Bhagavad Gita - Chapter 5

Chapter 5 is titled: Contemplating The Goal

The overall purpose of chapter 5 is to outline that we are to do what we do with almost no specific Goal. Humans are not to rejoice and not to grieve. Our actions are done purely for the Divine and only with God in mind.

We do everything we do as a part of our DUTY assigned to us by God. Hence, the results of it are of no importance to us.

Personally, I feel this Chapter almost made it seem like we should be some kind of ROBOTS. I can't remember the last thing I've ever done where the result of it didn't inspire atleast SOME personal emotion out of it.

This sounds so good to SAY but so hard to actually DO.

Here are some key quotes I grabbed:

"Knowing this, you come to the place where all paths meet, and you achieve lasting peace of mind."

Krisna means knowing that there are no results and you are working ONLY for the Divine at all times...

"Purity of action, mind and heart is absolutely essential for further spiritual growth. To a karma-yogi who has turned his or her whole life toward Divinity, the body, senses and intellect are just instruments for self-purification. Any work this Karma-yogi performs is done dispassionately and this enhances spiritual unfolding."

This particular verse really explains deeper the concept of our body and all sense just being an "illusion." They have nothing to do with our relationship with God. If anything, they get in the way.

We are to perform all actions without worrying about the Physical things we can see, feel.

 "They are neither elated by good fortune nor depressed by what is painful; they nether rejoice nor grieve. They know that the sensation called pleasure appears and disappears like a flash of lighting, and know that the cost of pleasure is inevitable misery and pain, which is indeed a dear price."

This is the best quote to summarize the entire chapter. It states what Krisna is saying pretty clearly.