The Qualities of a Good Leader According to the Bhagavad Gita

Karma Without Enmity

In all circumstances we always have a choice to act from our subjectivity. For example someone is trying to abuse you. Immediately we come out with a lot of reasons and excuses for our ill feelings. But in that moment we have missed the opportunity to sharpen our intellect. Once you can see this reality – Immediately you can see that because we did not have patience, we miss the opportunity that the other person has given you an opportunity to sharpen your intellect. If you could see this in that moment instead of feeling ill, you would be grateful to that person for giving you an opportunity to be silent and sharpen your intellect. Have you seen many people when they are abused by the other person they use their intellect without fail and convert the whole abuse in their favour. If someone can do it then why can’t we? Whenever we are given any circumstances and if we act in their circumstances without involving ourselves into any kind of emotion or respect we can do our Karma Without Enmity.

When we act without any enmity that time we are grateful towards the Universe. Karma Without Enmity means Karma In Gratitude.

Action And Activity

Also we need to understand the difference between Action and Activity:

Action comes out of energy, out of delight. Activity is businesslike. Action is poetry. Activity creates a bondage because it is result oriented: you are doing it not for its own sake, you are doing it for some goal. There is a motive, and then there is frustration. Out of a hundred cases, ninety-nine times you will not achieve the goal, so ninety-nine times you will be in misery, frustration. You did not enjoy the activity itself, you were waiting for the result. Now the result has come, and ninety-nine times out of a hundred there is frustration. And don’t hope for the remaining one percent, because when you achieve the goal, there is frustration also. The goal is achieved, but suddenly you realize that all the dreams you have been dreaming about the goal are not fulfilled.

Activity means there is a goal; activity is only a means to that end. Action means that the means and the end are together in it. That’s the difference between action and activity.

Back to: Bhagavad Gita for Management > 2.1 Leadership and Decision Making in the Bhagavad Gita