Karma Yoga
At Shunyata Retreat Centre many of the daily activities are based around the principles and teachings of the Karma Yoga system, which is one of the three classical spiritual paths mentioned in the Bhagavad Gita. In essence Karma Yoga is the path of action or the yoga of action and is a spiritual path and practice greatly suited to the modern age and the busy and active lives that most people lead.
Within the Hindu spiritual tradition Karma Yoga is also often referred to as Seva, which means selfless service or dedication to others – coming from the Sanskrit root Sev, “to serve”. It is often referred to as a labour of love, performed without desire or intention and with done with humility.
The word Karma is a Sanskrit word and a concept of Hinduism, which is commonly referred to as the Law of Karma or the Law of Cause and Effect. For every action, there is an equal and opposite reaction or effect. Therefore everything we do, every action, every thought, every word, every instruction we give to others generates a form of Karma, or an effect upon us based on our intention and motivation behind the actions.
In the modern world, most actions are motivated only by the fulfilment of personal intentions and this can often lead to those actions being compromised, immoral or unethical, since the main purpose is the fulfilment of that desire at almost any cost, leading to most action being rooted in selfish intentions and not in selfless service to the betterment of society, the local community or the colleagues we are working together with.
What makes action a spiritual practice or even a practice of yoga? The Karma Yoga principles and teachings focus on unselfish action or selfless action performed for the benefit of others. In modern terms we can liken such actions or activities to voluntary or charity work, where one performs a certain action or duty without concern for any personal reward or recognition.
For this it is necessary to dissociate three elements that we generally never separate:
1. The Intention – the why of the action, what is motivating us, selfish motivation in the action is what generates Karma
2. The Action – this is neutral and in itself cannot create Karma.
3. The Reward or Result – the expectation connected to this can create Karma, but in reality we have no control over the result, regardless of our predictions or expectations.
In order to practice Karma Yoga we must, completely and unconditionally, give up any claims for any merit in those actions, even the good consequences of those actions. We can clearly observe that the tendency in the modern world is to claim recognition or reward for good actions and to avoid or deny the consequences or “reward” for bad actions.
Your work is your responsibility,
not its result.
Never let the fruits of your actions
be your motive.
Nor give in to inaction.
Set firmly in yourself, do your work,
not attached to anything.
Remain evenminded in success,
and in failure.
Evenmindedness is true yoga.
—Bhagavad Gita, 2.47-49
There are 8 principal ideas that are the foundation to any Karma Yoga activity, and these are as follows:
1. One cannot be without action, even for a second -
Everything in physical life requires action – every breath, every thought is action. We cannot live for even a single second without action. What is important is that we act with wisdom.
2. One should not make inaction the goal –
If inactivity is impossible than it is illogical and erroneous to seek renunciation. Even tendencies of inertia and laziness and this form of “inaction” are a form of action that bring their own problems to our lives. “Action is always superior to inaction”. We should seek to rise action to the most superior and conscious level.
3. Certain actions are obligatory, therefore we cannot avoid them –
In life certain actions are unavoidable and come as responsibility or Dharma as it is known in Hinduism. In order to obtain something in our lives, action is always necessary, whether it is breathing, eating or other daily activities. Beyond this, we are bound by social obligations and responsibilities according to our role and position in life. What is essential is the cultivation of the correct attitude of detached integration and we will discover that no action is inferior or superior to another and no action should be avoided or despised.
4. One should not desire the reward or consequences of the action –
This is secret of Karma Yoga, by giving up the reward of our actions, we also give up the desire for personal enjoyment of the good consequences and the fear of bearing any bad consequences. In order to do this we need to consecrate the fruits of the actions to the Divine and this way let go of any personal desire or motivation towards and reward. Be full of a respectful attention for the action to be done and a complete detachment for its reward or fruits. We can never completely and accurately predict the results of our actions, so we must detach from the fruits, or outcome.
5. One should not be attached to the action itself –
Any identification to the action, whether it be a positive or negative identification, must also be let go of. If we should not be attached to the fruits or reward of an action, then we should not be attached to the action itself either. If you are about to fulfil an action but are asked to let someone else finish it or are called away from eating to do something else and this causes an anger or resentment to rise, then it shows we are attached to that current action. Even unknowingly, the selfish attachment exists in an action because of the expectation of a reward.
6. One should not believe oneself to be the author of the action –
The origin of any selfish action are born in the ego and the I who believes they are the one who is acting and the one who deserves reward or recognition. In the practice of Karma Yoga, when all the fruits are offered (consecrated) to the Divine, then we become detached vessels of the Godly Will and Godly Manifestation. We must aim to transform ourselves into the detached instrument of the action performed through us.
7. Any action done as Karma Yoga will not enchain the one who does the action-
The one who is in the state of Yoga (unified with the Divine) will not be bound by their actions because they are the detached instrument of a Godly Manifestation. Only such a state of action done with detachment, with clarity of conscience and offered to God, without the desire for any personal reward and detachment towards success or failure will prevent the adding of links to the karmic chains.
8. Karma Yoga is the spiritual skill of wisdom and non-attachment in action –
The Karma Yogi can act without attachment and therefore the actions will not create any Karma for them. This of course means that any action must be of a selfless, beneficial nature and without any selfish or bad intention. Only by being fully detached can we act in complete freedom as we learn to use to the best of our ability all the godly, beneficial forces that are constantly present in the macrocosm. Karma Yoga is knowing the secret of completely detached action.
If correctly practiced, the Karma Yoga attitude is something that can be transform all our actions in our daily lives into a conscious and spiritual practice and, in this way, we can individually and collectively bring about great, beneficial and beautiful transformations into everything we do.
Curious? Want to know more about Karma Yoga or even to try and practice it? We offer the possibility of Karma Yoga in our retreat centre and are happy to tell you more about it and even discuss the possibility of some Karma Yoga activities within our community. Just get in touch with us if this is something you are interested in.
- The Shunyata Team
Written by: Benedict Newton
