We know that biologically and psychologically, that is qua body-mind or our psychophysical entity, we are very limited beings, not only in terms of our capacities, abilities and interests but also in our knowledge and the ability and capacity to acquire, process and understand knowledge of the past, present, and future.
This being the case, when we approach any future with our goals, ambitions, hopes, desires, etc., we cannot have any degree of certitude that we will accomplish what we set out to do.
Hence, Buddha’s First Noble Truth that “Life is suffering”, and that suffering is consequent NOT ONLY upon our failing in the future to achieve what we want or the future anxiety of being able to hold on to what we get BUT ALSO the anxiety, stress, worry, etc., that accompanies all of our efforts in the present in the face of all these uncertainties.
But, as the Bhagavad Gita says:
“Even the maintenance of your body cannot be accomplished without action.” (3:8)
“For an embodied being it is not possible togive up all actions entirely.” (18:11)
Now, if action is uanvoidable, and if ALL action is beset by the problems mentioned above, what then is the solution?
That solution is to realize that one as the “ego”, where we are taking ourselves to be the body-mind, is NOT THE THINKER NOR THE DOER OF ANY ACTIONS. As Ramana Maharshi pointed out: “He who thinks he is the doer is also the sufferer.” (Talk 420, Talks with Sri Ramana Maharshi)
This concept of non-doership by the ego is pointed out by all these resources below, most of which stem from Advaita and the teachings of the modern greats in the Advaita tradition but there is also that thrust from Western Philosophy, given as the last link:
— Our own reasoning based on science and metaphysics — Pooh Poohing Karma Theory — https://selfrealization.blog/2026/10/31/pooh-poohing-karma-theory/ — Back to Interrogating the “Sense of Doership” — https://selfrealization.blog/2026/10/31/back-to-interrogating-the-sense-of-doership/ — Why God Cannot Afford to Give us Free Will if Karma Theory is Correct — https://selfrealization.blog/2026/10/31/why-god-cannot-afford-to-give-us-free-will-if-karma-theory-is-correct/
— Swami Sarvapriyananda — Do We Have Free Will? — https://selfrealization.blog/2018/10/16/swami-sarvapriyananda-do-we-have-free-will/
— Bhagavad Gita itself that keeps exhorting us to act — Chutiyapan Apna Apna — https://selfrealization.blog/2026/09/03/chutiyapan-apna-apna/
— The Upanishads (that containt the philosophy of Advaita) — https://selfrealization.blog/2026/07/15/karmas-power-ends-the-moment-you-see-you-as-the-ego-are-not-the-doer-sri-ramakrishna-paramahamsa/
— Ramakrishna Paramahanasa — https://selfrealization.blog/2020/05/08/ramakrishna-paramahansa-on-the-sense-of-doership/
— Ramana Maharshi — https://selfrealization.blog/2018/10/09/ramana-maharshi-on-sense-of-doership-karma-and-karma-yoga/
— Nisargadatta Maharaj — https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-AAJhRS17Sc
— Ramesh Balsekar — https://selfrealization.blog/2026/09/07/you-are-not-the-doer-ramesh-balsekar/
Western Philosophy — Luck Swallows Everything (on Free Will, or rather the lack of it) — https://selfrealization.blog/2026/07/24/luck-swallows-everything-on-free-will-or-rather-the-lack-of-it/
Those interested in exploring the concept of non-doership more, search on my blog for “sense of doership”.
