Non-doership
QUESTION: Masters, can you explain how non-doership looks like? Is it believing that whatever is happening is Happening on its own? I have no control over my life? Where is the role of freewill in non-doership? ~Rimi, India
ANSWER: The term non-doership is a religious principle from the Vedanta, one of the six orthodox schools of Hindu philosophy. These principles came from the ideas, speculations, and philosophies that emerged from the Upanishads. They arose when Indian mystics began questioning traditional Vedic religious order some 2500 to 2900 years ago. The Upanishads are considered the part of the Hindu scriptures wherein philosophy, meditation, and the nature of God are discussed.
There are a number of modern-day thinkers who define the term within twentieth-century parameters. They use references to spiritually accepted principles from Hindu understanding, other Eastern and Western organized religious tenets, and their own interpretations.
The basis behind all understanding is that you become aware of yourself. That looks different to each person, so the result of “non-doership” will vary with each one’s understanding. All spiritual awareness is dependent on getting one’s own answers from one’s own experience. You don’t need to adopt a terminology from someone else’s work or understanding. It must be unique to you.
Know what your goal is within the life you are leading. If it is to become fully aware of the soul inside you, work on that; define the accomplishments with your own words. You, as a soul, have total freedom of choice to do what you desire, to whatever end you seek.
Don’t try to duplicate what has worked for others because your life is different. Don’t try to learn the language of all the possible ways to know yourself that others espouse. Don’t worry about defining – just worry about acting toward an accomplishment. Be yourself.