Non-doership - The Supreme Identity

              

                  Krishna provides the true spiritual sublimation to all activities, by showing the non-acting Soul reigning supremely within and above all activities:

"Despite that, due to unrefined intelligence, he who views the Singular Self as the doer, is of ill-directed (perverse) vision. He does not verily see at all." (Bhagavadgeeta 18.16)

                           Whether righteous or unrighteous, all activities have their undulating fates. At the same time to think that this acting plane – the body, mind and speech – is the only one the human consists of, is grossly wrong.
Leave actions to their own limitations and fates and elevate the vision to the Eternal Soul. The Singular Soul is the least involved in any movement, action or its result. One who thinks that the Soul acts and hence is subject to dharma and adharma as well as its threefold result, is perverted. He does not understand the truth at all. The identity denoted by the term `I' always refers to the Supreme Soul, which as pointed out right from the second chapter, is non-acting, un-affected, immovable and full.
                                    To use the word `I' to denote oneself, one's identity, at the same time not to understand what it represents is fallacious. The body, mind, etc. are at best one's possessions, but none of these is oneself, one's Self. Being so, should not an effort be made to know and realize what this `I' identity verily is?
                             As the body, mind, etc. are given to constant activity and its effects, the `I', the Soul within, remains totally above all actional and effectual processes. This is what Krishna emphasized in the guna-traya vibhaaga discussion of the 14th chapter (14.19).

Krishna's sole purpose is to discuss a subject and in the process elevate and sublimate the listener. In every chapter this is what He has attempted and achieved, keeping Arjuna in front.

                                               The most important part of the discussion is that the mind and intelligence should be elevated to the Soul-level. They must be able to interact with the world remaining anchored in the transcendental sublimity of the Soul.By so doing, many of the negative traits such as dislike, disgust and repulsion, will drop from the mind. A level of fullness and radiance will be reached. None, not even one's enemy causes irritation or resentment in the mind of one who has reached this exalted level. At the same time, such a Knower will be able to respond in the most appropriate manner the situation deserves. Activities become most effective, when freed of their deterring or tormenting notes. With effort and striving, this refinement and sublimation can be actualized by any good seeker.

                                               To be lost in activity to such an extent that one does not care to think of the non-acting Supreme Soul within is to fall a victim to akrita-buddhi (impure intelligence) and even durmati (perverse intelligence). Krishna uses very strong words to denounce these negative traits, so that the seeker will be persuaded to eschew them in all earnestness.

Harih Om Tat Sat. Jai Guru.

Swami Bhoomananda Tirtha