8.2 Karma Yoga

The 3 types of actions (Karmas) are:

1. Sattvic Karmas

2. Rajasic Karmas

3. Tamasic Karmas

The scriptures say that a Karma Yogi’s attempt should be to change the proportion of Karmas in such a way that the Sattvic Karmas are more dominant, Rajasic Karmas are less dominant, and to make Tamasic Karmas almost nil.

And even if we do some Tamasic Karmas under unavoidable circumstances, such Karmas can be neutralized by doing Sattvic Karmas.

So Sattvic Karmas help in two ways; first by contributing to spiritual growth, and secondly by neutralizing Tamasic Karmas.

So what is a “proper attitude” while doing any action?

The moment you do an action, it leaves your hand – metaphorically speaking – and becomes part of the universe.

And once Karma becomes part of the Universe, all the Universal laws will act upon the Karma. This is because everything in creation in acted upon by the laws of the Universe.

So the moment I do an action, the Universal laws act upon the Karma, and this processed Karma is called Phalam, the fruits (results) of my action.

Thus every Karma is processed by Universal laws, becomes Phalam (result of action), and is handed back to me.

The scriptures say all Universal laws are tools in the hands of Isvara (or God) to maintain the harmony of creation. And therefore when we say the laws process Karma, it essentially means Isvara is processing the Karma.

Therefore Karmas are going to Isvara for processing, and the results are coming from Isvara as Phalam.

Offerings to Isvara

An Attitude of Gratitude

So in short Karma Yoga is doing actions with an “attitude of offering” to Isvara, and receiving the results with an “attitude of gratitude”.

The lack of confidence is due to Rajas and Tamas (we discussed the 3 Gunas here), which cloud and disturb the mind to such a degree that it cannot enjoy the freedom that Self-Knowledge confers.

Karma Yoga is an important topic in Bhagavad Gita. In the Gita, an extroverted person (Arjuna) abandons his duty in the middle of a crisis and is taught Self-Knowledge on life’s battlefield by his friend (Krishna), an enlightened person. Arjuna’s mind is too agitated to permit him to assimilate the knowledge so he is encouraged to practice Karma Yoga.

The purpose of Karma Yoga is to negate one’s sense of doer-ship, and to render one’s binding Vasanas non-binding. When the mind is sufficiently purified of these two fundamental disturbances, it can turn its attention inward and engage in effective Self Inquiry.

Only is such a quiet mind will Self-Knowledge arise be assimilated.

Karma yoga works on the Ego, the doer. The Ego is that part of the Subtle Body that acts to enjoy the results. It is also the part that owns action and its results. (We discussed the Ego in the 3 Bodies sub-module)

The words “I do, I enjoy, this is mine” belong to the doer. For someone seeking freedom, these ideas are obstacles because they build unhelpful Vasanas and obstruct knowledge.

The desire that is in me demands action, and action causes desire. So even if I run off to a cave in India, I have not solved my problem. My Vasanas and my disturbed mind go with me.

Why does action create Vasanas?

The Vasanas are caused by the attitude with which we act.

What is the attitude?

The attitude is “I want. I don’t want.” In short, fear and desire motivate us.

It stands to reason that a different attitude may not produce the Vasanas. Is there such an attitude, and what would it be?

When someone gives you a gift, what is the appropriate response? You will say “Thank you,” not merely to be polite but because you really do feel grateful.

The body and mind can act only because they are blessed with the gift of life, and with them you can seek success here. Billions of hands and feet are required by Isvara to maintain this amazing dream. They all belong to Isvara and are on loan to you.

You are here for a reason and you have been given the powers necessary to do your Dharma, your duty. You are required to respond. It is not what you do. Only that you do, that you can do, matters. How generous, how magnanimous is God! How lucky I am to be here, to be alive!

Each and every action that is done in this spirit, backed by this understanding, does not produce a Vasana. So it is quite possible to de-condition yourself if you act in this spirit.

If you study enlightened people you will find that they create no Karma and are non-attached to objects. They don’t create binding Vasanas because, being whole and complete, being one with Isvara, they know that they don’t need objects to be happy.

They are satisfied with the Self alone, and they are satisfied with whatever objects they have or don’t have. They act, no doubt. But they act from fullness and happiness, not for happiness from incompleteness.

