Children, everyone in the world is usually steeped in action. Everyone acts with the expectation of being benefitted by the action. If we get what we desire, we become happy. If we do not, we become sad. When our expectation of a particular outcome becomes excessive, we lose our peace of mind.
Anxiety over the outcome of an action makes the mind restless, both while engaged in the action and afterwards. Karma yoga is the means of transforming karma, which is the cause of bondage, into self-realisation.
At times, we may not gain what we had hoped for, even though we worked hard. Suppose a farmer worked hard in the field. But when it was time for the harvest, heavy rains destroyed all the crops. From this, we can understand that the result of our actions does not depend only on our efforts.
That is why in the Bhagavad Gita, Lord Krishna gives so much importance to nishkama karma, or selfless action. Unless one is free from attachment, one can never succeed in the field of action. Often, our attachment to certain individuals and objects hinders the proper discharge of our duties.
We can see many examples of this around us. The most experienced surgeon will not have the courage to operate on his own wife or child. A fair-minded judge might hesitate to pass judgment on his son, the prime accused in a murder case.
Actually, it is not karma that binds but our pride in the karma and the desire for the fruits of action. Karma yoga is the means by which one can do work with utmost efficiency and, at the same time, not be bound by action.
Once, a man ate too much ghee during a feast. The next day, he started suffering from indigestion. Unable to bear the stomach ache, he went to see a doctor, who told him, “Bring me a litre of ghee. I shall prepare medicine with it.”
“Doctor, I’m suffering from indigestion because I ate too much ghee. Do you want to aggravate my condition by making me take even more ghee?”
But the doctor insisted, and the patient reluctantly brought a litre of ghee. The doctor added some herbs to it and dispensed titrated dosages to the patient. The man recovered.
In the same way, actions performed carelessly or with the wrong attitude make life miserable. But the solution is also action, albeit action done without ego and attachment. Karma is not dangerous if the attitude behind it is correct. It will benefit the world.
The karma yogi performs every action, no matter what, with utmost sincerity, and accepts the outcome, whatever it is, as a selfless instrument in God’s hands. He does not become anxious about the fruits of his action. Karma yoga is the most practical way of working. It is the pathway leading to the ultimate goal of spiritual liberation.