i'll have no karma with that, thanks

Verse 4.14: There is no work that affects Me; nor do I aspire for the fruits of action. One who understands this truth about Me also does not become entangled in the fruitive reactions of work.

The laws of karma have been discussed extensively in the 2nd and 3rd chapters of the Gita. There, it was highlighted that both good and bad karma are unwanted. We also learned that all actions result in karma.

It was at this point that the Gita introduced the concept of akarma, or performing actions that do not incur any karma. The secret to performing akarmic work was given. Anyone remember? If you said a transformation of consciousness...you're right!

Any action that is performed with the attitude of offering it in gratitude to the Divine results in no karma.

If you've ever wondered why that's the case, today's verse gives the answer. The Divine Himself is not subject to the laws of karma, nor is He responsible for the karma that all of us incur. Although the King or President of a country is responsible for their citizens, there may be laws that do not apply to them due to their position. Furthermore, if their citizens break those laws, the King or President is not responsible for their actions. Those citizens have free will and have chosen to exercise it.

Since the Divine is not subject to the laws of karma, when our consciousness transfers from being self-centred to offering our best to the Divine, our actions are also not subject to karma.

The Gita is prompting us to imbibe a culture of gratitude and reciprocation.

Instead of succumbing to the overwhelming ethos of "mine, mine, mine!" which is pervading our society, we can instead be instruments to help elevate it. By recognizing the gifts we have been given as those coming from the Divine, the greatest happiness can be experienced when we act as instruments of grace and offer our actions, and whatever results that come from it, on the altar of love for the Divine.

embracing opportunities

Verse 2.32: O Pārtha, happy are the kṣatriyas to whom such fighting opportunities come unsought, opening for them the doors of the heavenly planets.

Are you one to shy away from opportunities? The adventurous and free-spirited part of me screams "Of course not! Bring them on!" It's shameful to admit, but in actuality I know that I have oftentimes turned a blind eye to said opportunities, given numerous excuses as to why I won't advantage of them to appease myself and promptly gone and tried to forget about them. Of course, what happens next is inevitable...someone else (who might have been just as fearful as you) takes advantage of that opportunity and great things come from it. Once hearing about it you feel a myriad of emotions - a little envy with "I could have totally done that better" thrown in for good measure, disappointment in yourself and a general feeling of dissatisfaction.

Sound familiar? I think it's common, especially when it comes to those opportunities that are in line with your nature. As mentioned yesterday, your nature consists of your proclivities and qualities and act as a roadmap to figuring out what you are meant to do with your life. The challenge, however, often lies in - 1) figuring out our nature and 2) embracing opportunities to engage that nature in effective, influential ways. Think of a super talented singer whose nature it is to be artistic and creative through singing. She gets an audition and instead of getting the support that she needs to overcome her fear and wow the record label, she doesn't show up and instead continues to work at the corner store. Drastic example, but I'm sure it happens everyday. You might be wondering though, how in the world does this tie in with bhakti?

You see, Krsna is starting with the basics in explaining the intricacies of bhakti. Krsna first taught lesson 1 - we misidentify ourselves with the body which covers who we really are - eternal souls. Krsna then goes on to explain in great detail the nature and characteristics of the soul, educating all of us since we have forgotten and ignored it for so long.

Now, Krsna is further explaining that even though in reality we are the soul, if we don't actually understand this on a practical level, then we need to use our body, mind and intelligence to help us get us to the soul platform. How do you do that? Krsna gives the formula - you work with what you have. Just like you have a particular body, you also have a certain mind and intelligence that has been given to you. Literally, no two living entities are alike. Everything has been tailor made just for you (the soul).

In this basic program, which acts as a brilliant foundation to build upon spiritually, the key requirement is acting according to your nature. That means if you are a person who loves to learn and teach and guide others, then you act in that capacity. It doesn't mean that you slave away and try to become a businessmen just because it may be more lucrative financially. No. Be true to the nature you have been given.

After having done so, the next step is to embrace opportunities that arise so that those gifts and skills (which ultimately are given to us by the Supreme) can be properly utilized. In doing so, this program actually helps one progress in the bhakti path when one works in the consciousness that all this is possible due to the gifts bestowed upon us by Krsna. It opens up our eyes to recognizing that we can be empowered to become instrument of greatness. The take away message being we are empowered by God. The greatness doesn't originate from us. When we understand this, we naturally feel grateful to Krsna for choosing us to be instruments of inspiration and talent.

That's what Krsna is telling Arjuna here. He's saying, "You have been empowered to be a great leader and administrator for millions of people who count on you for your protection. It is your nature to lead them and care for them. Are you going to turn a blind eye when the moment of truth comes to stick up for them?"

In our own day to day lives, we may face these defining moments on a smaller scale, but they are nonetheless important. Even if our circumstances don't allow us to engage in activities that are in line with our nature, the goal should be to move in that direction. Why? Because it's easier and will make us happy.

So the next time an opportunity arises for you to engage in your nature, take it! It's not only an opportunity to develop your skills and talents and contribute something to the world, it's also an opportunity to realize that everything is only possible by blessings and grace.

one of those days...

Verse 1.27: When the son of Kuntī, Arjuna, saw all these different grades of friends and relatives, he became overwhelmed with compassion and spoke thus.

When I first took up this challenge to read and write reflections on every single verse of the Gita, it wasn't without trepidation. I had good friends saying, "You're going to start at Chapter 1??" As you might have noticed, especially at the beginning of Chapter 1, the scene is being set as opposed to intense spiritual insights being shared.

So there are days when I read the verse and think, "I have no idea what to write about! Why did I ever attempt this project." Today was one of those days! However, I'm starting to realize that those days are often the best, just because it forces me to understand that actually nothing comes from me. I'm not actually very intelligent, realized or talented at all. It's only due to the blessings of my guru (spiritual teacher and guide) and the association of like-minded bhakti practitioners that I even realize that this path of bhakti is so precious.

All talents, all gifts and all intelligence comes from a source. That source is God. It is only when we recognize that we are small, he is big and we need his help that we can aspire to become a conduit of God's grace. I once heard a beautiful phrase - mercy (blessings) descends. It flows downward. Ever notice when you act all big and mighty that it's hard to listen to anyone else? Hard to hear anything when that ego is blocking your ears! Hence, mercy descends.

That being said, feeling small doesn't mean having low self esteem. In fact, feeling small on the path of bhakti means feeling supremely connected. It's super empowering since you know where to tune in to to connect to a higher power.

So that's my realization for today. I can't do anything by myself, but when I recognize it it becomes my opportunity to become a potential conduit for greatness.