Change Your Focus – In Gita Verse 18.5 Acts of sacrifice, charity and penance are not to be given up; they must be performed. Indeed, sacrifice, charity and penance purify even the great souls.
From Bhagavad Gita Verse 18.5, it is stated that acts of sacrifice, charity, and penance should not be abandoned; they must be performed as they purify even the great souls. Krishna emphasises that actions carried out without guilt and with full awareness transform into acts of sacrifice, charity, and penance, which serve to purify the individual.
The practice of sacrifice, charity, and penance is not to be forsaken; it is indeed a duty. These acts purify the wise and intelligent individuals. O best of men, renunciation has been classified into three types, and the acts of sacrifice, charity, and penance should not be relinquished. These actions must be undertaken as they purify the wise.
Achieving a state of action without guilt requires extensive training and discipline. Often, we lose awareness while engaged in work and only realise our lack of awareness afterward, leading to feelings of guilt and the perception of having made a mistake.
This challenge is common for anyone striving to maintain awareness while working, as work typically demands complete immersion, almost to the point of self-forgetfulness. Without such total involvement, the work remains superficial.
Great accomplishments in painting, poetry, architecture, sculpture, and other fields necessitate total involvement. Attempting to maintain awareness simultaneously can detract from the quality of work, as divided attention prevents full immersion.
Therefore, maintaining awareness during work requires significant training and discipline, starting with simple actions. For example, one can practise walking with full awareness of each step or eating with mindfulness, akin to the “tea ceremony” in Zen monasteries, where sipping tea demands alertness.
Beginning with small, routine actions is advisable before progressing to more complex activities like painting or dancing. As one becomes more accustomed to awareness, it becomes as natural as breathing, requiring no effort. At this stage, awareness can be maintained during any activity, provided it arises spontaneously and effortlessly.
In exceptional cases, awareness can emerge spontaneously without prior discipline. For instance, a story recounts a servant who, faced with a life-threatening duel, achieved total awareness and defeated a master swordsman despite lacking formal training. This heightened state of awareness arose from the dire circumstances, illustrating that extreme situations can sometimes induce spontaneous awareness.
However, such occurrences are rare. In daily life, one should cultivate awareness through simple actions, gradually progressing to more complex tasks. Eventually, one can achieve a state where awareness and total involvement coexist in any activity.
When one acts with totality, there is no room for guilt, signifying a profound religious experience. Traditional religions often equate guilt with religiosity, encouraging self-punishment for perceived wrongdoings. In contrast, focusing on moments of clarity and awareness can foster growth and healing, gradually dispelling the darkness of unawareness.
Change your focus completely. Rather than counting how many times you forgot to be aware, focus on those few beautiful moments when you were crystal clear and aware. Those few moments are enough to save, cure, and heal you. By paying attention to these instances, they will grow and spread in your consciousness, slowly eradicating the darkness of unawareness.
Krishna underscores the value of awareness, as it can unlock the mysteries of existence and lead to the divine. Therefore, one should approach the cultivation of awareness with care and patience, starting from the basics and progressing slowly. In such moments, any act becomes an act of sacrifice, charity, and penance.
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