Transforming Action into Spiritual Education

All actions, says the Gita, can be converted into spiritual education of the whole man under the guidance of a rational ethics and philosophy. Work done in a spirit of non-attachment helps man to develop his unlimited spiritual personality. By being unattached to his limits, sensate, lower self, man receives ‘intimations of immortality’, as Wordsworth puts it; man begins to experience the infinite dimensions of his personality. His vision and sympathies broaden. He comes across a vast reservoir of spiritual energy within himself, with makes him achieve a double efficiency in his life, namely, outer social efficiency and inner spiritual efficiency. The Gita calls this by the name of yoga, the science and art of the spiritual life, and gives two important definitions of this science: yogah karmasu kausalam – ‘yoga is efficiency in action’ (II.50) and samatvam yoga ucyate – ‘Yoga is called even-mindedness’ (II.48).

Work with attachment, work proceeding from the level of the ego, is characterized by much fuss and noise; that is the sign of its inefficiency proceeding from lack of inner discipline; it tends steadily to the inner impoverishment of the worker. The more efficient the machine, the more silent and smooth its functioning, and the greater its output of work. An inefficient machine, such as a worn-out car, is all fuss and noise with very little output in speed. Calm, silent, steady, and efficient work, sustained by deep social feeling, is the mark of true spirituality. Therefore, says the Gita (II, 49):

Durena hyavaram karma buddhiyogat dhananjaya;
Buddhau saranam anviccha krpanah phalahetavah —
‘Work (done with attachment) is verity far inferior to that performed from the stand-point of buddhiyoga (the yoga of equable reason); seek refuge, O Arjuna, in this buddhi. Small-minded are they who act motivated by selfish results.’

EXTRACTS FROM: Eternal Values for a Changing Society Volume III – Education for Human Excellence; 17 – Indian Philosophy of Social Work (Pg:285-286; ed. 1995)
This was the convocation address at the Tata Institute of Social Sciences, Bombay on June 3, 1967.