Practice of Karma Yoga Why Perform Karma Yoga? Principles of Karma Yoga Return

That man who has knowledge and devotion can alone do really efficient service to the country and the people. Jnana and bhakti must be the rock bottom basis of karma yoga. Jnana can be combined with karma yoga or bhakti yoga can be combined with karma yoga in the beginning with much advantage. The jnana-karma-yogi thinks and feels that he is serving his own Atman and realises advaitic consciousness. The bhakti-karma-yogi thinks and feels that he is serving his Lord in all, his own ishtam and realises God-consciousness and has darsan of his beloved. Mere philanthropic work out of sympathy without devotion and knowledge is nothing more than social scavenging. It is not yoga or worship. It is on a lower plane. It cannot elevate a man much. The progress is dull and slow, if progress you can call it. Remember, it is the mental attitude or bhava that does immense good.

A doctor who works in the hospital should think that all patients are manifestations of God. He should think that the body is the moving temple of God and that the hospital is a big temple or Brindavan or Ayodhya. He should think: "I am doing all my actions to please the Lord and not to please my superiors." He should think that God is the inner ruler (antaryamin), that He alone manipulates all his organs from behind, and that He is the wirepuller of the body. He should think that He works to carry out the Divine Will in the grand plan or scheme of things. He should consecrate all his actions at His Feet, whether they be good or bad. He should then say: "Om Tat Sat Krishnarpanamastu" or "Om Tat Sat Brahmarpanamastu" in the end and at night when he retires to bed. This is jnanagni or the fire of wisdom or the fire of devotion that destroys the fruit of action, brings about chitta suddhi, knowledge of the Self and final emancipation. He should never dream even: "I have done such meritorious act. I will get an exalted place in svarga (heaven), etc. I will be born in the next birth as a rich man." By means of constant practice of this nature he will slowly get mental non-attachment towards work. A lady, when she does her household duties, should also entertain the above mental attitude. In this manner all actions can be spiritualized. All actions will become worship of the Lord. A man can realise Godhead in whatever situation he may be placed in life, if only he works with this right mental attitude.

Do service for sometime. Then you will grasp the spirit of nishkamya karma yoga. In the beginning all your actions may be selfish. But if you work hard in the field of karma yoga for two years, five of your actions will be unselfish and ninety-five will be selfish. Scrutinize your motives, purify them and try hard. After some years of incessant struggle, fifty actions will become unselfish. A good time will come when all your actions, hundred percent, will be purely unselfish. You will become a perfect karma yogi like Raja Janaka. The time is not very far if you keep up the ideal before you daily and struggle hard to reach the ideal, and if you are sincere and earnest in your purpose.

In the beginning, all your karmas may not be of the pure nishkamya type. Some may be sakamya (with expectation). Some may be nishkamya. You must be very vigilant in scrutinizing your motives during action. You must be ever introspective. By and by, when the heart becomes purer and purer through constant work, your actions will be perfectly disinterested and selfless. Aspirants must work as energetically as the children of this world, but they must substitute a new motive; they work that the divine law may be fulfilled, that the divine purpose may be promoted, that the Will of God may be carried out in every direction.

Elation and depression are the attributes of the mind. If you want to become a real Karma Yogi in the right sense of the term, you will have to keep a balanced mind at all times, in all conditions and under all circumstances. This is no doubt very difficult. But you will have to do it anyhow. Then only will you have peace of mind and real lasting happiness. He who keeps a balanced mind is a jnani. Karma yoga prepares the mind for the attainment of jnana.

There must not be the least attachment to any kind of work. You must be ready to leave any work at any time. There may be a divine call upon you for certain work. You will have to take it up at once without grumbling, whatever may the nature of the work be, whether you are willing or not. You will have to stop it also, if conditions and circumstances demand you to do so. This is yoga. There is no attachment to the work here.

Many people get attached to the work. They like some kind of work and they take interest in it. They dislike some other kind of work. They are unwilling to leave it also, if conditions want it to be stopped. They take undue responsibility on their shoulders, pine and labour under care, worries and anxieties. This is not yoga at all, because there is attachment to the work. Worldly people always work with attachment. Hence they suffer. If there is a divine call, you may start a worldwide movement. You must be prepared to stop it at any time if God wills, even though you do not get any success here. It is not your look out to get success or failure. Simply obey the divine call and act like a soldier on the battlefield. There is great joy in such kind of work because there is no personal element here.

Do everything as isvararpana. Work for the welfare of the world in unison with the Divine Will. Allow the divine energy to work unhampered through your instruments. The moment your egoism comes in, there will be immediate blocking of the free flow of the divine energy. Make your indriyas (senses and motor organs) perfect instruments for His lila. Keep the body-flute hollow by emptying it of your egoism. Then the Flute-Bearer of Brindavan will play freely through this body-flute. He will work through your instruments. Then you will feel the lightness of the work. You will feel that God works through you. You will be washed of all the responsibilities. You will be as free as a bird. You will feel that you are quite a changed being. Your egoism will try to re-enter. Be careful. Be on the alert. By gradual practice and purification of the mind you will become an expert in karma yoga.

May the great Lord, the Flute-Bearer of Brindavan, grant us right belief, suddha prem (pure love), right mental attitude and inner spiritual strength to do selfless service to the world, and to realise Godhead even while remaining in the world, by doing nishkamya karma yoga with Narayana bhava, by remembering Him at all times and by offering all actions, body, mind and the soul at His Lotus Feet! May the blessings of Siva and Hari be upon us all!