Awakin Readings

The Spirit of Karma Yoga

Baba Hari Dass
  3 min read ·   16 reflections
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What is Karma Yoga?

Karma Yoga is a selfless act. Any work which does not directly fulfill your ego is Karma Yoga. If someone's tire is punctured and you stop to help, that is spiritual work. If you remove a nail from the road because you think someone may step on it, that is Karma Yoga.  How you perform an act makes it Karma Yoga -- and not what you do. The spirit of Karma Yoga is an internal thing. No one on the outside can tell if someone is doing Karma Yoga or selfish action.
 
Suppose your aim is good but a situation still makes you angry?
 
Selfishness. Somewhere there is selfishness.
 
How does one avoid attachment to one's own duty?
 
It's very hard to avoid attachment when we have strong desire for the world. Attachment gives reality to desires. You desire ice cream but if you have no attachment to ice cream, that desire will be forgotten very quickly.
 
The question is, how to remove attachment? You do something and the first thing that comes into mind is, "It's for me; I am the owner of it." If we start seeing our actions as for the world and what we are doing as part of the world, then gradually the mind becomes nonattached. It will not affect your activities in the world. Only the mind's relationship toward action is changed. One should make an attitude of selfless service in all actions and thoughts.
 
What is non-attachment?
 
The term "attachment" is a little hard to understand. When we say "nonattachment" it sounds like not caring or not feeling any responsibility. For example, a farmer and his laborer plow a field and sow seeds. After working hard together all day, the laborer leaves. At night it rains so hard that the field floods and the seed is destroyed. How does this affect the farmer and how does it affect the laborer? The laborer worked harder than the farmer but he isn't affected by the destruction of the seed. His attachment is limited to his duty. These are two separate things: 1) attachment to duty 2) attachment to doership and ownership.
 
To do your job thoroughly and do your duty well it would seem that you would have to think about the fruit of your labor.
 
The "duty" term includes working with complete concentration, cheerfulness and thoroughness. You have a duty to your family. You think, plan and create a livelihood; that is important. The attachment that develops is the cause of pain, anger and fear. But your mind cannot separate from expectation of the fruit. We must realize that the fruit is not in our hands. [...]
 
You mentioned performing one's duty perfectly. What does that mean?
 
It means not to leave the work half done, not to be trapped in dualities or your physical comfort. Keep your enthusiasm up.
 
--Baba Hari Dass, a silent monastic at Mt. Madonna, in "Selfless Service: The Spirit of Karma Yoga" 

Seed Questions for Reflection

How can we stop ourselves from judging the selfishness of others, based on the wisdom that no one can know whether the act sprang from Karma Yoga or selfish action? The author traces selfishness as the root of anger, even when the intent is good - what is your experience on this? Can you share a story from your life that illustrates the difference between Karma Yoga and selfish action? What do you understand by "performing one's duty perfectly?"

