About Karma Yoga

Karmanye Badhikarosthe Maa Foleshu Kodachano, Maa Karmofolohetu Bhurmate, Sangohosto Kormoni"

To work relentlessly without the least expectation of anything is the central idea of Karma Yoga, which different Yogis and great souls in order to make life beautiful have addressed a number of times. "Karma Yoga is the dedication of all actions and their fruits unto the Lord". Quite ideally therefore Karma Yoga is identified as the "performance of actions dwelling in union with the Divine", while offing connection and remaining balanced even in the course of failure and success. Karma Yoga is therefore the selfless service to humanity. The Yoga of action, Karma Yoga thus purifies the heart and prepares the Antahkarana for the greater purpose of receiving that divine light.

Bhagavad Gita, affirms that the path of action or the `karma yoga` is one of the doctrines of the Gita, through which Nirvana can be attained. This path of `Moksha` supports the performance of actions with balance-mind. It is considered to be the `golden-mean` amid attitudes of `pravritti` and `nivritti` (action and withdrawal). This path can be followed by only those people who are beyond `faint- heartedness` (hridaya-daurbalyam).

However, the overriding fact, the basis of Bhagavad Gita and its philosophical discourses had its roots in Mahabharata, the great epic poem by Ved Vyas. The fact can never be ignored that it was Lord Krishna instructing Arjuna, the mighty warrior of archery, on despondency and dejection. Arjuna had in the initiation of battle of Kurukshetra, completely turned a confused child, suffering from dichotomy whether to fight his friends as foes or not. His questions barraged his charioteer Krishna, who in turn took up the task to enlighten Arjuna on perfect knowledge, enlisted in various sections and verses. The following portion is concerned with the path of action, Karma Yoga in Bhagavad Gita. Arjuna questioned his Lord that if wisdom is above action, why is Krishna advising him to engage in such a horrendous fight. Krishna`s language was perplexing Arjuna and confusing his every reason. Therefore, he pleaded to tell him the only way by which Arjuna might, without doubt, secure his spiritual welfare.

Lord Shri Krishna then replied that in this world, there resides a twofold path. There is the one, a Path of Wisdom for those who are engrossed in meditation and then there is the second, a Path of Action for those who are engrossed in work. "No man can attain freedom from activity by refraining from action; nor can he reach perfection by merely refusing to act." One cannot even for a moment remain actually inactive, because the Qualities of Nature will compel him to act whether he wishes to or not. One who remains motionless, refusing to act, but all the while pondering over sensuous objects that deluded soul is merely a pretender.

Yet, Krishna warns Arjuna through the Karma Yoga, path of action, not to become intimidated, because, one whose mind controls his senses, he is showered with honours; because, he is thereby embarking on to practise Karma-Yoga, the Path of Right Action, keeping himself always unattached. Bhagavad Gita instructs one to perform one`s duty as prescribed; "for action for duty`s sake is superior to inaction". Even merely sustaining of the body would become unimaginable if man remained inactive. In the physical world people are enchained by action, unless it is performed as a sacrifice. Hence, Krishna advises Arjuna to let his acts be done without attachment, as an action of sacrifice only.

In the beginning, when God created everything by sacrificing Himself, He said to them: "Through sacrifice you can procreate, and it shall satisfy all your desires. Worship the Powers of Nature thereby, and let them nourish you in return; thus supporting each other, you shall attain your highest welfare. For, fed on sacrifice, Nature will give you all the enjoyment you can desire. But he who enjoys what she gives without returning is, indeed, a robber." A sage who enjoys the food that remains after the sacrifice has been made, is freed from all sin; but the selfish who spreads his feast only for himself feeds on sin only.

Bhagavad Gita`s Karma Yoga, or path of action speaks that every creature is the product of food, food is the product of rain, rain comes by sacrifice and sacrifice is the noblest form of action. Every action originates within the Supreme Spirit, which is Imperishable and in sacrificial action the all-pervading Spirit is consciously present. Hence, he who does not assist in the revolving wheel of sacrifice, but instead leads a sinful life, rejoicing in the satiation of his senses, breathes in vain. On the other hand, the soul who meditates on the Self, is happy to serve the Self and rests gratified within the Self; there remains nothing more for him to achieve. He has nothing to benefit by the performance or non-performance of action. His welfare depends not on any contribution that an earthly creature can make. Hence, it is Lord Krishna`s solemn advice that one performs one`s duty perfectly, without caring much for the end-results; because, he who does his duty disinterestedly, attains the Supreme. Even for the sake of enlightening the world, it is one`s duty to always act. Whatever a great man does, others imitate. People conform to the standard which he has set.

