Question and answer 13

While engaged in action, may one hold the feeling: 'We are not the doer who does this act, nor the enjoyer who reaps its fruit; this is only the working of the three instruments'?

The mind has been placed in the Self, the deity that is oneself; it never leaves it and stays indifferent in its dealings. Would such a mind form a resolve like the one above? Are not such resolves themselves bondage? Even when thoughts of this kind come through vāsanā, do not let the mind go the way of the thought; try to keep it in its own state, and stay indifferent in your dealings. Do not give room in the mind to thoughts like 'Is this good? Is that good? Shall I do this? Shall I do that?' Be watchful, recognise any such thought before it even rises, and put the mind back in its own state. Give it a little room and it will throw us headlong, like a false friend who seems to wish us well and does us harm. Is it not because we forget ourselves that such thoughts rise and bring more and more trouble? The resolve made by discrimination, 'I do nothing; all this is only the working of the instruments', is a means for stopping a mind that goes the way of vāsanā-thought. But is it not only after the mind has gone the way of the thought that it has to be stopped by discrimination like this? Would a mind that stays in its own state think 'I', or 'I have dealings to attend to'? In every way, slowly, slowly, try never to forget yourself, who are the Lord. When that is reached, everything is accomplished. Do not turn the mind to anything else. Even while you carry out, like a madman, the dealings your karma has brought, keep the mind in its own state, without the thought 'I am doing' arising. Have not many devotees carried out any number of dealings with this indifference?

When engaging in actions, may one hold the attitude that 'we are neither the doer who performs this action nor the enjoyer who experiences its fruit — this is merely the activity of the three instruments'?

Can the mind, which has been made to abide in the Self-deity in its own place, and which never departs from that but remains with an attitude of indifference amid transactions, entertain the resolve stated above? Are not such resolves themselves bondage? Even if such thoughts arise through habitual tendency, one must, rather than letting the mind follow the thought, strive to hold it in its own place, together with an attitude of indifference toward transactions. One must not give room to thoughts such as 'is this good, is that good, may I do this, may I do that', but, being watchful, recognise such thoughts before they even arise and hold the mind in its own place. Given the least room, they will act like a false friend who seems well-wishing but does harm, and turn us upside down. Is it not through forgetting oneself that such thoughts arise and go on producing ever more mischief? Even the resolve, made through discrimination, 'I do nothing at all — everything is merely the activity of the instruments (karaṇas)', though it is a device suited for restraining the mind that goes the way of habitual thought, is to be applied, as said, through discrimination only after the mind has already gone along with the thought, not before. Would the mind that truly abides in its own place entertain the thought 'I', or 'I have business to attend to'? In every case one must, little by little, strive not to forget oneself, who is the Lord. If that is attained, everything is accomplished. One need direct the mind to nothing else. Like a madman, even while carrying out whatever transactions karma brings one's way, one must keep the mind in its own place, without the thought 'I am doing this' arising. Have not countless devotees, with this very attitude of indifference, carried out any number of transactions?