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Add Your Reflection

16 Past Reflections
AU
Aarti Upadhyay
Feb 14, 2026
Once while traveling on a bus, one of the passengers lost consciousness, the bus driver called ambulance, but the emergency service needed someone to accompany the passenger who was traveling alone. I and a collogue of mine decided to break journey and help with the patient admission to the hospital and connect with the relatives. It meant us getting off the bus and accompanying the patient to hospital. The hospital staff was very supportive, and we left once the patient caregivers came to the hospital. We never met the woman again, it just felt as the right thing to do at that point.
DI
Dioti
Feb 11, 2026
I have come to a realstuin that any act has an intenr behind it , n if smallest of intend is to feel giod , or coz its my family or want to mae friemds , or social creditability or xyz … is an action coming from selfishness .
AM
ANANTHARAMAN M
Feb 11, 2026
years back I used to go to a small factory in Kurla belonging to an uncle from our street (one or two afternoons in a month). While returning I used to get dropped home at Matunga in his car. Uncle always used to pick up 2-3 people from the bus stop wanting to go to Sion or Matunga and also collect the bus fare from them. He used to say "I have something to offer and I don't allow it to go waste. They had to spend a small amount on the travel by bus, why not give it to someone poor
/needy." I had great admiration for the uncle who was not bothered about what somebody will thing about him. He was always in the present.
,
RP
Ravindra Purohit
Feb 10, 2026
As said Karma kiye jao, fal ki chinta mat karo. Similarly I believe my concisions focus on karma grounded with thoughts still in the skies.
GL
Geetika Lohani
Feb 10, 2026
I feel when our idea of "Self-the "Me" melts gradually detachment happens as a natural consequence and one is able to perform any act without any vested interest. Ou inner work - our spiritual growth helps in this journey. My experience with rescuing cats and often failing to save lives taught me the lesson of detachment. Earlier I used to be devastated but now I do it with more detachment and less ego. I have realised my role is do my Karma and leave the rest to will of the Universe and that soul's destiny. I felt at times that maybe I was just meant to be a comforting loving presence during the last breath of that soul. That was our soul connection and that's ok. When we drop Why? Why Me? Why Now etc.. and just see the truth of each moment as it is life becomes much simpler. Having said that ego is very much there in all of us to varying degrees perhaps. So I try to be observant of my inner emotional state, to see when the my Attachment mindset playout in different situations. An... View full comment
GA
gaurav agarwal
Feb 10, 2026
I can see anger come from expectations. In the world, where focus is on result. Sometimes from me, it become bit challenging. So, when I aplly for job Or reach out cxo for meeting. I make effort to follow Karma yoga, not getting affected by results. I feel practicing karma yoga is amazing. If I am not affected by results, it would be amazing. But also somehow I feel, bit difficult to practice. Would be keen to know more, how can we become a true karma yogi
SM
Seema Mehta
Feb 10, 2026
Its not an easy task. Perhaps, remembering that each action is done for a good motive (though the motive may not always be apparent to us) can help. Giving the person full responsibility for her actions, thoughts and attitudes allows a softness and refrain from overthinking.
I gained a very good insight that when i experience anger, despite good intentions, i am being selfish. Good check point. Thank you for that insight.
KA
Kannan
Feb 9, 2026
Stop judging the selfishness of others - one of the ways - understand that people are generally motivated by greed. This is the way of the world. No need to judge or personalise others actions. Better to focus on keeping one’s heart clean of ill will even while dealing with this.
Further, we can never know from outside another’s intentions.
Anger - comes when I want to achieve something a lot and the universe has other plans for me.
Example from my life - I know that if I do very high quality work, only I will know. With this approach, there is not much focus on the rewards of work, just focus on the process.

