श्री गणेश मंदिर - शिक्षा वाणी
Sri Ganesh mandir - Serene
Sunday Reflections
18th August 2019 :
IMPORTANCE OF KARMA (ACTION)
KEYWORDS :: Karma, Yogam, Action, Mind (Manas),
Having reflected on
Jnana-marga (path of Knowledge), now we shall discuss Karma Yogam as Importance
of Action. Karma Yogam is to purify the thoughts / mind (manas).
Karma Yoga, states the
Bhagavad Gita, purifies the mind. It leads one to consider dharma of work,
and the work according to one's dharma, doing god's work and in that sense
becoming and being "like unto god Krishna" in every moment of one's
life.
The Yoga Of
Action Done With Awareness, Detachment, And Love. Karma means “action,” which we all perform, consciously
or unconsciously. When we add Yoga to the word, it means an action performed with
meditative awareness. So Karma Yoga is actually the yoga of dynamic meditation. Or
meditation in action.
The following
lines are taken from the book “Karma Yoga,” written by Vivekananda.[6] The word Karma is derived from the Sanskrit word “Kri” meaning to do;
all actions are Karma. This word also means the effects of actions. The cause
of all the miseries we have in the world is that men foolishly think pleasure
to be the ideal to strive for . Our Karma determines what we deserve and what
we can assimilate. With regard to Karma-Yoga, the Gita says that it is doing
work with cleverness and as a science; by knowing how to work, one can obtain
the greatest results. Man works with various motives. Some people want to get
fame, and they work for fame, money, power, etc. We read in the Bhagavad Gita
again and again that we must all work incessantly. All work is by nature
composed of good and evil. The Gita teaches us about detachment from the result
of work. If working like slaves results in selfishness and attachment, working
as master of our own mind gives rise to the bliss of non-attachment.
Yoga is an art of getting perfection
(kausalam) in every work (Karmasu) of life. This perfection comes in karma with
the regular practice of devoting work to others. Hence, Perfection in karma is
considered yoga also.
Karma
Yoga is ‘path
of action’,
one among 4 paths of Yoga in spiritual practices of Hinduism.
Other 3 paths are Bhakti Yoga (Path of Devotion), Jnana Yoga (Path of
Knowledge) and Raja Yoga (Path of Discipline).
The path of karma yoga
emphasizes doing ‘selfless work’ according to dharma(moral duty), not on the
consequences of results. A karma yogi treats ‘work
(karma)’ like
prayer where there is no outcome desire expect from karma.
Performing karma in such a way eliminates
violence, ego from the seeker’s heart & replace it with love, joy &
compassion.
Types of Karma Yoga
Yoga is not karma, but it’s the practice to go
beyond the karma. Not every karma is considered yoga. Hence, Karma Yoga
classification shows how many ways karma affects us.
Karma can be categorized on two bases.
1.
Intention
2.
Timeline
(A) Karma based on the intention
On the base of this category, Karma is of two
types.
1. Sakama Karma
Every single thought or
physical action that creates ‘mine’ or ‘your’ sense in the person
mind is sakama karma. This karma reveals the selfish nature. Yoga is not
mean for sakama karma because sakama karma keeps us bound in the bondage of
karma. It creates egoism, hatred, jealousy in a person’s heart consciously or
unconsciously.
2. Nishkama Karma
It breaks the bondage of
karma & let ourselves free from the cycle of death & birth. Nishkama
karma is the selfless action to the others.
Forgiveness, helping, loving thoughts and compassion behaviour of humanity is
the example of selfless action. The practice of Nishkama karma leads seeker
towards renunciation, which further purifies the mind.
(B) Karma based on the timeline
1.
Sanchita Karma
2.
Prarabdha Karma
3.
Agami Karma
An Action we had performed in the past,
performing at the present moment & the result of the action we will get in
the future, is another base to categorized karma yoga. On this base, There are
three types of Karma Yoga.
1. Sanchita Karma
Sanchita is the Sanskrit
word for ‘Accumulation’. Every person has to go from some set of
Karma in their life. As we live in the present, a conclusion of this karma
starts accumulated as Samsara. Indeed, sanchita karma
is an accumulated work of the past, the glimpse of which can be seen in the
present ‘Character’ of person.
It is the Law
of Karma – What we do in present accumulate in the past (Sanchita) &
shows in our future.
