Karma yoga

o understand what is meant by ‘Karma Yoga’, we must first clarify the true meaning of ‘Karma’. Karma is created in our every thought, word and deed. Karma stems from the mind. The mind generates concepts of objects, people, careers, homes etc, that it believes would create happiness. The emotions get stirred, and then the body is engaged in the pursuit of these things, believing that in acquiring them, we’ll find peace.

These single threads of thought, desire and deed twist together to form a chain, running from the heart to the object of attraction. Over time these chains become so numerous, and so tightly wound, that the original ‘I’ – that sense of pure ‘being’ that was at first so distinct and separate from the objects of attraction, becomes swamped and obscured. Karma then becomes like a prison that cannot be unbroken in one lifetime. The original ‘I’ – the immortal soul of man, must take countless births until all the chains of Karma are untied. This is the Universal law of cause and effect. In the Bhagavad Gita, Lord Krishna explains:

When a man dwells in his mind on the object of sense, attachment to them is produced. From attachment springs desire and from desire comes anger. From anger arises bewilderment, from bewilderment loss of memory; and from loss of memory, the destruction of intelligence and from the destruction of intelligence he perishes.

People talk about good karma and bad karma, as though one is to be avoided and the other embraced, but such distinctions are meaningless. Whether the chains are made of rusty iron or polished gold makes not one iota of difference; they have bound the soul. Liberation alone can confer bliss.

Krishna makes it clear that inactivity is not the solution to Karma; we are naturally compelled to action by the needs of the mind and body. What creates our chains is not action itself, but our desire for the fruits, the rewards, of our action. Krishna declares liberation lies in offering all of our actions, and their fruits, to God. Work then becomes effortless and joyful. We become bold and fearless, developing pure devotion, feeling more and more that we are His instruments. By transforming all of our deeds into expressions of love for God, we transform Karma into Karma Yoga. Krishna explains:

…those who, renouncing all actions in Me, and regarding Me as the Supreme, worship Me… For those whose thoughts have entered into Me, I am soon the deliverer from the ocean of death and transmigration, Arjuna. Keep your mind on Me alone, your intellect on Me. Thus you shall dwell in Me hereafter.

It is easier for a prisoner to slip his wrists out of a pair of handcuffs, than for him to break them using his own force. Karma Yoga enables us to shrink our negative, selfish patterns of attachment so we may be free of the chains that bind. Desireless action is true spiritual awareness. It ignites devotion and bliss, purifying the heart and mind to realize the presence of God in every particle of the universe. Karma Yoga takes place in the mundane everyday activities of life, yet it enables us to manifest the Chaitanya – the Divine Cosmic Consciousness – that is present both within and outside us.

Realise that the Divine is in every single thing you do: Eat when you eat. Work when you work. Play when you play. And when you worship, worship God with all of your might, and all of your strength.
Guru Sri Subramanium.

Be where you are.
Guru Sri Subramanium.

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