Action vs Inaction

Krishna makes a key distinction between action and inaction. Action, he says, must be done with complete awareness, so that it is free from anxiety about results, or the selfish desires of the material world. True action does not incur physical sin and can be performed freely, in the spirit of service, towards the dissolution of karma. Over time, one achieves the state of Brahman, divinity, the soul and energy at the heart of the universe.

Service is the key to action, for all action must lead towards spiritual wisdom. Says Krishna, once one makes a commitment to spiritual wisdom as his highest goal, life begins to change, and only good things begin to grow. The ignorant, meanwhile, who remain tied to the material world, waste their lives with their lack of faith and indecision.