2. Prarabdha karma
Prarabdha is that part of karma (performed
karma) which is responsible for the present condition of a person. If you are
experiencing something good this moment, it’s undoubtedly because of the past
karma of yours. Prarabdha karma is only can experiences whether it’s good or
bad, not changed. It’s a debt of our past karma.
3. Agami Karma
Agami means forthcoming. This karma is the
result of prarabdha karma. It can be modified according to the present of our
working.
Out of these 3 Karma, Sanchita and Agami karma
is not in our responsibility right now. Krishna tells, Prarabdha Karma is
the only responsibility of a person who decides everything.
The role of Karma Yoga in an ordinary person’s
life can be seen in the narration between Lord Krishna and Prince Arjuna
in Bhagavad Gita Chapter 3.
The
Special Position of Karma Yoga
Karma Yoga has a special position and
significance among all fundamental kinds of yoga. The Yoga of Action is a path
that somehow links all the other forms of yoga. It creates an essential
connection between formal practice and daily life. It is a way of bringing awareness,
sacredness, and spiritual significance into any moment of our life.
All other kinds of yoga rely on Karma
Yoga, because action is not something that can be avoided in the
material world.
Of course, when we meditate, we can be in a
state of peace, of equanimity. But, what is a spiritual attitude when we eat?
Or when we walk? Or work? As spiritual practitioners, “right action” is an
action that is not only morally correct, but also conducive to spiritual
transformation. Otherwise, action is karmically binding—that is, it reinforces
spiritual blindness (avidya, ignorance)
and, thus, leads to suffering.
Therefore, Karma Yoga is, at least from this perspective,
the most complete of all branches of yoga. It incorporates the mindful attentiveness of Raja Yoga, the discriminative capacity
of Jnana Yoga, and the heartfelt devotion of Bhakti Yoga. Our
entire being, with all its levels and structures, is engaged in this practice
in all circumstances of life. Another virtue of Karma Yoga is that it serves
to refine
and validate our progress in all the other branches of Yoga.
Thus, life itself becomes Karma
Yoga.
Karma
Yoga—Selfless Action in Awareness and Love
We can look at Karma Yoga from two
perspectives:
1. As a formal practice in which we
selflessly act for the benefit of others (for example, in a community).
Sometimes this form of service is called seva.
2. As an attitude which
spontaneously brings awareness, detachment, and sacredness in all the moments
of our life.
1. Social Duty—Seva
According to the Bhagavad Gita, the first step is
to approach Karma Yoga as
the yoga of social duty. In this way, Karma Yoga is a practice that gradually brings maturity in
understanding surrender, detachment, and awareness.
Formal Karma Yoga practice (seva) is the first step on this path. It is done when
we decide, for example, to help and serve others without the idea of getting
something in return. Thus, we may start to practice Karma Yoga for a few hours,
or for a longer period of our time, in a hospital or a community, etc.
2.
Acting with Awareness, Detachment, and Love
The second aspect reveals even more
profound dimensions to Karma
Yoga.
1. First, it helps us understand
that if we are practicing any kind of yoga, our daily
life should be also in tune with it.
2. Further, Karma Yoga provides wisdom and the inspiration on
how to act from this new spiritual perspective. Therefore, Karma Yoga simply means acting with awareness, detachment, and love.
Detachment
from the Doer and the “Fruits” of Action
All actions, whether physical, oral, or
mental, have far-reaching consequences, and we should assume full
responsibility for them. Acting with this awareness, we become Karma Yoga practitioners.
If an action cannot be avoided at the physical level, at the psychic level, it
can be done with a kind of neutrality, detachment, and dis-identification from:
1. The doer (the limited individual consciousness,
the ego), and
2. The fruits of the action.
In this way, the action itself starts
having different dimensions. The act in itself becomes a modality to remember
what we are. Therefore, it is a ritualization of the activity in which every
gesture is charged by sense, significance.
Karma Yoga’s most important principle is to act unselfishly, without
attachment, and with integrity, awareness and love. Karma Yoga combines the qualities of
efficiency, renunciation, equanimity, egolessness, and duty in one action.
The aim of Karma Yoga is to harmonize the actions (seen as
expressions of Prakriti, Shakti)
with the pure radiance and light of the Supreme Self.
Attachment
and Non-Attachment
When
we are successful in attaining whatever it is we want, we usually experience a
rush of satisfaction and happiness. The problem is that it doesn’t last very
long. Things change, situations change, we change.
Karma Yoga is the science of learning
non-attachment through practice. It is learning to perform all acts without
selfish motives or expectations. In its highest form, non-attachment is the
same as unconditional Love, Stillness, and Pure Joy.
