HARMONY BY ACTION - SWAMI TATWANANDA

[Guest guest]

Karma yoga is a preparatory lifestyle of spiritual discipline. This spiritual

discipline has two aspects to it.

 

1. The recognition of God as the "material and efficient cause" for the

created. He is the Creator and the jiva is the created.

 

2. The recognition of God/Esvara as the material cause brings in the

understanding that the laws, which govern this creation, are not separate

from Him. From Him, the Intelligent Principle, came His laws termed as the

law of karma or law of dharma, which take care of all actions and their

results. As such, He is the "Impartial Giver" of the results of actions that

are performed by the individual. This means He is accepted as the "Karmaphala

Datta."

 

A seeker with this understanding and acceptance of Him, the all-Pervasive

Reality, as the very basis for the created (inclusive of himself) learns to

pursue his actions as an offering unto Him. This attitude is termed as

"Esvara arpana buddhi." The notion of "I ness" and "mine-ness" (egotism)

gets gradually nullified by such an attitude

 

As Esvara's laws govern this creation, the seeker accepts the results of his

actions as bestowed on him by Esvara; the Impartial Giver Such an attitude is

termed as "prasada buddhi."

 

This attitude and understanding of the intricacies of karma as action and

result helps the seeker to eliminate the irrational rough edge of his

expectations that became ingrained in his former lifestyle of

"Self-ignorance." Thus, when the mind becomes free from the pull of likes and

dislikes (desires) it is ready and responsive to the discovery of one's own

true nature. Free of mental agitation, maturity is gathered and retained in

this receptive mind to be steadfast in understanding the import of the

scriptural teaching - "That thou art."

 

Therefore the necessity for the man of responsibilities is to perform all

action for one reason alone - "to gain a sensitive and disciplined mind."

Such a pure mind can be attuned to the ever-present peace, which is one's

intrinsic nature. This preparatory means for the man of responsibility and

activity is selectively identified as Karma yoga. It is a transformation from

an active phase to absorbing quietude.

 

(Excerpted from Swamiji's talks on Karma Yoga-published as Harmony by

Action-1989).