Karma Yoga - Theory and Practice

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Karma Yoga - Theory and Practice

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Theory:

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Man operates in three basic realms. The gross, subtle

and causal. In the gross level, the physical body with

its sense organs and organs of action is the field of

operation. In the subtle level, the mind with its

organs like intellect, memory and the faculty of

emotion is the field of operation. The causal level

consists of the basic limitation, which makes a person

feel an individual existence in relation to the

environment.

 

Defects in these three realms of operation manifest as

lust (desire for sensual pleasure and comfort), greed

(desire for possessions and human relationship) and ego

(desire for fame) respectively. All other defects like

anger, jealousy and delusion result from these three

basic defects.

 

These realms can be related to the three Gunas

(qualities) of man. Tamas is when the goal of a person

is in the physical realm. Rajas is when the goal of a

person is in the mental realm. Sattva is when the goal

of a person is in the causal realm. When a person goes

beyond the three types of defects, he naturally goes

beyond the three Gunas. The aim of human life is to

overcome these three types of defects and transcend

the three Gunas.

 

Practice:

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Karma Yoga defines three practices to free ourselves from

these three defects. They are Yagna (activity), Daana

(charity) and Tapas (austerity). Yagna helps us to move

from Tamas to Rajas. Daana helps us to move from Rajas

to Sattva. Tapas helps us to transcend Sattva. Every

person has a mixture of all the three Gunas and so we

should follow all the three practices.

 

The desire for physical pleasure is the vestigial

remnant of animal nature in us. This has to be

countered by Yagna.

 

Yagna is activity. Whenever there is a choice between

action and inaction, we should choose to act. Action

is different from reaction. Reaction is blind retort

against a change in the environment. Action is a step

taken not merely in reply to an environmental change

but in view of positive development. Reaction should

be avoided. We should always be engaged in some

positive developmental activity. Activity is both

physical and mental. Activity will free us from desire

for physical pleasure. Activity results in wealth, which

forms the basis of the next practice - Daana.

 

Daana is charity. The fruits of action should be put

back into the environment (society). Nature follows

a strict causal law. We will get what we deserve -

nothing more, nothing less. But this is in the long

run. There can be apparent violations to this in

the short term, which is often misleading. If we take

more than what we deserve, later we will have to part

with something close to our heart. So, the best course

is to give back to Nature anything more than what is

barely necessary. This positive step to maintain the

balance will free us from unnecessary anxiety and

trouble. Charity leads to fame, which forms the basis

of the next practice - Tapas.

 

Tapas is austerity. The doership of Yagna and Daana

should be renounced. There is an underlying oneness in

Nature. We are all instruments in the hands of God. It

is God alone who has become everything and it is God

alone who acts through everyone. Man is absolutely

powerless before the Will of God. Man's capacity to help

is very limited compared to the amount of help needed in

the world. It is God who creates the seeds of activity

and charity in the minds of men. We are all mere

machines in the hands of the Operator. This renunciation

of doership takes us beyond the three Gunas, which is

the aim of human life.

 

Thus Karma Yoga takes us from wherever we are to the

highest goal.

 

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