The
Doer—The Biggest Obstacle
The
doer is that part of the ego that takes credit for accomplishments and blames
others for (or laments) failures. The doer brings the feeling that we are the
agent of action. It is the sense that we are in total control, that we are
making it all happen—envisioning, planning, and executing the different aspects
of our lives.
The
feeling of doership is based on the misperception that we are the body and
mind. When, in fact, we are not the body and mind, but the owner of both. That
part of us that never changes but is constantly aware of all changes, that
Awareness itself is who we are.
Karma Yoga teaches us that the sense
that “I act” is a sort of illusion, and so are the consequences of “my”
actions. But,
as long as this illusion persists we are bound by karma. Upon enlightenment, actions
are experienced as simply arising spontaneously, without an ego identity.
The
Joy of Offering
Karma Yoga means performing an
action with meditative awareness, from moment to moment. Not only is an action
performed consciously, but our attitude toward an action is also transformed.
Usually, acts are motivated by a desire for self-satisfaction or gain. Thus,
the ego is reinforced. While in “normal” life the motivation is “take, take
advantage, profit,” the motto of Karma Yoga is “give, offer, surrender.”
Therefore, to put awareness into a task is
to put our mind and soul into the work, our being into the work, without
selfish involvement—to find ourselves free in the work.
Unconditioned
Awareness
Ordinarily,
what happens is that although we put our attention into a work or an action, we
are not fully interested in that action. Typically, there are very few actions,
if any, in which we are wholly present. We have only a small percentage of
awareness because our attention is conditioned by many other factors and the
mind is agitated.
We don’t typically have unconditioned
awareness while acting. When we have an unconditioned awareness of something, our whole
mind and psyche are present. This is the meaning of Karma Yoga. This is ultimately the
secret of any spiritual practice—it is the essence of yoga and the meaning of
meditation.
In ordinary undertakings, our complete
attention, mind, and soul are not present, for different reasons. The extent to which
unconditional Pure Awareness—the Heart—is present in an action is the extent to
which that action becomes Karma Yoga and does not bind us or create
other samsaric limitations.
Karma Yoga and Jnana Yoga Support Each Other
In this way, we realize how Karma Yoga and Jnana Yoga (the yoga of
direct knowledge) support each other. Without Self-Enquiry meditation, there
cannot be any real success in any field of life. Real success in
an action ultimately means performing it harmoniously and efficiently without being bound by it.
Therefore, we put our mind and soul into a task or action because where they
are, consciousness is. And, it is only when there is no personal interest to
interfere that we can be fully present.
Zen
Archery
In
the Zen tradition of archery, the limited egotistical condition is expressed in
a very suggestive way: When there is no award expected, the archer acts with
calmness and lucidity; when the award is gold, the archer’s mind and body
shake.
The
Sacredness of Action
The spontaneous inner understanding
that “I
am not the doer” arises when we are free of egoic
expectations. What comes is a kind of intuition, a mystery, in which the
sacredness of our being is affirmed. It is an intuition of Stillness—that
Stillness which is not touched by our willingness to be good, competitive,
afraid of outcomes, etc.
Response-ability
This
understanding of the sacredness of our being also means that the responsibility
for our actions and their consequences is increased. In the awareness-intuition
of who we really are, the world and our actions are not denied or rejected as
“illusory.” On the contrary, there is a higher sense of response-ability, a
more harmonious way of dealing with the circumstances of life, being fully
present.
For
example, if we are responsible for keeping the yoga hall clean and one hour
after we clean it it becomes messy again, we simply begin anew. At the same
time, we are not just lost in our activity—we see it from a higher perspective,
finding creative ways to inspire people not to make the hall dirty so quickly.
We are not just caught blindly in a job.
Karma Yoga—An Act of Jnana
In performing any action, we
externalize our inner being. Therefore, our actions are a reflection of ourselves. At
the same time, there is a “feedback loop” between our actions and our being.
Every action acts upon ourselves and molds the entire structure of the person
we tend to be.
Working
Meditation
In order to generate a profound inner
transformation, we can practice sitting meditation, walking meditation, and working meditation as
well. Our entire life can become a meditation… A very
important factor is the awareness of where our mind is, and then maintaining
the awareness of Awareness itself.
Naturalness
and Flow
But
“being in the flow” doesn’t mean laziness or not keeping our inner and outer
commitments.