Krishna continues to preach Arjuna that there is nothing in this universe that Krishna is compelled to do; nor anything for Him to achieve. And, yet He is persistently active. If Krishna were not to act without ceasing, people would gladly repeat to do the same. And if the Lord were to refrain from action, human race would be utterly ruined. He would be primary to lead the world to chaos and destruction would come after. According to Karma Yoga, the path of action in Bhagavad Gita, as an ignorant acts solely of his fondness for action, so should the wise act without such attachment, fixing their eyes, only on the welfare of the world. But a wise man should not distract the minds of the ignorant, who are attached to action; Krishna advices to let him perform his own actions in the right spirit, with concentration upon Him, thus inspiring everybody else to do the same. "Action is the product of the Qualities inherent in Nature." It is only the ignorant man who, misguided by personal egotism, states: "I am the doer." But he who comprehends correctly the relation of the Qualities with action, is not attached to the act, because he perceives that it is barely the action and reaction of the Qualities among themselves.

Lord Krishna implicates through his path of action, or Karma Yoga that those who do not understand the Qualities are interested in the act. Still, the wise man who cognises the truth, should not agitate the mind of him who does not. Thus, coming back to Arjuna`s context in Bhagavad Gita, Krishna urges him to fight back. This truthful action can only be possible when Arjuna safely surrenders his actions to Krishna, concentrating his thoughts on the Absolute, free from selfishness and without anticipating any reward, with mind devoid of excitement. Those who always act in accordance with Krishna`s principles, firm in faith and without quibbling, they too are freed from the bondage of action. But they who mock at His words and do not keep it, are ignorant, devoid of wisdom and blind. They seek but their own destruction. Even the wise man acts in lineament with his nature; indeed, every creature acts according to his or her nature. In such an instance, there can be no use of compulsion. Love and hate which are enkindled by the objects of sense, arise from Nature; Krishna sternly debars Arjuna not yield to them. They only obstruct the path.

Karma Yoga, Bhagavad Gita`s path of action states that it is better to perform one`s own duty, however lacking in merit, than to perform that of another`s, even though capably. It is better to die doing one`s own duty, for, to do the duty of someone else`s is fraught with danger. Arjuna enquired at this point from his Lord to explain to him, "what is it that drives a man to sin, even against his will and as if by compulsion?" Lord Shri Krishna laid down his able reply that it is primarily desire, it is aversion, born of passion, leading one to sin against his own will. Desire devours and corrupts everything it touches in its path. It is man`s greatest enemy. As fire is shrouded in smoke, a mirror by dust and a child by mother`s womb, so is the universe enwrapped in desire. It is the wise man`s perpetual enemy; it defiles the face of wisdom. It is as voracious as a flame of fire. Desire cuts through the senses, the mind and the reason; and with their help destroys wisdom and befuddles the soul. Thus, Krishna warns Arjuna to first control his own senses and then slay his own desire; for it is full of sin and is the destroyer of knowledge and wisdom.

Karma Yoga, or path of action speaks that the senses are always all-powerful. But beyond the senses is the mind, beyond mind is intellect and beyond and greater than intellect is He. Thus, addressing Arjuna as `Mighty-In-Arms`, Krishna says that knowing Him to be beyond the intellect and, by His help, curbing one`s personal egotism, he can kill his enemy, Desire. The path to this is although extremely difficult.

Etymology of Karma Yoga

The term karma bears different meanings. In a general sense it means action or any activity. It also refers to the merits and demerits acquired as a result of the performance of good and bad deeds respectively. It is also understood as the observance of the prescribed religious acts and in this sense the term is used in the present context. Yoga means upaya or method to be adopted to achieve a goal. So the compound word karma yoga means a specific religious act adopted as a means or upaya for self-realization.

