RYAN GOH

1001763

SCO8

HASS ESSAY 3

Essay Question: Discuss the role(s) of action and suffering as depicted

in the Bhagavad Gita
Action and suffering are two broad themes that serve to depict the human
condition and the path of human existence towards something greater. In this
essay, I will attempt to describe these two words that represent important ideas
in the Bhagavad Gita and how the narrative of the epic contextualises the
meaning of action and suffering. I will also draw on certain texts to compare
similar ideas and themes, in order to show that such ideas are not isolated, but
have somehow spread to other societal and cultural regions and expressed in
texts. Lastly, I will explore the relevance of these two themes in modern society
and whether the lessons of Bhagavad Gita are still applicable to us in the 21 st
century.
Action, according to Fingarette (1984), is the "human exercise of power, of
control over the course of affairs" and is related to "the execution and actualizing
of purpose" (p. 359). In the context of Bhagavad Gita, the backdrop of the battle
scene where Arjuna is hesitant about going into battle, provides the impetus to
duty and action as Krishna, his charioteer, persuades him to action. It is in terms
of "moral action" (Mathur, 1974, p. 34) that forms the basis of what Krishna
convinces Arjuna to undergo. In this situation, Arjuna finds himself in a moral
conflict and Krishna presents to him a revelation of the nature of human action
and how action is linked with duty.
Suffering on the other hand is described as the opposite of action, "where things
affect and are happening to oneself" in contrast to the purposeful act of action
(Fingarette, 1984, p. 360). However, suffering has a negative connototation often
linked with despair, and as shown in the Bhagavad Gita, "we are in bondage to
karman, the common tendency to struggle to establish our own purposes on the
world, resulting in suffering" (Fingarette, 1984, p. 360). The Bhagavad Gita deals
with the theme of suffering on a whole as the narrative starts with the conflict
experienced by Arjuna on the battlefield and the resolution of suffering through
the self-discovery of the meaning of suffering. Suffering is portrayed in the Gita
as being a concrete and essential experience that all humans go through in life,
but it is temporal. Krishna explains to Arjuna the concepts of what is real and
what is permanent or unchanging. The world that humans live in and interact
with each other is unreal as it is constantly in motion. On the other hand, that
which is permanent is described as the atman or soul which is "eternal and
infinite in contrast to the body which is constantly changing and not timeless" (S.
Rama, 1985, p. 6). The atman is also described as the "self located in a living
being as a result of past karma" (Bhawuk, 2011, p. 68) where the "goal of atman
is to break free of bondage and achieve liberation" (Mitchell, 2007).
In the Bhagavad Gita, the central dichotomy between action and suffering is
highlighted, which Krishna shows is the cause of the moha or delusion from the
true reality when there is a strong focus on the "perspective of action instead of
suffering" (Fingarette, 1984, p. 364). Arjuna's inner struggle and hesitancy within
to battle his enemies when he saw his friends, relatives and other familiar people

