Bhagavad Gita: Yoga of Action

Karma Yoga can be described as the ‘Yoga of action’, and it represents one of 4 Yogic paths which enable purification of consciousness, spiritual growth, and self- actualisation, ultimately leading to moksha (liberation) (Ref 1). However, some argue that Karma Yoga connects all forms of Yoga, enabling us to take Yoga off the mat and into every moment of our lived experience as humans; It integrates meditative qualities of Raja Yoga, knowledge and self- actualisation of Jnana Yoga, and devotion of Bhakti Yoga (ref 2). To understand Karma Yoga further it is important to consider the highly relevant concept of Karma itself, as referred to for example in Brihadaranyaka Upanishad (Ref 3):

“a man of good acts will become good, a man of bad acts, bad; he became pure by pure deeds, bad by bad deeds”

This describes the Law of Karma, that is the cause and effect of our actions, also commonly referred to in an aphorism “we reap what we sow”. In other words, we are responsible for our actions and their outcomes. Bhagavad Gita (Ref 1) defines Karma Yoga as a way of life, in which daily sacrifice of selfless service becomes a form of prayer and devotion to God, or how I like to interpret it as a devotion to our universal interconnected consciousness. A Yogi is encouraged to see God in all the manifestations, regardless of the form, i..e human, animal, plant or rock:

“see Me in all things, and all things within Me.” (Ref 1)

To practice Karma Yoga is to act out of a sense of duty, to do our part in the Universe, to work not for the sake of ourselves but for welfare of all. This concept of service is often encouraged by many other religious and spiritual traditions (Ref 2). However, whilst in other traditions service to others is often perceived as ‘the right thing to do’, in Karma Yoga we also focus on the impact that receiving back what we give has on our spiritual development and self- realization.

How then do we translate the principles of Karma Yoga into the everyday 21st Century living? We perform thousands of actions every day, some consciously and some unconsciously. We are often multitasking, continuously being expected to be ‘productive’. This to me means that we usually are focusing on everything, and therefore truly on nothing. When talking about Karma Yoga on the other hand, we describe a way of acting which is performed with awareness- “working meditation”- and an attitude of integrity, empathy, unconditional love, and detachment. Our actions then transform from habitual and automatic to intentional, focused. Becoming more mindful gives us more time to decide upon what action we should take.

A Karma Yogi considers the impact any action will have on all those involved – recognising others in themselves- and then proceeds to act in a way that will be least harmful to all, whilst expressing compassion and loving kindness. It is natural that in the human world some choices will be difficult. We will face obstacles, for example choosing an action from an array of undesirable ones, i.e having to choose the lesser evil, thus not always being able to act in a way that will be entirely positive to all those involved. But the Yogi’s inner equanimity and integrity should persist in success and in failure, in easy and in difficult times, simply doing the best they can given the circumstances.

A Karma Yogi should be detached from their Ego, which focuses on the results of any action, and on our selfish gains. Buddha refers to this as Tanya thirst or a compulsive craving for personal satisfaction (Ref 4). However, the selfish cravings is what makes us feel separate from the rest of the Universe. Moreover, even if an action is a service to others, the ego will try to claim it for praise and respect from others, or the ‘feel good factor of helping others’, making us feel superior. This also creates a power imbalance in a relationship. We give a message to the other that they are somehow broken, that they are inferior to us, that they are being judged for their pain (Ref 5).

In Hindu and Buddhist traditions there is a belief that there will always be suffering in the world (Ref 6). Karma Yogi will serve others with humbleness knowing they cannot relieve all the pain; knowing they may not have all the answers; refusing to be arrogant enough to think that they can save the whole world on their own. However, they will also know that every selfless act matters, that sometimes what a person or animal in pain needs is just kindness and your time. Karma Yoga removes the expectation and the pressure that we somehow have to heal this person, or a group of people, or the whole world. If we identify with the ego, and we know that there will always be more pain in the world, this will probably make us cynical and discourage us from the path of Karma Yoga, i.e. why would you continue doing something you don’t believe is making a difference? Karma Yogi will know that they are a part of the bigger Universal Consciousness. That their actions matter, but in a sense that they don’t matter that much.

The Karma Yoga path is supposed to be self- less, what Gandhi refers to as nishkama karma (Ref 3). The Yogi has to remove their egotistical expectations, as described in Bhagavad Gita (Ref 1):

“You have the right to work, but Never to the fruit of work. You should never engage in action for the sake of reward (…) perform work in this world, without selfish attachments, and alike in success and defeat. For yoga is perfect evenness of the mind. “

The Yogi should renounce selfishness in thought, word and action, detaching themselves from the idea that “I am the doer”, instead acknowledging that it is the true Self that is observing the doing (Ref 7). With practice we un-condition ourselves from identifying with our egos, releasing ourselves from its bondage. This may then lead to reduced tiredness and increased enthusiasm, as we become passionate about serving others for the sake of itself (Ref 6). Our attitude to serving others changes, and Toaists refer to this as Wei wu Wei “effortless doing” (Ref 7).

A Karma Yogi is also an empath, one who notices the pain in others and feels the need to relieve it. Bhagavad Gita (Ref 1) refers to this as follows:

“He who burns with the bliss and suffers the sorrow of every creature”

The Yogi realises that if there is a part of the Universal Consciousness which is hurting, this will affect the rest of the Universal consciousness - their pain becomes our own. This refers to the concept of non- dualism. We each have a collective responsibility to reduce the suffering of others.

Karma Yogi will do their best, however small it may appear, to serve others selflessly and sincerely, knowing that if they try to do too much this will impact on their own balance, leading to resentment and anger, as well as risking compassion fatigue, burn out, and the subsequent ill mental and physical health. This in turn will disable a person from continuing their service to others. So, being a Karma Yogi also means offering empathy and loving kindness to ourselves (Ref 4). We can serve others well only when our basic needs are met, and when we have equanimity of body, mind and spirit. Hence, a Karma Yogi should also practice Yoga in others ways, such as through Asana, pranayama and meditation. One can commence their path of Karma Yoga immediately through daily acts of selfless service to others, however small.

References

1 E. Easwaran (2007) The Bhagavad Gita, London: Nilgiri Press

2 https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Karma_yoga

3 https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Brihadaranyaka_Upanishad#Karma_theory

4 https://truenaturetravels.com/uncategorized/karma-yoga/

5 https://vedanta.org/yoga-spiritual-practice/the-path-of-work-karma-yoga/

6 https://www.yogajournal.com/yoga-101/do-yoga-do-good

7 https://hridaya-yoga.com/karma-yoga-the-yoga-of-action/