Religious Duties for Performing Karma Yoga

There are several religious duties laid down by the sacred texts. The Bhagavad Gita has enumerated the following as illustrative - (1) worship of God (devarchana) (2) performance of the sacrifice (yaga) in the consecrated fire (3) control of the sense organs (indriya-samyama) by arresting their outward movement towards external objects (4) control of the mind (manas-sarityama) (5) giving away the money earned in a righteous way in charity (dana) either for the worship of God or for performance of homa or to deserving persons etc. (6) observance of austerities (tapas) in the form of performance of prescribed rites such as fasting (7) visiting holy religious centres and bathing in sacred waters (punyatirtha-punyasthana-prapti) (8) recitation of the Vedas and study of the teachings of the sacred texts (svadhyaya tadartha jnanabhyasa) and (9) practice of breath control (pranayama). It is not necessary that all of these religious duties have to be observed for the purpose of karma yoga. Any one of them, depending upon the capacity and choice of an individual, adopted as a Sadhana or religious discipline can become karma yoga for self-realization. Each one of these acts is called Yajna in the Gita, thereby implying that it is to be performed with the spirit of a sacrifice (yaga) for the sole purpose of self-realization.

Requirements for Karma Yoga

There are several important requirements to be fulfilled for a successful performance of Karma Yoga by an aspirant. In the first instance, he should acquire adequate philosophic knowledge about the true nature of Jivatman and Paramatman through the study of the sacred texts under the guidance of a qualified preceptor (Guru). The need of such knowledge is obvious because without knowing the true nature of the self, one cannot strive for its realization.

The second important requirement is that a person performing karma yoga is required to observe without fail all the other religious duties which have been laid down by the sacred texts, in accordance with one`s Varna (caste) and Asrama (stages of life). These duties are generally called karmas. These karmas are of three types:

a) "Nitya" or those prescribed religious duties which are mandatory and to be performed unconditionally
b) "Naimittika" or those prescribed rituals which have to be observed necessarily but only on certain occasions or for certain specific purposes and
c) "Kamya" or those which may be performed only when one desires to attain some specific result such as heaven or wealth.

The first two are obligatory duties because the non-performance of them will result in sin. The third one is purely optional. These duties vary in accordance with one`s caste and the stages of life.

The third requirement, which is the most important one, is that the religious act which is adopted as a Sadhana for the purpose of self-realization should be performed without any attachment either to oneself, or to the karma itself or even to the result arising from it.

Karma Yoga and the Need for Renunciation

There are three factors involved in the performance of karma yoga emphasising a spirit of renunciation. The first one is the renunciation of egoism in the form that "I am the doer of the act" (Kartitva-Tyaga), the second is the renunciation of selfish attachment to the act, viz., that "it is my act" (Mamata-Tyaga), and the third one is the renunciation of the desire in the fruit accruing from the deed, viz., that "I am reaping the benefit for my purpose" (Phala-Tyaga).

When an individual seeking Moksha undertakes the performance of the prescribed karma as a Sadhana for liberation from bondage, it is imperative on his part to develop this sense of renunciation.

Results of Karma Yoga

The practice of karma yoga in everyday life leads the aspirant to a state of steadfastness in self-knowledge. The Gita describes him as a "Sthitaprajna" and extols him as the ideal person. The person has conquered the senses and mind, enjoys a state of mental tranquillity that neither joy nor sorrow affects him. He neither develops hatred towards others nor any attachment to any because he has conquered the two unethical mental qualities of Kama or desire and Krodha or anger. He thus becomes the fittest person for the practice of Jnana Yoga to attain the direct vision of the self or even the practice of Bhakti Yoga to attain God-realization.

The practice of Karma Yoga in everyday life never demands that the person practicing such penance needs to possess enough wealth. What it demands is a healthy mind as serving the humanity with mind and body. In the everyday course of action, Karma Yoga can effectively come to various uses. With humanity suffering from too much of troubles and tribulations, as the world is developing gradually into a mechanical one, Karma Yoga can lead one to absolute perfection. Life has become too much complicated put in by twists and turns, making one stray away from the path of yogic pleasure. A free mind can always concentrate on one"s own work, following Karma Yoga in everyday life.

