Q76. How do we minimize the reactions to our actions?

“Just as a lotus leaf is in the water but it’s not touched by the water, perform your work without being attached to the results, and offer the results to Me [Krishna]. In this way, you will not incur sins or face bad reactions.” (Lord Krishna, Bhagavad-Gita 5.10) If you use some of the money you earn in serving humanity and Lord Krishna, this is proof that you are not attached to the results of your work, and you are offering the results (some money) to Lord Krishna. In this way, you will not face any karmic reactions caused by your work. “Do your duty without considering happiness or distress, profit or loss, victory or defeat. In this way, you will never face bad reactions.” (Lord Krishna, Bhagavad-Gita 2.38) In a sports match, if you are attached to seeing your team win, and when they lose, you will be upset for many days. This is the reaction to being attached to a win result. But if you were not attached to any result, then you will not be affected by the result. You will be able to accept a loss or win without getting upset. Many parents desire for their children to become doctors and in many cases, they do become doctors. But the parents then face the bad reactions for having been attached to the results of their children’s education. They have problems in the form of not getting along with their doctor son/daughter and/or their spouse, health or some other problems. The parents should send their children to school, but not desire for any results. In this way, there will be no bad reactions. There are many parents living in India who craze for their daughters to marry boys from America/Europe. Their greed is satisfied but the daughters face so many problems and most of them completely lose interest in the Vedic culture/religion and their children are completely atheistic. The result of spiritual ignorance/degradation is that the soul falls into the animal species. The animals have absolutely no interest in religion. The parents should guide their children in the right direction, spiritual advancement and not material advancement, because at death, everything material is completely useless. The parents are also held responsible for the degradation of their children.