Bhagavad-Gītā
Chapter 18
Mokṣa-yoga
The Supreme Goal of Divine Freedom
The last chapter of Bhagavad-Gītā summarizes the themes of the previous seventeen chapters. It has been said that the Bhagavad-Gita touches on five main themes: God, the universe, the soul, karma, and time, or theology, cosmology, ontology, epistemology, and ethics.
Beyond these five main themes, the Bhagavad-Gita discusses different kinds of yoga. Yoga may be thought of as a method to attain a higher goal, a spiritual or religious practice.
The goal of any religious or spiritual practice is to elevate us beyond our ordinary condition. It is supposed that the human form of life is superior to that of the animals.
Animals, having limited cognitive ability, are unable to reflect on their existential condition. Human life is gifted with higher, more developed cognitive ability: we can reflect on their position in the universe.
Animals, having limited cognitive ability, are unable to reflect on their existential condition. Human life is gifted with higher, more developed cognitive ability: we can reflect on their position in the universe.
Self-reflection is called Jñāna, or transcendental knowledge. The study of knowledge, or how we know what we know, is called epistemology by Western thinkers. Epistemology in Bhagavad-Gītā involves meditation and incorporates transcendental knowledge as its method for understanding spiritual truth. This practice is called Jñāna-yoga. Where jñāna is transcendental knowledge, jñāna-yoga is the method for realizing the absolute through such knowledge. Knowledge coupled with karma-yoga, or "work-in-sacrifice," may evolve into bhakti or divine love through the guidance of a qualified spiritual master.
Karma is a big subject. Bhagavad-Gītā tells us that even the learned are baffled in understanding the actions and reactions of karma. (kiṃ karma kim akarmeti kavayo 'py atra mohitaḥ 4.16).
Normally, we think of karma in terms of action and reaction: Good karma has a good result, Bad karma a negative result. In the next life our karma creates a good or bad result. This is the common understanding of karma. We avoid bad karma and try to do good karma, hoping for a good result. This is really Arjuna's starting point at the beginning of his conversation with Krishna. He sees the battle as "bad karma," and wishes to avoid bad karma.
Normally, we think of karma in terms of action and reaction: Good karma has a good result, Bad karma a negative result. In the next life our karma creates a good or bad result. This is the common understanding of karma. We avoid bad karma and try to do good karma, hoping for a good result. This is really Arjuna's starting point at the beginning of his conversation with Krishna. He sees the battle as "bad karma," and wishes to avoid bad karma.
The common understanding of karma focuses more on the reactions, results, or fruits of work than on work, or action itself. As we live an a results-oriented society, we think of karma in terms of its results and reactions. As Newton said, "every action has an equal and opposite reaction."
While we focus on "reaction" when thinking of karma, it's important to keep in mind that karma means both action and reaction.
When Krishna discusses karma, He doesn't limit its definition to results alone. He wants to consider action itself. For a scientist, action is force; it involves energy and movement in the space-time continuum. Arjuna is a man of action interested in what reaction may take place after the battle; Arjuna reflects our own attitudes as "result-oriented."
But Krishna asks Arjuna to see the problem of action and reaction, or karma, from a higher level. Action itself is a kind of myth. The soul itself doesn't act. (prakṛteḥ kriyamāṇāni guṇaih karmāṇi sarvaṣaḥ... BG 2.27) "The spirit soul bewildered by the influence of false ego thinks himself the doer of activities that are in actual played out by the three modes of material nature."
The SuperSubject is the Prime Actor, He explains. Living entities or jivas are His objects. So in relation to Ultimate Reality, individual souls are not actors or doers. They are trapped in a world of misconception, bound by a kind of mass hypnosis. And yet, work is inevitable, for every living creature. Human beings can offer their work in sacrifice to the Supreme and become liberated from the exploiting tendency.
While we focus on "reaction" when thinking of karma, it's important to keep in mind that karma means both action and reaction.
When Krishna discusses karma, He doesn't limit its definition to results alone. He wants to consider action itself. For a scientist, action is force; it involves energy and movement in the space-time continuum. Arjuna is a man of action interested in what reaction may take place after the battle; Arjuna reflects our own attitudes as "result-oriented."