RYAN GOH

1001763

SCO8

HASS ESSAY 3

among his enemies is an example of how Arjuna focused and deliberated on the
outcome of his actions alone. His misconception was to associate "his action to
his identity as a separate self" and that "his killing was solely his own and the
fate of the people that perished on the battlefield was their individual fates"
(Shideler, 1960, p. 309).
In the Fourth teaching of the Bhagavad Gita about knowledge, the word "action"
appears many times and Krishna lists three forms of action: action, inaction and
wrong action during his dialogue with Arjuna (4:17). Krishna describes himself as
someone separate from action, "the actor who never acts" (4:13), "desiring no
fruit of actions" (4:14) and "being freed from misfortune" (4:16). From this, we
can draw some kind of relation between action and suffering and that the wrong
kind of action produces misfortune or suffering, while the right kind of action
should be inaction. In this regard, it poses an interesting question to us
concerning the influence of our actions on our lives. Can our actions really
impact the way we live our lives or are our actions dependent on the
circumstances and situations of our lives? As the great Gandhi once said, "You
may never know what results come of your action, but if you do nothing there
will be no result" (Ashoka, 2012). Fingarette (1984, p. 361) also presents three
expressions of action, what she terms "action, mis-action and non-action", where
action involves a dynamic carrying-out of our purposes, while mis-action involves
our failure to carry out our purposes and hence suffering and non-action is
suffering without any initial purpose, which is analogous to "contentless bliss".
Mathur (1974, p.34-35) advocates the concept of "Niskama-karma or
disinterested action as a means to attain Moksa or the ultimate goal of liberation
from the bondage in the physical to the consciousness of the self as pure
Atman". Due to the beliefs in the Gita that action, no matter good or bad,
"hinders the self due to the self's desire for the fruits of action" (Mathur, 1974, p.
35). Niskama-karma involves breaking the influence of the self on our actions by
"performing our duties (dharma), achieving non-attachment and loving and
being devoted to God" (Mathur, 1974, p. 35).
If we are to isolate our individual self through our actions, how can we define
actions and what are the purpose of our actions. Krishna explains to Arjuna in the
Gita that "A man who sees inaction in action and action in inaction has
understanding among men" (4:18) and that "Nature acts, only the confused think
I am the doer" (Fingarette, 1984, p. 364). In this regard, the doer reduces in
significance to the doing and it begs the question of what is true reality and the
things that we perceive and experience in our daily lives. Are our emotions real
and how do we know if it represents a unique expression in response to our
situations?
If nature acts in and through us, how does suffering come into the picture? Like
Arjuna, we are often faced with difficult situations and we choose our actions in
these situations based on the possible consequences that can come out of our
actions. We fail to realize that our actions can in no way influence the outcomes
of our reality, as Krishna explains, "the three gunas or basic natural impulses
govern human conduct" (Fingarette, 1984, p. 364). Suffering is described as the

RYAN GOH

1001763

SCO8

HASS ESSAY 3

ultimate condition that all people experience, which is the "unity that binds
bondage and liberation" (Fingarette, 1984, p. 365) and the source of suffering is
due to a person's mistaken identity, lack of true knowledge and attachment with
the world. As Fingarette (1984, p. 365) interprets the message behind the Gita,
there are no options between "suffering and non-suffering". As with action, just
as there is a correct way of action, there is a correct and wrong way of suffering.
Attachment and desires, coupled with moha, represent the physical suffering we
experience, but a person who possesses the knowledge that all action is
suffering changes his focus to the bigger reality. As Fingarette puts it (1984, p.
365), "action is experienced as suffering and suffering actualized in action". If
action is in and through itself suffering, can we extend it to the physical
sensation of pain in that the pain we feel is a result of our actions and pain exists
as an inherent part of the human condition?

References
Ashoka. (02 Oct, 2012). Forbes. Retrieved 08 Aug, 2015, from 12 Great Quotes
From Gandhi On His Birthday:
http://www.forbes.com/sites/ashoka/2012/10/02/12-great-quotes-from-gandhi-onhis-birthday/
Bhawuk, D. (2011). Spirituality and Indian Psychology: Lessons from the
Bhagavad-Gita. Hawaii: Springer Science and Business Media.
Fingarette, H. (1984). Action and Suffering in the Bhagavadgt. Philosophy East
and West , 357-369.
Mathur, D. C. (1974). The Concept of Action in the Bhagvad-Gita. Philosophy and
Phenomenological Research , 34-45.
Miller, B. S. (2004). The Bhagavad-Gita: Krishna's Counsel in Time of War. New
York: Random House Publishing Group.
Mitchell, S. (2007). Bhagavad Gita: A New Translation. New York: Three Rivers
Press.
Rama, S. (1985). Perennial Psychology of the Bhagavad Gita. USA: The
Himalayan Institute Press.
Shideler, E. W. (1960). The Meaning of Man in the Bhagavad Gita. Journal of Bible
and Religion , 308-316.