“Act without expectation …”

Swami ji said…

” ‘ कर्म करो, फल की इच्छा मत करो…’ This is ancient wisdom that has been passed down to us through generations. Words that motivate us to focus only on our actions and not on what we might obtain as a result of them. Words that give us a new perspective of our ‘karma’ ; our way of living. Yet, in a world where material desires drive the majority at large – can such words serve any value? Do they hold much meaning for us – who are mired in desires ? After all, we all go to our jobs to get a salary at the end of the month. We work hard to keep our stomachs full and a roof above our heads. Surely, the results of our actions do matter and do require consideration.”

” It is thus folly to take a simplistic view of the words. Of course we want to be wealthy after working tirelessly for years. Of course we want to look good after putting in hours to shed weight.There is nothing wrong if we find motivation in seeking such rewards. Yet, there is a limit to how much we can let our lives be dictated by such thinking.”

” Today, people view each other more and more as a means to an end. It is easy to take help but difficult to give it – unless of course there is something in it for us. Society today believes more in ‘networking’ than in ‘friendship’. People have more ‘contacts’ than ‘friends’. We make acquaintances based not so much on mutual hobbies and characteristics but rather on how we might ‘benefit’ each other.”

” The act of helping someone in need is a noble action – and while our ego might make us believe that we are being magnanimous and generous, it is only God’s way of giving us an opportunity to do some good ‘karma’ and release ourselves from the debts of the past. Unfortunately, even when such an opportunity comes our way – we tend to ask ourselves – “ Why should I help him? He has never been of any help to me! Nobody helps me when I’m in trouble!’ Instead of being grateful that God has put us in a position where we can be of help to someone, we only fear of being helpless – in our own times of need.”

” Service or assistance of any kind by us to others is not ‘us’ helping any one. It is merely ‘us’ being used as an ‘instrument’ by God in giving out the help needed, that we are supposed to, in a particular lifetime. Similarly, it is only God who gets us out of our troubles. The people who come to our rescue are there merely because He has willed them to be there and play the role of our ‘saviours’.”

” To live a life based on the principle of ‘you scratch my back and I scratch yours’ – would indeed be a poor life. Poorest of the poor , infact. Such a life is lived by those who have no faith in God, His love and concern for their well being.Those who abide by such self laid out tenets, are truly alone, as they rarely have any true relationships in their lives. They live in a constant fear of being hurt and betrayed. Bitterness and suspicion is only what remains in their hearts.”

” Thus, it is important to keep monitoring our expectation riddled behaviour time and again and to get rid of it at the earliest. How free are our actions from the weight of expectations? Do we find ourselves ruminating about how much we are ‘owed’ for small acts of kindness that we might have done in the past ? Constant reflection on this would serve us well. We are most exposed to falling prey to such thoughts when we truly need to make an ‘effort’ for another person ; when we are tired and don’t have the will to make time for others. It is in such circumstances that we must strive to overcome negative thoughts which pull us away from doing ‘nek karma’.”

” Expectations expect an immediate return and their fickle nature raises disquieting thoughts in us – ‘ What good will I get by helping him out ?’ or ‘What difference will my contribution make?’ “इससे क्या फर्क पड़ेगा?” One way of silencing such irrational thoughts – is to think of ourselves as those fortunate individuals who have been earmarked by God to help those in need. We must tell ourselves that we are doing His work, and there is nothing better than seizing every opportunity that He creates for us to do the smallest and simplest good ‘karma’ for anyone, devoid of expectations.
‘Samaaj’ mein ‘salaah’ toh sab de te hain…’sahyog’ dena seekho, bina kisi umeed ke…”