But Krishna asks Arjuna to see the problem of action and reaction, or karma, from a higher level. Action itself is a kind of myth. The soul itself doesn't act. (prakṛteḥ kriyamāṇāni guṇaih karmāṇi sarvaṣaḥ... BG 2.27) "The spirit soul bewildered by the influence of false ego thinks himself the doer of activities that are in actual played out by the three modes of material nature."
The SuperSubject is the Prime Actor, He explains. Living entities or jivas are His objects. So in relation to Ultimate Reality, individual souls are not actors or doers. They are trapped in a world of misconception, bound by a kind of mass hypnosis. And yet, work is inevitable, for every living creature. Human beings can offer their work in sacrifice to the Supreme and become liberated from the exploiting tendency.
So while, Arjuna is concerned with good karma and bad karma, and how to avoid a bad reaction while doing his duty, his conversation with Krishna goes deeper. It leads to a discussion on the nature of action and reaction in the world of perception, and the soul's ultimate freedom from birth and death, beyond karma.
Krishna explains that the soul itself neither acts nor reacts. The soul has taken on a kind of virtual reality, where impelled by massive hypnosis it navigates the labyrinth of misconception. In a sense, action and reaction itself is a form of misconception. Krishna advises Arjuna to leave aside relative conceptions of good and bad karma and his ordinary role in society and invites him to surrender himself in devotion to the Supreme.
Krishna explains that the soul itself neither acts nor reacts. The soul has taken on a kind of virtual reality, where impelled by massive hypnosis it navigates the labyrinth of misconception. In a sense, action and reaction itself is a form of misconception. Krishna advises Arjuna to leave aside relative conceptions of good and bad karma and his ordinary role in society and invites him to surrender himself in devotion to the Supreme.
In the eighteenth chapter, Krishna takes up the themes given in the earlier chapters and brings them together.
Physical science describes the universe in terms of space and time, forgetting the element of consciousness. But if we re-introduce the element of soul, we may conceive of the universe as a kind of "atma-sphere," where metaphysical forces play just as important a role as physical energy and matter.
Just as modern physics uses the idea of string theory to explain mass, movement and force in space and time, Krishna uses the metaphor of "strings" that bind metaphysical consciousness to this material world through subtle influences. According to the nature of our attachment to different illusions of exploitation, these strings or influences pull us in different directions: purity, energy, and inertia. The strings are called "gunas" in Sanskrit. Sometimes the word Guna is translated as "mode."
Our participation in the world of action and reaction is constantly colored by these three influences or modes of nature; just as all the colors seen by the naked eye may be divided into red yellow and blue, everything within our experience is colored by purity, energy, and inertia.
Physical science describes the universe in terms of space and time, forgetting the element of consciousness. But if we re-introduce the element of soul, we may conceive of the universe as a kind of "atma-sphere," where metaphysical forces play just as important a role as physical energy and matter.
Just as modern physics uses the idea of string theory to explain mass, movement and force in space and time, Krishna uses the metaphor of "strings" that bind metaphysical consciousness to this material world through subtle influences. According to the nature of our attachment to different illusions of exploitation, these strings or influences pull us in different directions: purity, energy, and inertia. The strings are called "gunas" in Sanskrit. Sometimes the word Guna is translated as "mode."
Our participation in the world of action and reaction is constantly colored by these three influences or modes of nature; just as all the colors seen by the naked eye may be divided into red yellow and blue, everything within our experience is colored by purity, energy, and inertia.
Work, faith, sacrifice, action, reaction, social roles, even food – what we eat, what we do, what we see feel in touch – all these are products of the different "strings" that pull us and bind us to material nature.
Immersed in the world of misconception and bound by the cords of material nature, how does one become free from the world of action and reaction?
While Krishna describes different aspects of reality from worldly to spiritual, from objective reality to subjective reality, and even the super subjective plane, Arjuna is a man of action. The conversation is highly philosophical. All this talk of cosmology and ontology is interesting, but what about action? What's the difference between right and wrong? Given that we are interested in doing the right thing, what should we do? Krishna doesn't give easy answers. The Bhagavad-Gītā doesn't include a list of rules and regulations that one may follow in order to profit through good karma. Anticipating Nietzsche, Krishna rejects both good and evil karma. Good is a relative concept. It may assuage one's suffering for a time, but given the nature of karma, birth and death are inevitable. One must go beyond good and evil to reach ultimate liberation, which is truly possible only through divine love.
