42. Balanced Decision Making

 


We all make several decisions for ourselves, our family and society based on a variety of factors daily. Krishna exhorts us to take this decision making to the next level when he says ‘Yogah Karmasu Kaushalam’ (2.50). This verse is generally interpreted to mean that yoga is attaining mastery in a particular karma or profession. Its deeper meaning, however, is that in the yoga of equanimity, every action becomes harmonious. It’s about dropping kartapan (doership) and ahankaar to experience the harmony that flows out like the beauty and fragrance of a flower.

As karta, all our decisions are directed towards attaining pleasure and avoiding pain for ourselves and our families. The next level of the journey is making balanced decisions, especially when we are responsible for organizations and society, however, the kartapan or sense of doership remains.

Here, Krishna is speaking about the ultimate level where kartapan itself is dropped and whatever flows out of such a person is harmonious. The all-pervading chaitanya becomes the karta for them.

Understanding these levels is an essential part of the journey for all decision makers, motivating the Indian Administrative Service (IAS) to adopt ‘Yogah Karmasu Kaushalam’ as its motto.

It’s about not identifying with our emotions, prejudices and memories as these blur our ability to absorb facts resulting in poor decisions. It’s about coming back to the middle quickly when hit by polarities from external world.

Implementation of the law or any decision making isn’t always pleasant as they are subject to scrutiny by others. Being in the middle helps us absorb both praise and criticism stoically.

Unlimited potential exists in terms of intelligence, energy and compassion for all those who firmly straddle the middle. With access to such resources, one is bound to outperform even from the point of view of the manifested or material world. Life on Earth is possible because it stands in the middle - neither too close nor too far from the Sun, thereby allowing life-giving water to be in liquid form.


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