Sri Krishna says, “I have no desire for the fruits of action, so actions do not bind me. Thus, one who knows me in essence is also not bound by actions” (4.14). This reinforces Sri Krishna’s words that we have control over actions, but not over their results (2.47). As the Supreme Being, Sri Krishna also follows this principle and tells us that He is not the doer, even though He created various divisions among humans based on qualities and actions, indicating the absence of doership (4.13). He further says, “In the past, Mumukshus (liberated souls) also performed actions with this knowledge. Therefore, you too should perform the actions that the ancestors have always performed” (4.15). In the normal course of our lives, we perform actions to obtain the desired results. However, when we are asked to give up the results of actions, we also give up actions. Sri Krishna reveals a completely different paradigm for renunciation here when he advises us to continue performing actions, but by abandoning attachment to both the fruits of action and doership. His advice to Arjuna to fight a war, which is another form of action, should be seen in this context. Consciously abandoning doership in our actions is difficult. But we all often act without doership when we are deeply involved in activities such as dancing, painting, reading, teaching, gardening, cooking, sports, and even surgery. This state of mind is called flow in modern psychology. The essence is to recognize such beautiful moments and continue to expand them in all areas of life, realizing that the universe will not be restricted by our efforts. Life itself is a blissful miracle. It does not require doership or the fruits of action to be fulfilled. We attain freedom from the bondage of karma when we abandon both doership and the fruits of action and become one with the Supreme Being.
The Ways of Mumukshus
