Passage 8

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In plain words

So,

as a reflection touches a mirror, as lotus leaves are not wetted in water,

when there is Bhakti, these karmas cannot trouble us at all. When a spark of fire no bigger than an atom falls into cotton heaped like mountains, the whole of it turns to ash. An atom is enough; that is why:

The worry one has on earth over supporting sons and friends, over trade and talk, the worry that ever arises for wealth, grain, enjoyment, fame and gain: that worry, on earth, for the sight of the lotus feet of Nanda's son, what worry then, Lord, over the journey to the door of Yama's dreadful house?

However much your mind dwells on and worries over supporting sons and friends and on trade, however much time you waste worrying for wealth, grain and enjoyments, for hunger, for income, if in that time you give even one moment's thought to the lotus feet of God, even the dreadful gates of Yama will open at once. Out of the time we use in worrying for some material, some worldly thing, if we do not use one moment for God, how will this Śānti come to us? In what way will this blessedness come to us? So, child! For this, prāṇa itself is the chief thing. There is one path you must follow. Join your senses to Manas. Join Manas to the Ātma. Whatever karmas you do, do them with the feeling of offering them to the Ātma. This is the sarvakarma bhagavatprītyartham the great sage Pippalāda spoke of. Do your karmas to please God. You need not give up karmas altogether. Do your own business, do your own jobs. Do the practice you must do. Be a doctor, go on being a lawyer. Go on being a banker. Whatever you are, work will be transformed into worship. Turn every work you do into worship. When you act in this way, punarjanma na vidyate. For you there is no birth. It will not do merely to say in words, ‘all these karmas are an offering to Kṛṣṇa’, and act. You must do it in the heart. An offering made in words brings its gain in words alone.