Thread by @quark_time

1) This is a neat little thread, you guys can read it. There is one thing, though, which I want to harp on.

@greatbong says, "The result of your actions...is not in your hands". Most summaries of the Gita will say, "Do not expect any results for your actions"...

https://twitter.com/greatbong/status/1325982799006846977

2) Which is accurate? What does Lord Krishna say? Does he want you to be a zombie and "work" without desire? Or does he want you to be powerless, not have any control over your life?

An examination of the verse at hand makes things crystal clear.

3) But before that, I must confess, this dilemma troubled me for years. Whichever way you look at it, the Lord, it seemed, was calling it all pointless.

Then my father, as fathers almost always do, shone the spotlight. For someone else's benefit. I just happened to be there.

The verse:

कर्मण्येवाधिकारस्ते मा फलेषु कदाचन ।
मा कर्मफलहेतुर्भुर्मा ते संगोऽस्त्वकर्मणि ॥

You have control only on your actions, never over the result. Hence, do not act in pursuit of the result. Do not not act either. Genius.

The Lord is NOT saying "Do not expect results...". Hell, he himself gave the Gita upadesham with a result in mind - that Partha would stop shirking and act as he must (Klaibyam ma sma gama Partha...). How, then, could he ask the world to not expect results?

6) He is only saying, "You do not control the results". Is he, then, asking us to be powerless? Well, we are already powerless to influence the results. Acknowledging that, accepting that only empowers us further to act without the burden of results. Like I said, GENIUS.

7/7) And I LOVE that @greatbong got this nuance right. Applause.