Karma Yoga – the Path of Blissful Action

 Karma Yoga – the Path of Blissful Action      by      Hasmukh Adha

What does Karma Yoga mean?

Is Karma Yoga only the abandonment of desire for fruits?

Is it possible to do Karma Yoga by a normal person to fulfil his desire?

What is the Karma Yogi’s attitude to work?

Why should we do work with attitude?

Careful examination of Srimad Bhagavad Gita reveals that Karma Yoga has six components:

The first aspect is that whatever activity we do should not be against the normally accepted socio-ethical code of conduct of a society. Not deceiving people, not appropriating anyone else’s rights, not harming others and so on are all part of this. Even if such a code is not spelt out anywhere, it means ‘not doing that to others what you do not want others to do unto you’. The basic and bare minimum step towards Karma Yoga is to exhibit good citizenship behaviour which includes a civilised socio-ethical code.

The second facet of Karma Yoga is that whatever role we have chosen to play in life, or which God has given to us to do, should be performed most diligently and carefully, without any laxity and negligence. Karma Yoga is not about ‘what you do’ but about ‘how you do’. Every human being has a psychological requirement of keeping oneself busy always. It is, therefore, better to choose a role which is appropriate to one’s mental make-up and which is satisfying to him or her. Each of these roles has to be played with perfection if one has to qualify to be a Karma Yogi. Playing our roles with sincerity and perfection brings true happiness and peace of mind.

The third facet of Karma Yoga is that our focus should be mainly on the present activity at hand and not on the fruit which that action is likely to bring for us. We should rather focus on our work than on the results. The anxiety for results spoils the quality of work and such a work does not qualify to be Karma Yoga. Results are likely to be proportionate to the quality of work and dedication with which an activity is done.

The fourth facet of karma Yoga is acceptance of whatever results come as God’s Prasad (blessings). Having put in one’s best efforts, a Karma Yogi must learn to accept all the results which come in his work life or personal life. While we have better control on quality of work inputs, we have little control on results which depends on past Karmas as well as cooperation of many people. The result may not always be agreeable but it is always appropriate. The best attitude for a Karma Yogi is to accept any result as something in which God has larger design or a better future for us.

The fifth facet of Karma Yoga is the absence of a sense of doer-ship or ego. Many have played a role in making us perform so well in life.

The sixth facet of Karma Yoga is to learn to share whatever fruits one gets in life with all others – whether it is money, knowledge ore credit. Appropriating selfishly all that God has given to us is against the concept of Karma Yoga.

In short, any activity, done without ‘selfishness’, without ‘carelessness’ and without ‘ego’, can become Karma Yoga – a state of blissful action. Karma Yoga makes our life happy and contended. It bestows on us purity of kind which paves way for True Knowledge and Ultimate Liberation.

(Abridged version -- Taken from The Vendanta Kesari (The Lion of Vedanta), November, 2010)