Importance of Meditation in Karma Yoga : Karma Yoga implies performing all the karmas yet linking the soul with the Omnipotent to enjoy the eternal bliss. This aspect can only be achieved by meditation in everyday life. Meditation means a continuous dehypnotising from identification with body, mind, name and form. Karma yogic meditation is generally advised to be done in fresh and free mind, preferably in the wee, morning hours of the day. If someone cannot be detached from the day-to-day activities, it will be difficult to enter into meditation. If there is continuous identification with the actions, then those same activities will go on even when the body is sitting still. People in the present day tend to lean towards worldly craving for wealth, power, family and popularity. The fast pace provided by the random availability of sophisticated technologies perhaps has strayed away each individual from one`s path of right action, Karma Yoga. Meditation in everyday life makes one gradually develop a yogic view of life, shunning materialistic hankerings. While in meditation, the eyes needs to be closed, hands clasped and feet crossed; the mind however must not be controlled under any circumstances. There remains the identification with the mental play. Activity or inactivity makes no difference. The mind plays its part in all conditions. With a view to sit for meditation, the mind must be detached and withdrawn from day to day concerns. Karma Yoga in everyday life is the fundamental step on which meditation is built. As a matter of fact, no meditation is possible without it. Especially if one speaks about present days, tarnished with sins and sinning, hugely dissimilar from the erstwhile unblemished and unsophisticated days, Karma yoga is much needed. The path of righteous action can make the world into a better place. Through service to others without thoughts of personal gain, positive thinking should also be practiced in daily life.

In practice of strict meditation and keeping oneself from every kind of pleasures, an individual subtly turns oneself into a Karma Yogi, achieving the sublime Supreme. A true Karma Yogi is continuously meditating. When he helps others his attitude is "Lord, I am working, worshipping and serving you through this particular person. Thank you for giving me this opportunity." He also detaches himself from the effect of the action, whether good or bad. Whether working in the kitchen, performing in office causes, worshipping in the temple, or mowing the lawn, the Karma Yogi knows that he is different from the work, and that the work is only a way of achieving the Supreme. Karma Yoga in everyday life can be induced from detachment, learned through service. Until it is acquired and one is able to renounce emotional ties to one`s labour, no meditation is possible. As the detachment increases, it becomes easier and easier to disassociate from activities. Then, when the eyes are closed, the mind will remain composed and calm. It has been trained to focus inwardly at all times. Others may see a Karma Yogi and think he is just another person working, but they will not know the secret of his inner peace.

Traits of a Karma Yogi : A true man meditating is always discreet. Outwardly he appears to be an ordinary person, serving his nation, but inside he is a fathomless ocean. He has touched infinite peace and at this point of time nothing can change him. Karma Yoga leads to that peace which, once tasted, can never be described. Time and patience are necessary to reach it. However, when speaking of being uninvolved from everyday work, it does not necessarily mean that an ordinary individual will stay away from his duties. Such a person is termed as an `escapist`. Detachment from action does not mean slacking responsibilities. A haphazard life is not yogic, for it engenders no steadiness of mind. When a yogi takes on a job, he finishes it. His mind should never waver. That is the secret of his success if he assumes the basics of meditation. With all responsibilities his mind is focused steadily on it until completion. The yogic mind is powerful. The average person does a little here and there, keeping several projects going and finishing nothing. When a person works in this way it can be understood that there is no meditative state of mind. And this precisely the exact case in present times. It is after all an ordinary man who needs to comprehend the real meaning of Karma Yoga and make it his daily duty. Although most people suffer hugely from lack of concentration and dedication towards one sole task, Karma Yoga in everyday life can at times be extremely difficult to focus on, making one unsuccessful in attempt.

A true karma yogi however, triumphantly makes himself aloof from other trivialities, making himself wholly absorbed into one single work, that of meditating towards perfect work. The karma yogi who meditates can turn out more work in less time. He has peace within his mind. His actions are all on a pure level and those who come in contact with him are uplifted. They are inspired to perform actions that they could not otherwise have experimented previously. Lethargy vanishes in the presence of a true yogi. Karma Yoga in everyday life in the present day can be explained as the path of selfless service. Through this yoga, anyone can apprehend detachment in everyday life. This is the first essential step of meditation. There is no short cut to succeed in the process of meditation. It is a long and disciplined path. The goal, however, can be reached if someone makes a determined effort.