[Advaita-l] Are actions essentially meaningless?

[V Subrahmanian]

On Fri, Dec 21, 2012 at 12:51 PM, Suresh <mayavaadi at yahoo.com> wrote:

> Friends,
>
> In dualistic traditions, actions are necessary to please god, to earn his
> grace. But in our tradition, we are already Brahman, so it is not like we
> need this or that action to take us there. We are already that.
>
> In this context, are actions simply a way for the deluded jiva to kill
> time (until he leaves the body at death and merges with Brahman)? Kind of
> like a prisoner keeping himself occupied until he becomes a free man.
>

The Lord in the Bh.Gita 3rd chapter says: not a single moment does man
remain without acting.  His nature compels him to engage in action.

The shAstra points out the goal as 'naishkarmyam', the nature of
'no-action'.  With a view to realize that nature of ourselves the method
the shAstra prescribes is 'right action'.  Just like a thorn is removed by
another so too action is sublimated by action.  It is only when the 'I am
the doer' bhAva goes that we are in naishkarmyam.  When this bhAva is
accomplished, any amount of action will not bind the person.

regards
subrahmanian.v

>
> Regards,
> Suresh
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