Perfect spiritual questions and answers
Page 188 of 471

These are the reasons why God advises us not to become attached to the fruits of action.

In truth, three factors must be considered here: prescribed duty, independent action, and inaction.

Prescribed duties correspond to the obligations one must fulfill while subject to the influence of the three gunas, the three attributes and modes of influence of material nature: virtue, passion, and ignorance.

Independent actions correspond to those performed without heeding the instructions given to us by the Vedas (the original holy scriptures) and spiritual masters.

Inaction consists of refusing to fulfill one's duty.

The Lord advises not to take the path of inaction, but rather to act according to one's duty without attachment to the results, for one who attaches oneself to the fruits of action takes upon himself the responsibility for his actions, and must therefore enjoy or suffer their consequences.

Prescribed duties can be of three types: routine duties, urgent duties, and desired occupations.

Routine duties should be performed according to the norms of the Vedas, and without attachment to the fruits that flow from them. Because these are imposed duties, performing them is a virtue.

Action performed for the sake of its fruits, on the contrary, breeds bondage and must therefore be considered highly harmful. Everyone has the right to fulfill their duty, but no one should ever act for the sake of results. Fulfilling one's obligations in a spirit of detachment is a sure step toward spiritual liberation.

The Lord advises us to act out of duty, without attachment to the fruits of action.

Not wanting to act or fulfill one's duty is another form of attachment. Good or bad, material attachments always cause bondage and can in no way help us free ourselves from the material condition. Inaction, on the other hand, is reprehensible. The only way to salvation is to act as one's duty demands.

What does it mean to surrender to Krishna, the Supreme Personality of Godhead?

Indeed, stopping all sensory pursuits to focus on the supreme cause is a sign of self-surrender; such surrender is, in turn, a sure sign of devotional service to Krishna. Every being must dedicate themselves to loving and devoted service to Lord Krishna if they wish to know the ultimate cause of their existence.

So, surrendering to Krishna, the Supreme Personality of Godhead, means following Him with complete trust, renewing the bond of love that unites us with Him. It means linking our desires and interests to His, and acting only for Him, and only as He desires.

Willingly surrendering to Krishna, carrying out all His instructions, obeying Him, and doing His will spontaneously and immediately, frees one from all the consequences of sin, however numerous they may be, and offers liberation from this material world. Surrender to God means having absolute trust in Him, to the point of offering Him all the fruits of our actions, our life, our existence, everything we possess and everything we do.

Surrender to Krishna, the Supreme Personality of Godhead, means loving and devoted service to Him, taking pleasure in Him, and satisfying Him.

Complete surrender to God means taking refuge in Him, in order to benefit from His complete protection and preserve ourselves from all falls.

Complete surrender to Krishna, the Supreme Personality of Godhead, is synonymous with total purification.

Thus, as soon as a being surrenders to Krishna, the Supreme Personality of Godhead, he or she is assuredly free from all defilements.

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