Discipline in Action

After reading teachings three, four, and five, my perception of what detachment, discipline in action and inaction are in the book has changed big time.

Action and discipline are almost all about taking control of your senses and learning to act in order to give to the gods and pay your dept with them to eventually elude evil “When his senses are controlled\ but he keeps recalling\ sense objects with his mind,\ he is a self-deluded hypocrite” (6, T3), “Enriched by sacrifice, the gods\ will give you delights you desire;\ he is a thief who enjoys their gifts\ without giving to them in return” (12, T3). In teaching three he describes how the ones who perform action detached are the ones with knowledge and that they must guide through inspiration the ones who are attached. Krishna says passion is the enemy of knowledge and all that stands for what is good, It is Desire and anger, arising\ from nature´s quality of passion;\ know it here as the enemy voracious and very evil” (37, T3)I had heard before about OM in that culture but I had never understood what it meant when it is mentioned, “Action comes from the spirit of prayer,\ who´s source is OM, sound of the imperishable; so the pervading infinite spirit\ is ever presented in rites of sacrifice” (15, T3).

In teaching four Krishna emphasized in the evil and the bad result of ambition and individuality. I was surprised by how he rejects one to follow his desire and deny his word and thought. Content with whatever comes in chance, \ beyond dualities, free from envy,\ impartial to failure and success,\ he is not bound even when he acts” (22, T4) this quote was hard to understand for me, this means one can not feel almost anything that is biased not even in suffering, it reminds me of the saying that everything happens because god wanted it that way and that it happens for a reason, it is a very conformist idea. Knowledge is also called a purifier in this teaching, knowledge justifies whatever action.

Teaching five repeats all the principles of the previous ones and reinforces the importance of knowledge. When someone understands he acts well and thought, I believe that as well. I say to be happy you should learn to accept defeats and be impartial of things; I wish I could apply that some day. A new thing is mentioned bonding renunciation and discipline, “Renunciation is difficult to attain\ without discipline;\ a sage armed with discipline\ soon reaches the infinite spirit” (6, T5).