Non-Attachment to Outcomes

“The need to be a great artist makes it hard to be an artist. The need to produce a great work of art makes it hard to produce any art at all.”  -Julia Cameron

The Bhagavad Gita, one of the major Hindu scriptures and part of the Hindu epic tale Mahabharata, details a conversation between Lord Krishna (disguised as a charioteer) and Arjuna, a prince struggling with questions of duty surrounding his role as a warrior.  One of the major themes of this conversation is that one should perform his/her duty in life without attachment to outcomes.  In other words, the labor we put forth towards our duty (or dharma) is the reward in and of itself; the fruits of our labor are irrelevant.

This notion may seem counter to our results-oriented society.  After all, what the point of doing anything if you’re not going to gain from it, right?  We are motivated by “what’s in it for us” – it’s how we provide for ourselves, after all.

But think of how much brilliance this world would miss out on if we made decisions based solely on anticipated results.  For example, the budding musician, unsure of how the world will receive his musical talents, may choose to spend more time than he’d prefer doing something more practical but far less intrinsically rewarding.  And in doing so, his artistry remains underdeveloped, and he misses out on his dharma to make music, which robs him of the deep satisfaction of creating something from his innermost being.  The same can be said of the innovative thinker who doesn’t take a chance on any of her ideas because she fears they are doomed from the beginning, or of the social visionary who doesn’t engage others in conversation about world problems because he’s afraid of sounding too naive.

What about the reward of the creative process itself, no matter how it is received?  Is there not satisfaction in fulfilling one’s dharma and making a unique contribution to the lives of others?

The asana practice of yoga is a beautiful illustration of the principle of non-attachment and how it gets misconstrued in practice.  Some days we feel strong and grounded in our poses – especially after we glance into the studio mirror to admire how fierce our Warrior II looks (admit it, we’ve all done it!).  Other days, our practice may look and feel downright sloppy, and we go home wondering 1) how much people are gossiping about our poor form [they aren’t] and 2) how we could have gone from fierce to sloppy in just two days [you didn’t].

But the beautiful thing is, none of that matters.  Based on non-attachment, the real reward of yoga is the practice itself.  The very act of stepping onto your mat and taking the time to practice in any way that suits your body and mind IS the reward.  No matter how it looks or feels, you are getting some benefit simply by practicing – even if the only apparent benefit is another day of consistent practice (not a small accomplishment, mind you!).

The fact of the matter is, nobody can take that practice session away from you.  The joy and satisfaction you get from trying your best does not depend on the actions of others.  And through your yoga practice, you will have succeeded in creating a beautiful piece of artwork that, quite possibly, nobody will ever see or appreciate.  However, every practice you complete with your full effort is one that expands your personal artistic repertoire of yoga skill, as well as increases your confidence in putting yourself out there both on and off the mat – no matter how the world might receive you.

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