The Bhagavad Gita of Hinduism is one of the world’s great spiritual treasures. Gandhi often quoted the following verse of that great classic: “You have a right to your actions, but never to your actions’ fruits. Act for the action’s sake. And do not be attached to inaction.” (Bhagavad Gita 2:47, translation by Stephen Mitchell)
The Gita says somewhere else: “Be even-tempered in success and failure: for it is this evenness of temper which is meant by yoga.” As I understand it, the Gita’s suggestion is for us to focus on what we can control and let go of results that are beyond our control. In other words, we are to do our duty without fretting about setbacks and failures. Over time, this practice is a recipe for a life of activism that also allows us to live in peace and joy.
I met someone who embodied this wisdom. Architect, Tom Shefelman had stepped down from his major projects to help our little church build a new building. We had very little money and our budget would sometimes mean cutting back on the original plan. Tom would draw up wonderful designs only to be met with setbacks and delays. It was amazing to watch him delight in every challenge even if it meant going back to square one. Tom seemed to treat our project like a Tibetan sand painting. He did his best at all times, but, when fate would throw us a curveball, he did not waste a second in lament. Instead, Tom would smile whimsically and say something like, “Well, we could put a little window up high so the light will make the space more interesting.”
Tom is gone now, but I think of him often. Tom embodied for me the truth of the old Hindu maxim. By letting go of what we cannot control we can be fully creative in the present moment. Of course, we need to learn what we can from our failures, but we need never surrender to despair because our joy lies in doing our duty to love no matter what.