Maharshi, Karma Yoga - #5

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Question: Is the desire for Swaraj (political independence) right?

Sri Ramana Maharshi: Such desire no doubt begins with self-interest. Yet practical work for the goal gradually widens the outlook so that the individual becomes merged in the country. Such merging of the individuality is desirable and the related Karma is Nishkama (unselfish).

Question: If Swaraj is gained after a long struggle and terrible sacrifices, is not the person justified in being pleased with the result and elated by it?

Sri Ramana Maharshi: He must have in the course of his work surrendered himself to the higher power whose might must be kept in mind and never lost sight of. How then can he be elated? He should not even care for the result of his actions. Then alone the Karma becomes unselfish.

Comments by David Godman: Practitioners of Karma Yoga, the Yoga of action, aim to evolve spiritually by selflessly serving and assisting others. Although it is spoken of highly in the Bhagavad Gita, Sri Ramana Maharshi generally discouraged his devotees from following this path since it presupposes the existence of an "I" who is going to perform the good deeds and ‘other people’ who are in need of assistance. He only encouraged it if he felt that particular devotees were incapable of following the paths of Jnana (knowledge), Bhakti (devotion) or Raja Yoga (meditation).

If an aspirant were unsuited temperamentally for the first two methods (Jnana and Bhakti), and circumstantially on account of age for the third method (Yoga), he must try the Karma marga (the path of Karma Yoga). His nobler instincts become more evident and he derives impersonal pleasure. The man also becomes duly equipped for one of the three aforesaid paths.

Sri Ramana Maharshi stressed that to be successful, the Karma Yogi must be free of the notion that he himself is helping others, and that he must also be unattached and indifferent to the consequences of his actions. Although he rarely gave Karma Yoga more than a lukewarm endorsement he did admit that both of these conditions would be met if all actions were performed without the ‘I am the doer’ idea. _