Love begins with sacrifice. Krishna talks about sacrifice. he has explained that when work is done in sacrifice and coupled with transcendental knowledge about God, proper action becomes devotion or bhakti, and that bhakti or dedication is the highest form of yoga.
Immersed in the world of misconception and bound by the cords of material nature, how does one become free from the world of action and reaction?
While Krishna describes different aspects of reality from worldly to spiritual, from objective reality to subjective reality, and even the super subjective plane, Arjuna is a man of action. The conversation is highly philosophical. All this talk of cosmology and ontology is interesting, but what about action? What's the difference between right and wrong? Given that we are interested in doing the right thing, what should we do? Krishna doesn't give easy answers. The Bhagavad-Gītā doesn't include a list of rules and regulations that one may follow in order to profit through good karma. Anticipating Nietzsche, Krishna rejects both good and evil karma. Good is a relative concept. It may assuage one's suffering for a time, but given the nature of karma, birth and death are inevitable. One must go beyond good and evil to reach ultimate liberation, which is truly possible only through divine love.
Love begins with sacrifice. Krishna talks about sacrifice. he has explained that when work is done in sacrifice and coupled with transcendental knowledge about God, proper action becomes devotion or bhakti, and that bhakti or dedication is the highest form of yoga.
Arjuna wants to know how such yoga is to be practiced. How is dedication different from renunciation?
In the 18th chapter, Arjuna begins by asking how sannyāsa "renunciation-in-dedication" differs from tyāga or "abnegation."
Krishna has already defined sannyāsa in the fifth chapter. He talks about sannyāsa in relation to karma. Yogīs might renounce all work to gain liberation, but the renunciation of work itself is not a virtue.
Krishna explains that tt is not karma or action itself that must be renounced, but attachment to its results. It is better to sacrifice the results of our work, to dedicate our work to God. One must understand that both work and its results are temporary. True sannyāsa is not mere self-abnegation or renunciation, but consists in giving up our attachment to the results of work as an offering to God.
In the 18th chapter, Arjuna begins by asking how sannyāsa "renunciation-in-dedication" differs from tyāga or "abnegation."
Krishna has already defined sannyāsa in the fifth chapter. He talks about sannyāsa in relation to karma. Yogīs might renounce all work to gain liberation, but the renunciation of work itself is not a virtue.
Krishna explains that tt is not karma or action itself that must be renounced, but attachment to its results. It is better to sacrifice the results of our work, to dedicate our work to God. One must understand that both work and its results are temporary. True sannyāsa is not mere self-abnegation or renunciation, but consists in giving up our attachment to the results of work as an offering to God.
At the beginning of the 6th Chapter, Krishna has defined sannyāsa as follows: nasritah karma-phalam, karyam karma karoti yah, sa sannyasi ca yogi ca na niragnir na cakriyah. "One who is unattached to the results of work and who does his duty accordingly is a real sannyāsi and a true yogi, not one who lights no fire and does no work."
Avoidance of work does not constitute true renunciation, but ignorance. The spirit of true renunciation is found in dedication.
Avoidance of work does not constitute true renunciation, but ignorance. The spirit of true renunciation is found in dedication.
In his conclusion to Arjuna in the 18th chapter, Krishna reiterates: proper renunciation does not involve giving up work, but giving up the fruits of one's labor.
Normally we work hard to get a good result. Krishna here is saying, "Work hard, but don't expect a result. Sacrifice the result to God. Dedication your work to the highest power."
Since Krishna has demonstrated his universal form to Arjuna, it's understood that when He speaks of the highest power He is speaking of himself. Those who do not wish to accept Krishna as the supreme personality of Godhead may still reflect on this message of sacrifice and dedication. Christians see Jesus Christ as an example of supreme sacrifice, dedicating his life to God and giving himself to save others from sin. Sacrificing oneself in the fire of divine love is the highest form of self-realization, according to Krishna's teachings
Normally we work hard to get a good result. Krishna here is saying, "Work hard, but don't expect a result. Sacrifice the result to God. Dedication your work to the highest power."
Since Krishna has demonstrated his universal form to Arjuna, it's understood that when He speaks of the highest power He is speaking of himself. Those who do not wish to accept Krishna as the supreme personality of Godhead may still reflect on this message of sacrifice and dedication. Christians see Jesus Christ as an example of supreme sacrifice, dedicating his life to God and giving himself to save others from sin. Sacrificing oneself in the fire of divine love is the highest form of self-realization, according to Krishna's teachings
Krishna makes it very clear that self-realization doesn't mean that action should be given up as an evil, or that it's fine to do bad karma as long as we perform certain sacrifices and rituals, but action should be done as a sacrifice.
