and on behalf of...

Verse 3.19: Therefore, without being attached to the fruits of activities, one should act as a matter of duty, for by working without attachment one attains the Supreme./

Ever watch award shows? Often times when a winner is announced and they are not present to accept the award, these words are spoken: "Accepting on behalf of so and so..." That person who accepts the award smiles and graciously acknowledges the honour, but all the while they are fully conscious that it is not theirs.

That's essentially what acting without attachment is all about. As has been previously described, everything we think of as "ours" like the body, mind, senses and even the intelligence are all given to us by the Divine. They have are on loan to us for this present lifetime as a result of the past karma we accrued.

When we are attached to the fruits of any results that are performed using these various facilities, it is akin to the person accepting the award on behalf of the winner thinking, "This actually belongs to me!" Anyone would agree that in the scenario of the award show that such kind of thinking is ridiculous. Why so? Because we get the fact that the person who accepted the award didn't actually do the work which the award represents.

Similarly, when we start to realize that all the facilities (i.e. intelligence, body, senses etc..) we have been given are actually not ours, but gifts given to us by the Supreme, acting without attachment becomes easier. Even the work we perform cannot happen without the blessings of the Divine. Since that's the case, isn't it only right that we acknowledge and appreciate that Supreme? This is what real yoga is all about - connection through love and gratitude.

This is how we can practically live a life of gratitude. When we acknowledge the greatness of the Divine and all that He has given to us, we naturally become unattached and grateful. It's not an artificial process but one that comes as naturally as breathing. So the next time you catch yourself becoming obsessed with the results of "your" work, remember the analogy of the awards show - even if you receive acknowledgement for it, pass it on to the One who deserves it.