Surrender, Gratitude + Prasad

By Ravi Jaishankar…

Yoga as it is known in the West exists in a much larger ecosystem in the East known as Dharma. The central attempt of Dharma is to bring present moment awareness (Chit or Chaitanya) into all aspects of life. Four primary forms of Yoga have been developed for this purpose. They are Bhakti (devotion), Jnana (knowledge), Raja (meditation) and Karma (action). These Yogic systems are summarized in a principle text of the Dharma tradition, the Bhagavad Gita. In this reflection, we will delve into the teachings of Karma Yoga, surrender, gratitude and Prasad.

In the Bhagavad Gita, Lord Shri Krishna instructs his anxious friend Arjuna on Karma Yoga: that the results of one's actions can never be controlled, nor can one depend on any expected outcome based on their work and efforts. In addition to this, Shri Krishna teaches that one's work must still be carried out with full commitment, dedication and follow through, repeating the caveat that expectations of or attachments to results must be relinquished.

Obviously, this is a radical departure from our usual attitudes around work. We generally look forward to (or fear) the results of our actions. For without them, who are we? Our work and the fruits of our labor give us meaning, purpose and a sense of identity. However, the teachings of letting go of the results of our actions are inherently freeing in that they liberate us from the tension and anxiety associated with our work, which stem from the conditions and expectations that we place on ourselves regarding performance and ultimately our self-worth. When the teachings of Karma Yoga are integrated and practiced deeply, they allows us to transcend the fears and insecurities we harbor regarding our efforts and works, and helps us activate our fullest potential, while also providing deep spiritual growth.

As a tangential point, these teachings are actually so effective in increasing worker productivity that in the West they have been extracted from the Bhagavad Gita and play a prominent role in many company and corporate trainings. This is just a small example of the larger cultural appropriation that Dharma traditions face.

There is a further extension of this spiritual teaching: renounce the results of your actions as a spiritual offering to the Infinite. Accept whatever the result is with humility, gratitude and love. No need to get caught up in the result, react to it, dwell on it, and lose yourself in the process. Simply let it go, come back to the present and move on to your next dedicated action. This applies not only to negative but also positive results, as attachments can go both ways.

Being free of attachment by surrendering the results of our actions as an offering to the Infinite, we begin to experience the immanence of the Absolute Reality underlying this material existence. This indescribable Infinite Being is the source of Ananda, which roughly means complete, total, and utter joy. This realization of and access to this unending joy is the ultimate goal of human life according to the Hindu tradition of Dharma.

Finally, this brings us to being able to see the results of our actions as Prasad. Prasad is a Sanskrit word that means consecrated food offered in worship which has been symbolically consumed by the deity, a symbolic representation of the Infinite, in a common ritual process called Puja. Prasad is shared and eaten by devotees at the end of Puja after it has been offered to the deity. Eating the sacred food that the deity has partaken in is a major Bhakti Yoga (devotional) practice in the Hindu tradition.

The idea of Prasad extends into the teaching of "Prasada-buddhi", which literally means "Prasad-mindset". In this mindset we see ourselves as the constant recipient of Prasad (blessings) from the Infinite. The teaching culminates in applying this special perspective to the various situations we face in life; each experience and moment can provide opportunity to access completeness and fullness of the Infinite.

Can we shift our perspective to see everything as Prasad?

That both the struggles and joys we encounter on our paths are Prasad, or grace, showered by the Infinite for the ultimate purpose of our spiritual development?

Let us be thankful for all the different types of Prasad in our life, and accept what comes to us with integrity, equipoise and dignity knowing that each moment is an opportunity for deep growth, self-reflection, humility, and of course gratitude. Let us be grateful that the Prasad in our life that has brought us to where we are and made us who we are, continually growing, life time after life time, closer and closer to the Absolute.