Yoga means union. Karma Yoga is communion with God through work! Karma means action physical or mental. So all actions or activities are the ways and means of reaching God or realizing Him. Karma Yoga is different from yogas like Bhakthi and Jnana yogas as it does not involve it sittng in a place or meditating or worshipping the deity. As the Lord says in the Bhagavadgita, all actions should be carried out without attachment. Any action performed without expectation of reward comes under Karma yoga. “ Karmanye vadhikarasthu ma phaleshu kadachana…” You have authority to act, not to expect the result! Result will take care of itself depending upon the magnitude of your action. If one performs his duty properly, the result will be good. He need not bother about the result or have any doubt about it. This activity done without expecting any award or result or without attachment is called “ Nishkama Karma.” All duties of house holders, doing their duties without attachment for the glory of God come under Karma Yoga. Chanting the holy name of God and other pious duties, if done for the sake of God and not to fulfill one's desire is Karma Yoga. Is there any difference between the end of Karma Yoga and other Yogas like the Bhakthi and Jnana Yoga’s? The end of Karma Yoga is the same, namely, the realization of God, personal or impersonal or both.
The Karma Yogi has to attend to all worldly duties with total dedication to the Lord like servants in the mansion of a rich man. The secret of this Karma Yoga consists in chanting the ' name' of the Lord and meditating on Him as much as one can and at the same time attending to one's duties in sheer dedication. Whatever is offered to God would return thousandfold. At the end of all karma one has to pour a handful of water dedicating the fruit of the karma to Krishna! It is said that when Yudhistara wanted to offer even his sins to Krishna, Bhima warned and prevented his brother saying that the sins would come back to him thousandfold. Work without attachment is extremely difficult in this Kali Yuga and hence communion by prayer, devotion and love are recommended in preference to knowledge and philosophy. Work or Karma bereft of devotion to God is very unstable and cannot stand. Best suited for Kaliyuga is Naradiya—Bhakthi or communion with God by love, devotion and self surrender as advocated by the great sage Narada. To work without any attachment is to work without the expectation of any reward or fear of any punishment in this world or the next. Work so done is a means to the end which is Good Himself.
Work as means should not be confused with the end. Work is not the be all and the end all, the ideal of human existence in the world. One should pray for devotion to God. We should never ask God for transitory things. On the other hand we should pray for Divine love which elevates man to the level of God. We should realize that He is the eternal foundation of love and bliss. Unselfish work done in a spirit of dedication and devotion transforms the individual into one full of pure Sattva quality. If Rajasa quality is mixed up, he changes direction and becomes egoistic and says, “ I shall do good to the world.” How can an ordinary mortal think of doing good to the entire world? It is highly hazardous. This attempt to do good, without any motive, for the benefit of others is allowed and has no danger in it. This kind of work is in essence called Nishkama Karma—work without Kama or personal desire or motive. Though desirable, it is very difficult and only a few calls think of it.
Is there any stage when you need not involve yourself in work? Is it possible? Renunciation of work comes by itself when there is a flood of intense love of God in one's heart. Let those work who are allowed do so by God. When the time is right, one must renounce everything and “ watch the Divinity installed in the heart.” Sandhya loses itself in Gayatri; Gayatri loses itself in Pranava; Pranava in the end loses itself in Samadhi. So every karma ultimately loses itself in Samadhi.” remarks Sri RmaKrishna.
As long as the mind is not absorbed in God man has to do both—seek Him and attend to work in the world. As the mind is absorbed in Him, there is no need for any work. Much fuss is made about Karma but the more one proceeds towards God, the less the need for karma. Complete renunciation of work arrives finally followed by Samadhi. Great souls like Narada are moved with pity at the trials and tribulations of the world. They are large hearted and not so selfish as to care only for the attainment of jnana for themselves!
The Karma Yogi has to attend to all worldly duties with total dedication to the Lord like servants in the mansion of a rich man. The secret of this Karma Yoga consists in chanting the ' name' of the Lord and meditating on Him as much as one can and at the same time attending to one's duties in sheer dedication. Whatever is offered to God would return thousandfold. At the end of all karma one has to pour a handful of water dedicating the fruit of the karma to Krishna! It is said that when Yudhistara wanted to offer even his sins to Krishna, Bhima warned and prevented his brother saying that the sins would come back to him thousandfold. Work without attachment is extremely difficult in this Kali Yuga and hence communion by prayer, devotion and love are recommended in preference to knowledge and philosophy. Work or Karma bereft of devotion to God is very unstable and cannot stand. Best suited for Kaliyuga is Naradiya—Bhakthi or communion with God by love, devotion and self surrender as advocated by the great sage Narada. To work without any attachment is to work without the expectation of any reward or fear of any punishment in this world or the next. Work so done is a means to the end which is Good Himself.
Work as means should not be confused with the end. Work is not the be all and the end all, the ideal of human existence in the world. One should pray for devotion to God. We should never ask God for transitory things. On the other hand we should pray for Divine love which elevates man to the level of God. We should realize that He is the eternal foundation of love and bliss. Unselfish work done in a spirit of dedication and devotion transforms the individual into one full of pure Sattva quality. If Rajasa quality is mixed up, he changes direction and becomes egoistic and says, “ I shall do good to the world.” How can an ordinary mortal think of doing good to the entire world? It is highly hazardous. This attempt to do good, without any motive, for the benefit of others is allowed and has no danger in it. This kind of work is in essence called Nishkama Karma—work without Kama or personal desire or motive. Though desirable, it is very difficult and only a few calls think of it.
Is there any stage when you need not involve yourself in work? Is it possible? Renunciation of work comes by itself when there is a flood of intense love of God in one's heart. Let those work who are allowed do so by God. When the time is right, one must renounce everything and “ watch the Divinity installed in the heart.” Sandhya loses itself in Gayatri; Gayatri loses itself in Pranava; Pranava in the end loses itself in Samadhi. So every karma ultimately loses itself in Samadhi.” remarks Sri RmaKrishna.
As long as the mind is not absorbed in God man has to do both—seek Him and attend to work in the world. As the mind is absorbed in Him, there is no need for any work. Much fuss is made about Karma but the more one proceeds towards God, the less the need for karma. Complete renunciation of work arrives finally followed by Samadhi. Great souls like Narada are moved with pity at the trials and tribulations of the world. They are large hearted and not so selfish as to care only for the attainment of jnana for themselves!
No comments:
Post a Comment