From an external perspective, real Karma Yoga might be seen as
acting continuously with great exertion. In reality, because we become more and
more open to the Spiritual Heart, to what we are, we can work for many hours
without feeling tired or exhausted or psychically depleted. There is a constant
feeling of joy, enthusiasm, and passion in our heart and mind. What seems
exhausting or impossible for others becomes easy for us. In this way, Karma Yoga teaches us a new
attitude to work and life in general, and we become convinced that nothing is
impossible for us. Additionally, our sense of ourselves becomes less selfish,
more open.
If we are in tune with the
Heart, we are in tune with the universal energy that is passing through our
structures and energetically, psychically, and mentally sustaining the action
that we are engaged in.
Joy
in Acting
Thus, we will discover something
astounding: there
is a joy in acting (serving). Not just from acting (serving), but in it. When
we are able to let go of the anxieties, fears, expectations, and cravings that
attend most acts, our minds are free and our heart is open. We discover a way
of acting naturally out of enthusiasm and generosity.
We
Cannot Be Tired of What We Really Are
When
we are totally present in what we do, it is not that we become the work, but
the work becomes us. It is not the same as when we are absorbed completely in
an action and forget about ourselves—as happens, for example, when someone is
passionately involved in a computer game. Instead, the work becomes one with
us, it is not separate from the Awareness that we are. This is the essence of
Karma Yoga.
As a consequence of this, we will not be tired of the
work, because we cannot be tired of what we really are, the Heart.
Any action, task, or function that is
bereft of the soul-element easily becomes tiring and annoying because we act
using our personal energetic resources. On the other hand, any action or
function in which the Heart is present cannot be tiring, because it is
connected to the universal source of power, Shakti. Any natural thing is not tiring. For example, we
are not tired of or annoyed by breathing.
Inner
Attitude
In Karma
Yoga, actions themselves are not considered the most important
aspect. Rather, the focus in on the inner attitude, the harmony of mind with which the
act is performed. The awareness of the action is what is emphasized. The quality of the work itself
is simply the consequence of this inner attitude. It is
this change of attitude that eventually creates change within ourselves and in
the world.
The
Story of the Three Brick Masons
It is not just what we do
that matters, but how we do it. There is a story about three
brick masons. When the first man was asked what he was doing, he answered, “I’m
building a wall.” The second man replied, “I work in order to earn money for my
family.” But, the third man enthusiastically said, “I’m building a cathedral!”
Purity
of intention
Karma Yoga is a way of acting and thinking based
on pure intentions. We orient ourselves towards realization by first acting in
accordance with our sense of harmony and duty (dharma).
Karma Yoga is not just an offering
of the fruits of any action, but a self-offering, or the surrender of the
ego. Thus, Karma Yoga involves
considerably more than just doing our duty. It goes beyond conventional
morality and animates a profound spiritual attitude.
Meister Eckhart said, “It is not by your actions that
you will be saved, but by your being. It is not by what you do, but by what you
are that you will be judged.”
We should meditate deeply on this wise
comment by Saint Paul (Corinthians 13:3): “And if I give all my possessions to feed the poor, and if I
surrender my body to be burned, but do not have love, it brings me nothing.”
Actions
done with a lack of awareness and love do not count; it is our awareness, our
being that counts.
Devotion
in Karma Yoga
Practicing Karma Yoga with a devotional attitude turns our
whole life into one unending ritual. It is indeed a ritual, since every action
is performed as an offering of devotion to the Divine, not in the hope of
personal gain or advantage.
Love for, and devotion to, God sheds
another light on this approach. Acts are performed selflessly for the benefit of all human beings
or in the name of God. Also, the fruits of the actions are consecrated to God.
This perspective is also emphasized by Krishna (the Divine) in the Bhagavad Gita:
“The devotees nearest to Me are those who renounce attachment to the fruits of
their actions and instead offer them all to me; who desire Me above everything
else; and who, through yogic practices, meditate on Me with a one-pointed
mind.” (12:6)
If we start acting in the world with this
radiating enthusiasm, out of love, without the need for compensation and
recognition, that Stillness is honored. Ultimately, we are not referring to
Krishna, the Christian God, Shiva, or Allah. We are offering the act to that
Pure Consciousness that we are. We recognize the same
beauty and light in the poor and in animals. Thus, the act becomes the joy of
helping, supporting, offering.
Action
Based on Love
Such offering is not done in a calculating
way—to accumulate good karma or to compensate for negative karma.The real spirit of Karma
Yoga is when an action is full of love.