That I am not enlightened does not mean that I cannot become reasonably free of Karma and Vasanas.

To rid myself of binding Vasanas all that is required is a change in the attitude motivating my actions. Karma Yoga is an attitude that you take with respect to action and its results. And this attitude burns Vasanas.

Though due to the Vasanas being associated with one’s mind-body-sense complex, they will still manifest as preferences and motivate one to seek particular results, one will see the essential equality of all results, and thus will not be carried away by his or her preferences.

In short, one’s binding Vasanas will be rendered non-binding, and may show up as preferences. One does not become a desire-less zombie. Preferences give a person individuality, but at the same time they don’t force a person to indulge in Adharmic actions unlike strong binding Vasanas.

This is why people meditate unsuccessfully for many years. And it is the reason so many meditators abandon meditation in favour of some other approach. Karma Yoga removes the cause of stress by exhausting the fears and desires that produce stress.

The source of your emotional problems is very simple: you are not getting what you want. You perform an action with the expectation that the result will make you feel good.

When you don’t get the result you want, you feel some form of anger (Rajas) or disappointment that can lead to depression (Tamas). All the uncomfortable emotions are generated from Rajas and Tamas.

It is very difficult to argue with this logic because when you are getting what you want, you feel great. Getting what it wants all the time is the doer’s idea of happiness.

There is one small problem with this: the results of your actions are not up to you. If the results of your actions were up to you, you would have everything you want.

So what are the results up to?

The law of karma and the Dharma field.

We will discuss Law of Karma and Dharma in the Law of Karma sub-module. For the moment you can take these two to mean Isvara. Isvara is called Karma-Phala-Data, “giver of results of action”.

One understands that the results of one’s actions are determined by Isvara, or the Dharma field, which is a “web” of contributing factors that is far too complex for any individual to weave on his or her own.

This understanding frees one from the sense of responsibility for the ultimate outcome of one’s actions. Knowing that we are not in control of the results of our actions frees us from the stresses and anxieties we normally face when we act.

Taking what happens as a gift is fine as long as what happens is what we want, but what should I do when Isvara gives me something that I don’t want?

Should I become angry and reject it?

No, I should take it as a gift.

Worldly people are happy when they get what they want, and unhappy when they don’t. But Karma Yogis are happy when they get what they want, and even when they don’t, because their goal is peace of mind, not the temporary joys that come from objects.

The Vasanas appear in the Subtle Body as likes and dislikes. Likes and dislikes, attractions and repulsions, fears and desires are the enemies of the Karma Yogi.

Karma yoga is intended to neutralize them because they continually agitate the mind, making it unfit for Self Inquiry.

Life is a university meant to teach us who we are. We do not graduate until we have learned our lessons. Isvara instructs by delivering the fruits of our actions. Results never last but the knowledge hidden in experience leads us to the Self.

So when something happens, irrespective of whether it is what we want or not, we are meant to welcome it and learn from it. In this way the likes and dislikes are neutralized and the dispassion necessary for inquiry develops.

To shift a lifelong orientation to its opposite is hard work, a war with the ego. Karma Yoga simply means thinking of the Self, reminding yourself of your purpose here, invoking an attitude of gratitude to go with every action, and then doing what is required without attachment to the results.

When the impulse to act is met directly in this way, it is impossible to perform self-insulting actions or actions harmful to others.

Karma Yoga help us become more aware of our limited orientation and the unwanted results it produces.

1. You have the right to choose your action

2. You are not the giver of the result of that action

3. Take the result as a gift

Many successful business people are using points 1 and 2 but are not interested in any spirituality. The 3rd point however creates love for this universe. It creates the understanding that this universe transcends the needs of the little ego-person.

If you do this continuously it becomes a habit. After a while this happens automatically and in a fraction of a second in the mind. Once you know who you are, Karma Yoga is the way the mind works automatically.

For practical purposes start practicing Karma Yoga with a few actions that are creating a lot of stress in your mind. The target for the seeker is to get a peaceful mind. Later on you can expand Karma Yoga to all actions if you wish. Then it can become inquiry.

You can even offer daily actions such as brushing your teeth, breathing …and in the end you can offer the person that you think you were. You can offer “yourself” to Ishvara. And he will give the result of “your” life back to this universe.