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Acting Without Expectation for the Fruits of Action · Sri Aurobindo Studies

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  The Bhagavad Gita, Chapter 2, verses 47 to 48, as translated
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  by Sri Aurobindo states quote Thou hast a right to action, but
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  only to action, never to its fruits.
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  Let not the fruits of thy works be thy motive, neither let there
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  be in thee any attachment to inactivity fixed in yoga, to thy
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  actions having abandoned attachment, having become equal
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  in failure and success. For it is equality that is meant
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  by yoga. End Quote.
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  For the most part, we act in the world an expectation of some
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  result or benefit accruing to us.
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  This benefit may be something tangible in the form of income,
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  family or material possessions, or it may be something not
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  directly tangible but perceived as a benefit to our ego or
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  convertible over time into tangible results such as social
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  power, prestige, fame, gratification of desires,
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  etcetera. We become transactional in the
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  way we perceive things. If we do something, we want to
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  get something positive back sooner or later.
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  The transactions can be quite subtle.
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  In many instances, we enjoy praise and positive
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  encouragement from others for what we do or how we speak or
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  act. If we are seeking the fruits of
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  our acts, we may tend to respond with a sense of anger,
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  frustration or hostility of someone gives us back negative
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  fruits or feedback such as direct criticism.
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  We may then discontinue what we were doing in relation to those
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  individuals since the feedback we received was not encouraging.
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  The ego will try to ensure that it gets credit for what it does.
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  Even anonymous actions can create a positive feedback to
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  the ego for its selflessness. The same type of ego support
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  that we seek for individually also applies to the group's
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  functions and collective efforts we undertake.
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  We desire to see the work we are doing recognized and supported.
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  In each of these cases, while we may have larger aspirations,
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  motives, and goals, the ego tries to insert itself and gain
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  benefits, recognition, and support.
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  If we become upset or despondent about a lack of positive
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  recognition, we can be sure that the ego is involved.
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  We train our children to do positive things through a
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  process of reward and punishment.
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  Generally, we define what is good and what is bad and assign
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  results that align with these good or bad definitions.
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  We thus create a transactional viewpoint that expects a return.
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  We take this to our more mature reflections, either as our path
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  to heaven or hell, or as a return of karmic consequence
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  upon us, acting without expectation of any benefit to
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  ourselves and regardless of possible negative consequences
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  to ourselves, based solely on a principle to be upheld.
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  To carry out the larger divine intention is the attitude of the
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  divine worker as described in the Gita, the Mother writes
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  quote. When you begin to advance
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  towards inner and outer perfection, the difficulties
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  start at the same time. I have very often heard people
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  saying, Oh, now that I am trying to be good, everybody seems to
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  be bad to me. But this is precisely to teach
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  you that one should not be good with an interested motive.
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  One should not be good so that others will be good to you.
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  One must be good for the sake of being good.
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  It is always the same. Lesson 1 must do as well as one
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  can, the best one can, but without expecting a result,
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  without doing it with a view to the result.
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  Just this attitude to expect a reward for good action to become
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  good, because one thinks that this will make life easier,
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  takes away all value from the good action.
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  You must be good for the love of goodness, you must be just for
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  the love of justice, you must be pure for the love of purity, and
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  you must be disinterested for the love of disinterestedness.
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  Then you are sure to advance on the way.
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  End Quote Reference. Sri Aurobindo and the Mother
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  looking from Within, Chapter 5. Attitudes on the Path, pages 168
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  to 169.