When an action is based on love, love
naturally fosters joy and selflessness. We lose ourselves in loving service. And, in losing ourselves (the
little self), we reveal the Supreme Self.
Effort
and Love
Karma Yoga involves effort and love. Acting
involves effort. But, when it is merely a personal action coming from the ego,
it can become a struggle. Effort without love is just dry asceticism.
There
are two kinds of effort:
1. Effort that brings contraction
and is ego-affirming.
2. Effort done in surrender, with
acceptance and love.
Together,
effort and love bring the flow and naturalness of being.
Activism
Unfortunately,
activism, even when motivated by good intentions, is usually focused on
changing the world and puts very little emphasis on waking up from ignorance or
infusing actions with awareness. Thus, because the ego is still involved,
sooner or later saturation, exhaustion, or the need for a break will arise.
When we are aware, we simply know what to do or what not to do.
Surrender
When speaking about Karma Yoga, we don’t speak about
the actions we should do, but the proper attitude—the attitude of
surrender. Transparency
is the very spirit of Karma Yoga.
There is a kind of elegance in
the attitude of a realized being—free from self-expectations, self-image. This
is the real attitude of Karma Yoga, being free from self-image. We bring intuition and
surrender to every action, every gesture. Surrender doesn’t mean passivity; it
means letting consciousness manifest freely. Karma Yogaalways involves awareness, consciousness.
Karma Yoga is the art of acting
while remaining in the pure “I am.” We don’t get involved in the action itself,
detaching from ideas like “I am sad” or “I am happy.”
Na Ham Karta—“I Am Not the Doer”
In Sanskrit, the affirmation na ham karta means “I am not
the doer.” Hari karta means
“the Supreme Consciousness is the performer.” I, as an individual, do not
exist; I have merged myself into the Divine Consciousness.
Wei Wu Wei—Acting without Acting
“Act
without doing; work without effort.” –Lao Tzu
In Taoism, the spirit of Karma Yoga is called wei wu wei, “acting without
acting” (literally, “action that is non-action”). Wei wu wei is also
translated, in a seemingly oxymoronic way, as “effortless doing,” and
corresponds with sahaja, “naturalness,” from the
Buddhist and Hindu traditions. It expresses the state of perfect union with the
Supreme Reality.
Natural action is impersonal—as trees grow,
they “do,” but without “doing.” When we are acting in the spirit of wei wu wei, we are not really
involved in the action because the ego is not present. Even though we
physically perform the action, somehow we are just a witness to it because we
are not psychically involved in it. There is no personal intention there.
As in the Taoist tradition, we can say: the
flower spreads its scent without saying “I am doing this”; the sun radiates
light without saying “I am doing this.” In fact, the sun is the perfect example
of the Karma Yoga attitude.
It never says, “Venerate me because only then I’ll give you light.”
Hafiz
wrote:
“The Sun never says to the Earth, ‘you owe me.’ Look what happens with a love
like that. It lights up the whole sky.”
Perfection
in Action
“The one who has trained the mind to stay
centered in equanimity in life has cast aside both good and evil karma.
Therefore, by all means, practice Yoga; [Karma] Yoga is perfection in action.”
–Bhagavad Gita (2:50)
The
Attributes of a Karma Yogi
·
Absence
of expectations: renouncing the results of action
·
Naturalness:
expressing simplicity in actions and thought, sincerity in our commitment,
goals, and direction
·
Non-attachment;
Egolessness
·
Equanimity:
maintaining balance of mind and openness of the heart in success and failure
·
Awareness
·
Devotion
·
Response-ability:
the non-reactive way of acting
·
Efficiency:
being completely present, having a lucid and focused mind, not distracted
(based mostly on naturalness, awareness, and love)
Practical
Hints
·
It
is not enough to just do something to promote our health and peace every day,
because this can still reinforce the ego and the identification with the body
and mind.
·
We
should do something for the welfare of others every day. Never let a day go by
without serving others. It could be a humble act: donating to charity, calling
on a sick friend, or praying for the welfare of those who are suffering.
Dramatic actions, or quiet, hidden ones—it doesn’t matter, as long as it is
done mindfully and without any personal expectations attached.
·
We
should never miss an opportunity to serve. We should meditate on the ways we
can serve other people and the environment.
·
Practiced
in the correct way, Karma Yoga is
sufficient to create the proper conditions for the Supreme Self-revelation.
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