If one must reap the fruits of all of one’s good and bad deeds, how can there be moksha (liberation), since even good deeds will bring fruits and keep the individual bound to the physical world?
—jayantkumar dhruv, india
Dear Jayantkumar,
The important point is for us to attain that state of self-realization where we no longer have the ego’s involvement. It is the ego that keeps us bound with the resulting attachments.
In the yoga teachings there is a very helpful emphasis; that of nishkam karma, which means to act without the desire for the fruits of our actions. When our attachments are released then our deeds no longer keep us bound. So, in all that we do it is a good thing to feel that God is the doer, and that our role is to be as open an instrument as we can be, for that divine flow to move through us. There’s a beautiful prayer from Paramhansa Yogananda that can be helpful to keep in mind, “Lord, may I reason, may I will, may I act; but guide Thou my reason, will, and activity to the right path in everything.”
Blessings on your journey,
Nayaswami Pranaba
