Posts tagged responsibility

Bhagavad Gita, Chapter 1: Despondency of Arjuna

So, just as the big war is about to begin, Arjuna, the greatest warrior in the battlefield, drops his weapons and refuses to fight.

Arjuna says to Krishna:

Seeing, O Krishna, these my kinsmen gathered here, eager for fight, my limbs fail me, and my mouth is parched up. I shiver all over, and my hair stands on end. The bow Gandiva slips from my hand, and my skin burns. Neither, O Keshava, can I stand upright. My mind is in a whirl. And I see adverse omens. (1.29, 30)

Anxiety. This happens to most of us at some point of our life, to almost all of us unless you are a born yogi. For example, we prepare well for a presentation to be made in front of hundreds of people, but just as we stand in front of all the people and about to speak, the mind goes blank. Or just when you are about to give some kind of performance in front of distinguished audience, you suddenly forget all the training you’ve had over the years. Or just as you take up a big new responsibility in your work, you start doubting your abilities. Why does this happen? Why did it happen to Arjuna, celebrated as the greatest warrior of the time?

Arjuna says further:

Neither, O Krishna, do I see any good in killing these my own people in battle. I desire neither victory nor empire, nor yet pleasure. (1.31)

Of what avail is dominion to us, of what avail are pleasures and even life, if these, O Govinda! for whose sake it is desired that empire, enjoyment and pleasure should be ours, themselves stand here in battle, having renounced life and wealth — teachers, uncles, sons and also grandfathers, maternal uncles, fathers-in-law, grandsons, brothers-in-law, besides other kinsmen.
(1.32-34)

Even though these were to kill me, O slayer of Madhu, I could not wish to kill them, not even for the sake of dominion over the three worlds, how much less for the sake of the earth! (1.35)

Arjuna doesn’t want to kill his own people. While Duryodhana would sacrifice anybody including his teacher, dear friend, brothers, etc., to retain the kingdom for himself, Arjuna doesn’t want to harm his people. In this regard, Arjuna is a little better than Duryodhana, or so it seems. But Arjuna forgets that if he doesn’t fight with whoever is on the other side and win this war, the kingdom would go into the hands of evil Duryodhana and that would be misery for everybody. He forgets that it is his utmost duty and responsibility as a man skilled in war to fight this war, defeat the Kauravas and protect his people.

Arjuna further says,

What pleasure indeed could be ours, O Jnanardana, from killing these sons of Dhritarashtra? Sin only could take hold of us by the slaying of these felons. (1.36)

Therefore ought we not to kill our kindred, the sons of Dhritarashtra. For how could we, O Madhava, gain happiness by the slaying of our own kinsmen? (1.37)

Arjuna forgets why he has come to the battlefield in the first place, and he is worried about things like his own people, pleasures and enjoyment of the kingdom, sin could take hold of him, etc.. In other words, he has lost sense of his priorities, and hence the anxiety. Isn’t this what happens when we enter into some work or some situation without clearly defining to ourselves the purpose of entering it? Clarity of purpose is is that important, isn’t it?

Your primary responsibility is to take care of yourself

If you want to lead a peaceful life, here is the rule of thumb: Never care about things you can’t control, and take complete responsibility over things you can control.

Things you can’t control: the past, the unseen future, and the way others behave.

Things you can control: what you think, what you speak, what you do in the present moment.

In short, you only need to care about what you are, here and now.

Isn’t this self-centeredness? Of course, we are not preaching selfishness here. We don’t say that you should live only for yourself, or that you shouldn’t help others. Take care of how you help others, take full responsibility of your actions in the present and do your best to help others, but you don’t have the right to worry about the outcome or how the helped will respond to you.

Check out this video where Eckhart Tolle says, “Your primary responsibility is to take care of your state of consciousness which determines the kind of world you create.”

If you think about it, you’ll know that this is the only practical way of living. More than anything else, what you are in the present determines your future. When you take complete responsibility over what you are, what you think, speak and do, everything else takes care of itself.

Isn’t this what is meant in this shloka from the Bhagavad Gita?

You have the right to perform action, but not the fruits thereof at any time; let not the fruits of your actions be your motive, and let there not be attachment to inaction.

— Bhagavad Gita 2.47

Wisdom from the Yoga Vasishtha: Self-effort

In this world, whatever is gained is gained by only by self-effort; where failure is encountered, it is seen that there has been slackness in the effort. This is obvious, but what is called fate is fictitious, and is not seen. …

Self-effort is of two categories: that of past births and that of this birth. The latter effectively counteracts the former. Fate is none other than self-effort of a past incarnation. There is constant conflict between these two in this incarnation and that which is more powerful triumphs.

Self-effort which is not in accord with the scriptures is motivated by delusion. When there is obstruction in the fruition of self-effort one should examine it to see if there is such deluded action, and if there is it should be immediately corrected. There is no power greater than right action in the present. Hence, one should take recourse to self-effort, grinding one’s teeth, and one should overcome evil by good and fate by present effort.

…

… What is called fate or divine will is nothing other than the action or self-effort of the past. The present is infinitely more potent than the past. They are indeed fools who are satisfied with the fruits of their past effort (which they regard as divine will) and do not engage themselves in self-effort now.

— Yoga Vasishtha (tr. by Swami Venkatesananda)