People keep rediscovering the Bhagavad Gita in new ways

> You have a right to perform your prescribed duty, but you are not entitled to the fruits of action. Never consider yourself the cause of the results of your activities, and never be attached to not doing your duty.

I have a hard time interpreting that as what geohotz is saying. If anything it seems to promote rent seekers by telling you - stick to your lane and don't complain. I.e. the caste system

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devsda 2 hours ago | parent | next [-]

> If anything it seems to promote rent seekers by telling you - stick to your lane and don't complain. I.e. the caste system

I was wondering if that would come up and HN delivers without fail. Anyway, you are free to interpret it as you see fit.

The guidance was for someone who was struggling with a moral dillema on facing relatives in war and undecided over action. It is not a diktat to work or provide unquestion labor.

For anyone who understood the whole story and backdrop of the situation, a reasonable interpretation is

- you are responsible for your actions but you cannot control the consequences of your actions due to many factors.

- When you detach yourselves from results, you can do your job without anxiety.

- do not let the fear over results be an excuse for inaction.

Give it a read and decide for yourselves if you are not convinced. Even without the teachings part, the whole story of Gita is actually an epic story/novel with some strong and conflicted characters with elaborate back stories.

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ivell 2 hours ago | parent | prev | next [-]

> You have a right to perform your prescribed duty, but you are not entitled to the fruits of action.

> stick to your lane and don't complain. I.e. the caste system

That verse is quite famous and the general interpretation as I understand is this.

You have control on your actions but not on its results. The results depend not only on your actions but on many other factors outside of your control.

Now, one can interpret that it is instruction to "stay in your lane", but I have not seen that interpretation so far in my life in India.

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vivzkestrel 2 hours ago | parent | next [-]

you realize that the caste system that currently exists is completely different from what it was conceptualized as right? you most certainly want to read the conversation between yudhistra and nahusha that talks about caste https://vedabase.io/en/library/mbk/1/30/

	▲	ivell an hour ago \| parent \| next [-]
		I don't think we actually know who conceptualized the caste system. Even Manusmriti seems to be not as old as we thought before. However, even in Mahabharatha there are examples of Karna and Ekalavya who despite having qualities (as Yudhishtira claims) of Kshathriya, they were rejected by the society as being lesser. It is possible that caste system is an extension and crystallization of nepotism. Typically professions and trade secrets are handed down the families and it is conceivable this was codified at some point far in the past. To claim that caste system has a more philosophical foundation would be a bit of a stretch in my point of view, especially when it has been throughout the history being used suppress.
	▲	an hour ago \| parent \| prev [-]
		[deleted]

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card_zero 2 hours ago | parent | prev [-]

So, "have a go, do you best, shit happens, don't worry about it".

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chunkyguy 3 hours ago | parent | prev | next [-]

You need to understand the context. The quote in Gita was to motivate the best warrior of the time at the battlefront facing opponents who were mainly his cousins and uncles.

In that context the quote is about performing the duties you were born to do without overthinking the consequences.

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simianwords 3 hours ago | parent [-]

the context makes it even worse. its a strange kind of tribalism that is being promoted here. "do what you are asked to without understanding the real consequences". btw war is actual zero sum usually.

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sl-1 3 hours ago | parent | next [-]

War is often times even negative sum game.

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rgun 2 hours ago | parent | prev [-]

Do what you are asked to ≠ Your duty.

Duty of a warrior is to fight for his country/tribe/side. Duty of a king might be to reduce suffering for his subjects.

	▲	card_zero 2 hours ago \| parent [-]
		Historically, no. It's like Tennyson: Theirs not to make reply, Theirs not to reason why, Theirs but to do and die.

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simianwords 3 hours ago | parent | prev [-]

the problem is that there's good stuff in here but expressed in such a compressed way that it can be misused and misread.

i completely agree with you and the post you are replying too. both are correct.