The Spiritual Path Of A Karma Yogi

The term ‘Karma’ comes from the Sanskrit word ‘Kri’ which means ‘to do’ or ‘to act’. Karma yoga is therefore the yoga of work or action, ideal for the more task-oriented and perhaps less philosophically minded individual. You do not have to be an impressive intellect, a sage, a natural philosopher, or in any way mystical or religious in mind to follow the path of Karma yoga. The tendency towards those other areas suggests instead the paths of Gnani, Raja or Bhakti yoga (although they are all complementary).

How do you know if you have acted like some kind of Karma Yogi? Simple. A Karma Yogi works for the sake of work. They engage in an action not because of the promise of a satisfying end result—glory, a giddy high, an ego boost, or some kind of material gain—but because they enjoy the action in itself and embrace their obligation to do it right. The work is its own reward and therefore intrinsically satisfying. When they perform their duties to the best of their ability, everyone who comes into contact with them benefits, even if they are only indirectly and impersonally connected to others. This is the mentality of the Karma Yogi, although in fairness he acts in accordance with some fundamental truths that are still poorly known in ‘civilized Western society’. These truths are the key to being an ‘everyday Karma Yogi’. They include the facts that:

• Nothing really happens by accident.
• We are all here on the personal and collective mission to evolve spiritually
• The lives we live touch many others in one way or another
• Our lives are not lived for the benefit of our own personas, nor even just for the benefit of our own personal spiritual evolution, but for the benefit of ALL people in their development.
• Even the most humble and thankless or seemingly trivial tasks are important and exist for a clear purpose: EVERYONE is part of the Great Design

Yogi Ramacharaka eloquently addressed these ideas in his Advanced Course in Yogi Philosophy (1904) when he said:

“A particular piece of work may seem… useless as part of our own development, but that particular piece of work is… necessary in some part of the grand scheme and we must be happy to fulfill our role. Every movement and position has a meaning, just like [in] a game of chess… And so the true Karma Yogi allows himself to be moved by the Spirit without complaint, knowing that all will go well with him, and that the move is necessary to bring about certain combinations or changes in the great game of life to take. played by all men.”

I know a woman who works in a stressful environment as a chef in the kitchen of a busy local cafe. Her husband has a very satisfying five-figure salary and she really has no financial reason to work, and yet she does… because she loves the work. The work is its own reward. She has even been known to log on later in the day than her shift actually starts (thereby reducing her own pay) so that her financially less well-off colleagues (who need the work) can work longer hours without their fickle and frugal boss pushing for to always keep as few staff as possible to save money. In this sense, this woman behaves like an unconscious Karma yogi. Unattached to the material rewards for her time and labor, she works for the pleasure of the act itself, even sacrificing herself for the benefit of others. Although she does not know ‘The secret of the work’, she applies it unconsciously. She practices non-attachment, apparently “non-consciously”!

The theory of non-attachment teaches that this principle, if followed diligently, will cause a person not to stop enjoying certain things, but to enjoy everything, knowing in his heart that every task – even the most useless or winding – poses a challenge. crucial thread in the web of humanity’s overall development.

The person who practices detachment understands that happiness is not something that comes to him from without as a result of certain causes, but something that arises from within as part of his own nature, if he is willing to allow it. When you are attached to something, a person or a certain outcome, you make yourself a slave to it. On the other hand, the yogi who has mastered non-attachment has mastered himself and is free to turn any potentially unpleasant or boring event into a source of pleasure, because he knows that his peace and happiness are within himself be worn and accompany him in an even situation. the least pleasant circumstances.

As the theosophical gem Light on the Path (1885) puts it, we must “root out ambition” and yet “work like those who are ambitious.” This is a somewhat cryptic way of urging us to the non-attachment of the Karma Yogi. Work, do your duty, throw yourself into the bleakest of your obligations, because what better option have you ever immersed in the moment? Far from being a mere curse on humanity, work can distract and take us away from repetitive thoughts of self-pity, save us from vain fantasies, and also provide an excellent opportunity to rise above our lower animal nature and the instinctive mind . aspect or ‘layer’ of our psyche).

The path to spiritual progress is not to hide the trials and trivialities of life in the world as it is. On the contrary, the furnace of modern life and its countless challenges is the perfect place for us to forge the steel of our soul so that we can improve ourselves. As Ramacharaka said, “If your karma has placed you in the thick of the action – act! It is your only chance to get out of the circumstances that trouble and disturb you.”

Peace, contentment and lasting happiness are within you right now. It’s not what you do that will ultimately get you these things; No, these things are what you are. Freed from attachment, this is the truth that the Karma Yogi lives out.