I got an email recently from a gentleman who, in one of the Spiritual meetings, had taken up the subject of the ‘Art of Man-making’. They had been discussing ‘The man of perfection’ (as expounded in the Bhagvad Geeta)
Hindus tend to believe that a man of perfection is a man who is detached. To my relief, their teacher, had given them the assurance ‘that detachment does not mean to be stoic and uninvolved in the world’ A lot of people cannot differentiate between attachment and love. Being detached, does not mean, not to be concerned when your child is ill. Concern is a natural instinct of love. People discard love along with attachment. And so they throw the baby along with the bath water.
I believe that while being detached, one has to be loving and compassionate. Detachment, according to me, is to be and let be! Live and let live! After you have done your best, leave the rest! I believe that the only true detachment is from the desire of fruits of action.
The 12th verse of the 12th chapter in the Bhagvad Geeta states:
Shreyo hi jnaanam abhyaasaat,
jnaanaa dhyaanam vishishyate
Dhyaanaat karma phala tyaagas
Tyaagaat chhaantiranantara
Which I would interpret thus:
Better than (ritual) practice is Knowledge (Gyaan)
Better than knowledge is meditation,
Better than meditation is, to renounce the fruit of your actions,
Peace immediately follows.
(Note: Krishna does not ask you to renounce ‘actions’. He is asking to renounce its fruits.)
If one does the above, peace immediately follows.
Allow your loved ones, to learn by making their mistakes (if they refuse to take your advice). Be a loving bystander, and observer. And try to avoid the statement: “I told you so!”
Some ask: Why does man act at all? My answer: KRISHNA SAYS MAN IS A CREATURE OF ACTION. HE CANNOT HELP BUT ACT. EVEN RENUNCIATION IS AN ACT. WHAT IS REQUIRED IS TO ACT WITHOUT DESIRE OF FRUITS.
Shakun Kimatrai 