A FEW THOUGHTS ON KARMYOG
The KarmYog, or, as it is called at its culmination point
– Nishkaam Karmyog, is a path towards God wherein a person acts as per the
situation, without any self-interest, dedicated towards God, and without any
expectation of return. As per the Krushnaarjun Samvaad {also known as the Shrimad
Bhagwad Geeta}, it is a state where one is purely content in the self and at
total peace. At its highest point, Nishkaam Karmyog, there is no need for a
person to act
THE VARIOUS PATHS TOWARDS MOKSH
The KarmYog path is one that can take you to
liberation despite being in Gruhasthaashram, or in other words, while being in
society, marriage and friends; another path for the Gruhasth is SanyasYog, wherein
one practices detachment while remaining in the sansaar - different from Sanyaas Aashram when one renounces
the world. A third path is BhaktiYog – wherein one is so devoted to God, that one
literally forgets oneself.
PRARABDH
A full understanding of Karmyog needs the
appreciation of a concept called Prarabdh; this refers to the Karm of past
lives + present life that are maturing in this life. This is important, as
along the path, while you are acting selflessly, others’ actions may impact
you. It may lead to questions in your mind – why me? Hence, a background of the
karmic cycle needs to be established.
The soul, any soul, each soul - exists in reality in
a state of Union, and as a part of the entire whole of creation… the soul is an
independent entity, eternal. It takes on a form, and that form, due to
the eternal soul, also has independent choice of action. Such actions
may cause ripples in space-time to impact other independent entities around
them. This is the base of any path towards God; and also the reason why
Nishkaam Karmyog negates the Agami…
There are 3 concepts of your karm : one is Praarabdh.
The other two being Sanchit Karm and Agami Karm. Sanchit means sum total of
Karm of all lives; Agami is the Karm that will happen or mature in future. Prarabdh
is not strictly Past ----> Present; it is more like Past|Present -----> Present|Future. Some Karmphal matures immediately, some takes time in the same
lifespan, and some gets added to Sanchit. But as a general rule, accept what
happens as a part of Prarabdh. Makes no difference whether the doer thinks
he/she deserved it or not.
NISHKAAM KARMYOG
A Nishkaam Karmyogi is a state of existence where
this entire matter would hold no validity at all; where actions, reactions, emotions,
happenings do not make any ripple in the mind… to such a person, any good or bad event is a
non-event. Such a person is situation in God, and the material plane ceases to
exist... To reach this stage, one has to first accept that the Prarabdh has to
be traversed; Sanchit has to be cancelled and cut into nothingness, and Agaami
has to be blocked before it arises. That is, fresh actions should be such that
no future karmic reaction results. This is the sum total result of Karmyog, or even
the other 3 paths mentioned in the paragraph above.
KARMYOG = EFFORT? OR FOCUSSED EFFORT?
People tend to translate the concept of Karmyog to
mean 100% focused effort; that is not the case. It should be read as give 100%
effort subject to cleanliness, truth, morality, absence of personal desire,
ego, anger, ambition, jealousy, and a 360-degree perspective balancing all your
responsibilities – and with all actions / thoughts, emotions etc being
dedicated to God. In other words, there may be a time when your actual
duty is to ignore it, and focus elsewhere, as other responsibilities are more
important. THAT is giving 100% effort.
IF you give 100% effort only, but partake in
amorality, or unethical tactics out of force, or give in to ego pride amibition
etc {ordered to do, or as industry norm etc} - you will create fresh karmic
reactions in all directions, invalidating your effort. If not now, sometime in
the future in some area of your life. Thus, 100% effort has no meaning
whatever, standing all by itself. [Last point, per my understanding, Karmphal is
not linear. That is, Do good job at work ------> Get result at work is an
invalid assumption; one does not
look at it compartment-wise, but rather a holistic view of the entire Sanchit
Karm + Agaami Karm + Praarabdh Karmfal spanning all areas of a soul’s existence]
The key is to be situated in a state of
existence, a plane of performance where every action thought emotion desire is
in control of the Buddhi, and is clean in every respect. Once you reach that,
then take it case by case, day by day, hour by hour, minute by minute. The rest
will follow automatically!
CLEANLINESS DEFINED AND ITS IMPORTANCE
Regarding cleanliness, just one small observation. In
Vedant, Cleanliness takes on a very deep meaning; it means internal and external
cleanliness. This includes physical
cleanliness; clean food, clean thoughts, clean desires, clean acharan, clean
behaviour, clean nature, clean environment, clean actions and more. Thus, even
if one of these is not clean - you are not clean, per Vedant, per my understanding.
In short, in each situation, give your best with full Cleanliness - cleanliness
as per Vedantic parameters, that is full external internal cleanliness, devoid
of all material vikaar, and focussed on your individual effort.
THE KARMIC CYCLE
If you are taking 50% profit for something that
deserves 20%, rest assured that balance 30% will be extracted from you one way
or the other. If not now, in the future. But extracted it will be, for certain.
If not from your job or your bank, then from family or other areas. But the
price will be extracted, guaranteed. That said, prayers as per scriptures -
whichever religion you believe in, do help as you get the blessings; and that
helps in alleviating the impact of the Karmphal in the Prarabdh section....
Next point in that is that death is illusory; it is
an illusion in the journey of the soul. It is the same soul, and thus has to
travel its own path. No one can do anything about that. Even Shri Krushn, Shri
Ram, Gautam Budhh, Mahavir, Martand Bhairav, Hanuman were not
exempt from the Karmic cycle... Lastly. one does not re-learn the concept of
Karm. You learn it only once; life automatically directs you to the right
direction, and you pick up from where you left off. That is what explains
flashes of inspiration, premonition, etc ... many times it happens you know the
subject, especially in philosophy etc. That is why some children start reading
spiritual, religiious and philosophy from an early age....
LOOKING AHEAD…
Another point is that we should not look at it
individually. The entire cycle includes the Traigun Sansaar. Thus, it is an
interaction of the soul with the Trai-Gun {material world that causes karmic
reactions; Saattvik Raajasik Taamasik. The interplay of these causes individual
impact; and for each good AND bad action there is a guaranteed reaction. Thus,
even if you are good , you do not get Moksh. For a reaction has been created
for your goodness! And you get pulled into the cycle once again.... The question
arises, how then do we get liberation? Here we reach to the point where we need
to look ahead, towards Moksh and Union.
REFERENCES
1)
Shrimad Bhagwad Geeta, Geeta Press
2)
The Song of God, Swami Mukundanand
3)
Various Upanishads : Ishadi Nau
Upanishad, Chhandogya, Bruhadaranyak, Mahanarayan
4)
Internet Resource : Speaking Tree – The Karmyog
and Service
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