Essays on the Gita

118 <strong>Essays</strong> on the GitaBut he may be known in an inferior action through thedevas, the gods, the powers of the divine Soul in Nature and inthe eternal interaction of these powers and the soul of man, mutuallygiving and receiving, mutually helping, increasing, raisingeach other’s workings and satisfaction, a commerce in whichman rises towards a growing fitness for the supreme good. Herecognises that his life is a part of this divine action in Natureand not a thing separate and to be held and pursued for itsown sake. He regards his enjoyments and the satisfaction of hisdesires as the fruit of sacrifice and the gift of the gods in theirdivine universal workings and he ceases to pursue them in thefalse and evil spirit of sinful egoistic selfishness as if they were agood to be seized from life by his own unaided strength withoutreturn and without thankfulness. As this spirit increases in him,he subordinates his desires, becomes satisfied with sacrifice as thelaw of life and works and is content with whatever remains overfrom the sacrifice, giving up all the rest freely as an offering in thegreat and beneficent interchange between his life and the worldlife.Whoever goes contrary to this law of action and pursuesworks and enjoyment for his own isolated personal self-interest,lives in vain; he misses the true meaning and aim and utility ofliving and the upward growth of the soul; he is not on the pathwhich leads to the highest good. But the highest only comeswhen the sacrifice is no longer to the gods, but to the one allpervadingDivine established in the sacrifice, of whom the godsare inferior forms and powers, and when he puts away the lowerself that desires and enjoys and gives up his personal sense ofbeing the worker to the true executrix of all works, Prakriti, andhis personal sense of being the enjoyer to the Divine Purusha,the higher and universal Self who is the real enjoyer of the worksof Prakriti. In that Self and not in any personal enjoyment hefinds now his sole satisfaction, complete content, pure delight;he has nothing to gain by action or inaction, depends neitheron gods nor men for anything, seeks no profit from any, forthe self-delight is all-sufficient to him, but does works for thesake of the Divine only, as a pure sacrifice, without attachmentor desire. Thus he gains equality and becomes free from the