This "action-in-sacrifice" as a general principle is called karma-yoga. When coupled with transcendental knowledge of the divine or jṇāna-yoga under the guidance of a bona fide spiritual master it may be directed towards higher service and transformed into divine love or bhakti-yoga.
While they may contribute to a good karmic result and are therefore worthy of performance the particular sacrifices mentioned in the Vedas are not meritorious on their own, since attachment to good karma leads to continued involvement in the world of exploitation. While one sacrifice may be in the mode of goodness and another in the mode of passion, freedom from material existence is not a question of choosing between goodness and passion. Dedication is the real thing.
As he begins his conclusion, Krishna says, (etāny api tu karmāṇi saṇgam tyaktva phalāni ca...BG 18.6) "And yet, even these works out to be performed, giving up attachment and desire for fruits this is my decided and final view. Actions are not to renounced; but they must be done without selfish attachment or expectation of rewards. This is the basis of karma yoga. Renunciation of duty in and of itself does not constitute sannyāsa, and is in fact ignorance.
Doing one's duty without attachment or selfishness is purified. Among the different commentators on the Bhagavad-Gita there are different opinions as to what work may be accepted as duty for a true yogi.
This "action-in-sacrifice" as a general principle is called karma-yoga. When coupled with transcendental knowledge of the divine or jṇāna-yoga under the guidance of a bona fide spiritual master it may be directed towards higher service and transformed into divine love or bhakti-yoga.
While they may contribute to a good karmic result and are therefore worthy of performance the particular sacrifices mentioned in the Vedas are not meritorious on their own, since attachment to good karma leads to continued involvement in the world of exploitation. While one sacrifice may be in the mode of goodness and another in the mode of passion, freedom from material existence is not a question of choosing between goodness and passion. Dedication is the real thing.
As he begins his conclusion, Krishna says, (etāny api tu karmāṇi saṇgam tyaktva phalāni ca...BG 18.6) "And yet, even these works out to be performed, giving up attachment and desire for fruits this is my decided and final view. Actions are not to renounced; but they must be done without selfish attachment or expectation of rewards. This is the basis of karma yoga. Renunciation of duty in and of itself does not constitute sannyāsa, and is in fact ignorance.
Doing one's duty without attachment or selfishness is purified. Among the different commentators on the Bhagavad-Gita there are different opinions as to what work may be accepted as duty for a true yogi.
A true yogi according to Shankar is one who has renounced all work except that which is necessary for the maintenance of the body.
Bhaktivedānta Swāmi takes the argument higher: he considers that work may be liberating even when performed in a factory, when the goal is dedication: "Prescribed duties must be performed in Krishna consciousness. One should act without attachment for the result; he should be disassociated from the modes of work. A man working in Krishna consciousness in a factory does not associate himself with the work of the factory, nor with the workers of the factory. He simply works for Krishna. And when he gives up the result for Krishna, he is acting transcendentally. ... One can never give up work at any time. Therefore he who works for Krishna and does not enjoy the fruit of results, who offers everything to Krishna, is actually a renounce her. There are many members of the international Society for Krishna consciousness who work very hard in their office or in the factory or some other place, and whatever they earn they give to the society. Such highly elevated souls are actually sannyāsīs and are situated in the renounced order of life." (BG As It Is, page 804.)
Bhaktivedānta Swāmi takes the argument higher: he considers that work may be liberating even when performed in a factory, when the goal is dedication: "Prescribed duties must be performed in Krishna consciousness. One should act without attachment for the result; he should be disassociated from the modes of work. A man working in Krishna consciousness in a factory does not associate himself with the work of the factory, nor with the workers of the factory. He simply works for Krishna. And when he gives up the result for Krishna, he is acting transcendentally. ... One can never give up work at any time. Therefore he who works for Krishna and does not enjoy the fruit of results, who offers everything to Krishna, is actually a renounce her. There are many members of the international Society for Krishna consciousness who work very hard in their office or in the factory or some other place, and whatever they earn they give to the society. Such highly elevated souls are actually sannyāsīs and are situated in the renounced order of life." (BG As It Is, page 804.)
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