31 August 2001, 06:15am IST
Rahul Sharma.
Karmayoga is a way of life. actions, as prescribed by the vedas , when performed with a certain attitude, become karmayoga . this form of yoga -- from the sanskrit root yuj meaning to join the atman with the paramatman , or the self with the divine, also called buddhiyoga in the bhagavad gita , uses actions as a means for acquiring a mature, composed, and contemplative mind. it's aim is to eliminate impurities of the mind by neutralising likes and dislikes gathered in one's self. according to ramana maharishi the one who has a choice in action alone is called a karta or doer. otherwise, there is such a classification as `no doership-karma' or `instinctive involuntary action' as opposed to karma, or action based on choice, and the resultant fruit thereof spanning more than one birth and lifetime. for example, there is no doership in case of animals as they have no choice in action and are simply programmed in a particular manner. like a tiger is programmed to kill its prey, acting upon instinctive impulse is devoid of choice, and is not determined by ethics or consciousness. merit does not accrue to a herbivorous cow, nor does demerit beset a carnivore which eats the cow. so, one must develop a deliberate, conscious and balanced mind. such a person dwells in oneness with himself. for self-knowledge, atman-vichara or self-inquiry, is necessary. this inquiry into the self which leads to discovery of the nature of oneself is called vedanta . the truth is that everybody wants to be happy, but the reality is quite the opposite. to determine why for oneself, a deep understanding of life is necessary. the gita tells us how to live each and every moment of our respective lives ^ intensely and happily; to perform conscious and right action; to act and not to react to the circumstances; to lead a life intelligently with completeness and contentment. for it is in the nature of humankind to progress, to possess a peaceful mind, and to be liberated. to discover peace within oneself, one has to break away from the bondage of likes and dislikes. our likes and dislikes have no life until we give them strength. by valuing them, or giving them weightage, we give them a field of expression within us. we need to neutralise them for we are enthralled by them and our action is governed by them. to find release from this hold of likes and dislikes, lord krishna unfolds certain facts in the gita about actions and their results ^ by saying that as a human being you have the choice over action alone but never in the fruits thereof. the one who is able to master the forces released by likes and dislikes is free from their hold and has a clear mind. such a mind is fit for the knowledge unfolded by a guru's teaching. such a mind is not impulsive, does not act mechanically and instinctively. but is a pure, peaceful and happy mind. to gain knowledge you need a certain frame of mind which can be cultivated by dedicating actions in gratitude to the lord. when actions are not out of want and expectation, blessings follow. even if one performs actions prompted by likes and dislikes, if he accepts the outcome as the lord's blessings ^ then these will not disturb him. karmayoga is an attitude because of which karma, deed or effort becomes a yoga. it does not matter whether the actions are religious or worldly. even yogis perform actions for the purification of their mind. a karmayogi's mind is a satvik or pure mind. his actions are motivated with selfless service, love and compassion, devoid of any expectation. they are offerings to god, motivated to bring light into others' lives. in the happiness of others lies their happiness. according to the vedas we are not isolated beings as we are right in the midst of the world and so we are related to all of creation. the law of nature applies to everyone. if you strike the right chord with the world around you, then you are a karmayogi, in sync with nature and creation. when you strike a balance with your environment you're finely tuned with nature and a quantum leap can take place in the progress of a person with such a change in one's attitude.
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