Self-less action leads to Self-realization
pg.58 : Bhagavad Gita : Eknath EswaranBhagavad Gita's emphasis is on the mind;
Most human activity , good and bad , is tainted by ego-involvement;
such activity cannot purify consciousness
because it goes on generating new karma in the mind
we go getting entangled in what we do
on the other hand
Selfless work purifies consciousness because
when there is no trace of ego involvement
new karma is not produced;
the mind keeps working out the karma
it has already accumulated
As an example, say, you engage in philanthropic activity
but still, carry ego involvement
such work is good, but not Yoga
because action done with a selfish motive
entangles a person further precisely by strengthening the motive
so it is likely to prompt selfish action again
Action without selfish motive purifies the mind
The doer is less likely to be ego-driven later
Eknath Eswaran gives the analogy of Potter's wheel here:
Ego's job is to keep spinning the wheel of the mind and making Karma Pots
New ideas to act upon
Fresh desires to pursue
When this pointless activity stops
no more pots are made
but for a while, mind keeps spinning
out of the momentum of past karma!
if you are patient enough,
the wheel does come to a stop
dissolving mind process in samadhi!
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