Live Session - Pragmatic Gita - Chapter 5, Shlokas 14 to 17, Vancouver, BC

Verse 5.14 - 5.17We think we are the doers, but we are not There's an old Indian parable about a puppet show. The puppets in the show dance and act based on the strings controlled by the puppeteer. To an observer, it might seem like the puppets are performing the actions, but in reality, it's the puppeteer controlling them. Similarly, we, as individuals, might feel that we are in control of our actions and their outcomes. However, Shri Krishna reminds us that there's a greater cosmic play at work, influenced by the modes of material nature. Just as the puppets are not the real "doers" of their actions, we too are influenced by the gunas of nature. Krishna has said that we should not have a sense of ownership or doership. When it comes to ownership, we know for sure that God is the ultimate owner of everything in the universe. When it comes to doership, the question arises who is the doer? Is God the actual cause of everything that happens in the world? Imagine God was the doer of everything, meaning He is responsible for all our actions. If that was the case, then there would be no possibility of bad actions or imperfect actions because God is perfect. Isn’t it? If God was the doer and responsible for all our actions then we would never have to read about dharma, adharma, etc and Krishna would not have felt the need to impart the knowledge of Bhagavad Gita to humankind. Shri Krishna explains that the actual cause of various actions is our guṇas. These are Sattvic (goodness), Rajasic (passion) and Tamasic (ignorance/ badness). Krishna will talk a lot more in detail about the gunas in chapter 14. For now, let us understand that the body is constituted of these gunas, and all actions are performed by these modes of nature.  But out of ignorance, we identify with our bodies and think that the body is the doer of actions, which are in fact done by material nature.  The Supreme Lord doesn't dictate our actions or decisions. Instead, it's our innate nature, similar to instincts in animals, that drives most of our behaviors. Just as animals are driven by their natural instincts, humans too are influenced by this inherent nature. This nature isn't just external; it's deeply embedded within us, guiding our basic actions like eating, drinking, and forming families. It's not God directing us to act in certain ways; it's this intrinsic nature that's a part of us. Ok, so we are not the doer and God is not the doer. Then who is?