficial pleasure, they lack the necessary 'Arjun-like' self-doubt required for transformation. The speaker challenges the questioner to look deeper into their life, questioning if money, family, or scriptures have truly provided the fulfillment, peace, or freedom they claim to seek. He points out that the ego often presents a deceptively simplistic view of life, hiding the stress, anxiety, and lack of fulfillment that persist even when expectations are met. Acharya Prashant asserts that the mind or ego is a defective machine that can never achieve completion through its own self-centric goals. True wisdom involves recognizing the futility of these endeavors and shifting the center of one's actions. He suggests that instead of using resources like money or skills like music for the gratification and inflation of the ego, they should be directed toward a higher, intangible cause that dissolves the ego. For instance, money should be spent on something beyond oneself, and music should be used as an instrument for something more significant, similar to how saints utilized it. Ultimately, he encourages the listener to ensure that every action and interaction, no matter how brief, is dedicated to a purpose greater than the petty desires of the little self.