“That matchless remedy for self realisation is renunciation of fruits of action.”
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Probable attribution
This saying is widely associated with Mahatma Gandhi, but the attribution is not supported by a reliable primary source.
Likely origin: Gandhi's commentary in 'The Bhagavad Gita According to Gandhi' (Anasaktiyoga), 1929/1931; his own gloss on the Gita.
About this quote
Do the work as well as you can, then loosen your grip on how it turns out. The freedom comes from separating the effort, which is yours, from the result, which never fully is. Acting without clutching at the payoff keeps anxiety out of the doing and steadies you whatever follows.
When to use it
- A novelist writes the best book she can and submits it without refreshing the sales rankings every hour.
- A coach prepares his team thoroughly, then watches the final calmly, having done all he controls.
- A gardener plants and tends carefully, accepting that frost or drought may still decide the harvest.