Chapter 5. Karma-yoga - Action in Kṛṣṇa Consciousness
TEXT 1
Arjuna said: O Kṛṣṇa, first of all You ask me to renounce work, and then again You recommend work with devotion. Now will You kindly tell me definitely which of the two is more beneficial?
PURPORT
Arjuna did not understand that activities based on true knowledge has no consequences and are considered inaction.
The material world is full of activities; souls who want impressions and happiness are constantly performing certain actions.They drive around in the cars and produce a huge amount of things that go to the landfill after a couple of years. Moreover, they do not really need that things, but rather simply create the impression of life's diversity. This is due to the lack of real purpose in life. Also, hundreds and thousands of fictional stories are written to entertain the mind with impressions. Basically, such activities are meaningless, and a person who is trying to develop spiritually often wants to get out of this cacophony of Babylon. However, the better solution for him is not to go out, but rather to enter this environment, carrying the message of the Personality of Godhead. One can carry the message physically by meeting people in person or one can preach online. In past eras, people could communicate at a distance without mechanical devices, in some ways it is not so difficult, and some people have retained such abilities even in our time. Nevertheless, since people have lost and continue to lose good qualities, nowadays communication at a distance is carried out using radio waves, and further a global system of universal control will be created.
If someone is not capable of a preaching feat (to bring people knowledge about God), this means that he is bound by thick ropes of fate, which tied the idea of "more goods" to his head. In this case, the method of karma-yoga, or dedication of one's activity to God, is applied. In fact, all one need to be happy is knowledge and sufficient communication on spiritual topics. When a person has a lot of such communication, he becomes satisfied. We do not have to wait for someone to come and appreciate us, it is easier to go out oneself into this kingdom of manufacturers of tablets and machines. A person does not even need to travel somewhere, even in a small town he can become a living attraction that kindly reminds everyone of God.
In the material world, everyone is fruitlessly languishing, all their activities do not bring happiness to anyone, therefore the shining ray of spiritual knowledge brings life to this dull kingdom.
TEXT 2
The Blessed Lord said: The renunciation of work and work in devotion are both good for liberation. But, of the two, work in devotional service is better than renunciation of works.
PURPORT
It is good to cut down the tree of material conditioning by any methods. This can be done either by giving up activity or by directing activity towards God, nevertheless, an active position is better than a passive one. All kinds of sensual life are a desire for events and impressions, a desire to experience qualities; and the best qualities are spiritual because they are eternal. When a devotee offers a spiritual message to people over and over again, the ice of material life gradually begins to melt, and since the devotee is unattached, he has thousands of ideas in what form this offer can be made. Just as dozens of versions of the same object are invented in the material world, in response we create even more versions of the representation of one idea about God. Since a devotee is not anxious to get something from his neighbor or push him into religion, he is happy and fresh; and sometimes he hears the indignation that arises in his address as the sounds of a beautiful hymn.
Those who are "tied to the head with ropes" that they always lack something, continue their dull life, sometimes even being in religion. Lord Caitanya will gradually bring thousands of preachers to the streets of this world.
TEXT 3
One who neither hates nor desires the fruits of his activities is known to be always renounced. Such a person, liberated from all dualities, easily overcomes material bondage and is completely liberated, O mighty-armed Arjuna.
PURPORT
Having neither attachment nor aversion, a person is not bound either by the activity itself or its consequences. When a person acts in the position of a servant, he moves out of the influences and throws off reactions from himself. This rule works even in material activities. Those who lead take the reactions and those who serve leave them. Although sometimes you have to accept responsibility and lead, in reality no intelligent person wants to lead or rise above others. So, leadership is a difficult job, but by the will of God, devotees have to do this as well. However, there are no consequences when the work of leadership is performed for the Supreme Personality of Godhead. This is the interest of everyone: to do everything for God – either out of practical interest, so as not to suffer the consequences, or because of attachment to Him.
TEXT 4
Only the ignorant speak of karma-yoga and devotional service as being different from the analytical study of the material world [sāṅkhya]. Those who are actually learned say that he who applies himself well to one of these paths achieves the results of both.
PURPORT
By serving God with devotion, one attains full knowledge because such service (preaching) removes one from the influence of material nature. When a person becomes more free, he sees all the laws and connections of this world. In fact, it is enough to understand only the temporality of everything, but when a person has “ropes” on his head, he thinks that he will live here forever and that material property will make him happy.
Jñānīs (thinkers) are superior to materialists or lovers of things, houses and cars, but they often cannot understand that the activities of devotees have nothing common with the material world. Thinkers consider religious activity to be inferior and preliminary, and they see themselves at the top of the world - in the development of a new theory like "altered DNA - the beginning of the eternal human race." Indeed, few people can understand that devotional service gives knowledge, it seems to the thinkers that knowledge can only be obtained by reasoning. They see their reasoning as supervaluable, but devotees sometimes find it difficult to listen to such theories which they tired of "twenty years ago." Thinkers do not understand that they live in a limited sphere of the mind, "flying" there in a vicious circle. While a person is in the realm of the mind, he is technically unable to understand many things, including the subtleties of spiritual life. However, the study of scripture belongs to another, spiritual sphere, since it is a sound that comes to us from the spiritual sky and it is not associated with material elements. Only those who are wise can see that both analytical study and devotional service lead to the same goal.