Performing one’s duty perfectly - this is something to strive for and perhaps always fall short, knowing that the goal is never achieved and still worth striving for
RS
Rajesh Singh Sisodia
Sep 25, 2012
 This article enlightened me. In fact I was having a different perception about "Karma Yoga". I meant simply doing our deeds & fulfilling our responsibilities towards our family, society & the Government. But Baba Haridas has replicated our Holi Book "The Bhagwat Geeta". Lord Krishna too emphasized on selfless acts for well - being of others.
BN
Bijay Naik
Sep 25, 2012
 If you believe that you truly understand, within your own mind, what truth is approximated by the Buddhist concept "Sunyata" and you are fully satisfied with your own understanding without any trace of doubt within your mind, then you have the tools to deal appropriately (call it Karma Yoga or whatever you like) with situations where you become angry with others and others become angry with you, you judge others and others judge you, you fail in your duty and you see others fail in their duties, you see misfortune overwhelm you and many others, you relentlessly hear about war and destruction on earth, as well as situations when you do a selfless act and see many others do so for your benefit and for others, you forgive injustice done to you and see others forgive you for the damage you have done to them, you hear about people give up their own lives to save other lives, plus all the beautiful and ecstatic situations you can encounter in lif... View full comment
JE
Jeff
Sep 25, 2012
 In the book Your Soul's Gift, author Robert Schwartz used psychics to access pre-birth plans.  Now granted this is tenuous so just consider this a spiritual theory (i.e. it can not be proved) but it is quite interesting nonetheless.  One of the findings was that in many cases people would agree to come to earth with someone else in order to experience something we judge as "bad" or "selfish" (alcoholism for example) in order that their partner might experience spiritual growth through dealing with the challenge.  One example was of a highly advanced soul who came to earth as the brother of two rich women and subsequently became a homeless alcoholic.  The purpose of his life was a great sacrifice to them and was for their growth, and yet society would judge him as a failure and as someone to be pitied. This clearly illustrates that we can never know whether actions are selfish or born out of great love.
NA
Narendra
Sep 23, 2012
 How can we stop ourselves from judging the selfishness of others, based on the wisdom that no one can know whether the act sprang from Karma Yoga or selfish action? Karmayoga creates  'happiness for all', without exceptions.  This intention separates Karmayoga from actions based on selfish goals..... Genetics, environment and culture dominate all life forms. In most cases, our lives are patterns in evolution and conformation. We evolve from ignorance to selfishness, and on to unselfishness, as we all search for love, peace and happiness in life. Some are ahead of others in evolution. Therefore, with an open mind, it is possible to stop judging and, help or appreciate others – or ignore them, if they are not harming anyone........ The author traces selfishness as the root of anger, even when the intent is good - what is your experience on this? Karmayoga is an expression of unconditional love in action. There is no room for anger when there is love.  A... View full comment
DD
david doane
Sep 23, 2012
I do notice myself being less judgmental, but judgments of others still occur.  What helps me be less judgmental is to be aware of the judgmentalness and not foster it, let it go.  Awareness that I and others are one also helps me judge less.  What also helps me be less judgmental is awareness that I don't know where someone is coming from, what experience or context or history their action is coming from, which seems to make me more compassionate.   Selfishness as attachment to what I want is the root of anger. Being truly attached to what I want and not getting what I want can easily result in anger.  I've done that many times in my life, and as I've grown a little in nonattachment I am more accepting and less angry.  "Performing one's duty perfectly" means to me focus on process, not outcome.  That is, performing or engaging in the process perfectly, be it an interaction or a behavior or whatever, and not worry about ... View full comment
GA
Ganoba
Sep 21, 2012
 There is a confusion between self and ego.
The self is not bound by time and space, hence it is free from the linear rule of cause and effect. For the self time, like space does not travel. It just is, hence it does not bother about consequences. It does what needs to be done in the present moment. Call it duty if you like.
The ego is an image of the self as seen by the others (for the self there are no others) which itself is a myth. Hence the ego performs and recommends only those actions that would be beneficial to it. The egos perspective is narrow and short term. The ego has a tunnel vision, a tunnel that gets narrower as we proceed along it.
Liberal and liberating action (Karma Yog) is not egocentric. It is not selfless but self full.
CP
Conrad P. Pritscher
Sep 21, 2012
 In what I said below I wish to change: “since I do believe protection is ever attained, to:  “since I do not believe perfection is ever attained.”  Sorry to confuse you by not checking my voice recognition dictation carefully.
CP
Conrad P. Pritscher
Sep 21, 2012
 Once again, I do not know.  One can stop oneself from judging the selfishness of others by not being a separate self.  That is difficult.  My experience with the root of anger is when I was a young child, I would say to myself I will not get angry like my father gets angry.  As an adult I still get angry and do not realize my selfishness often until after I am angry.  My anger is selfish action and what Dass calls Karma Yoga arises when I am not selfish.  I am at times narcissistic and thus I delude myself more often than I care to.  What I understand by "performing one's duty perfectly" is that perfection of any kind is impossible for me since I do believe protection is ever attained.  Paradoxically, accepting my imperfect self as I am may be considered that which leads to a sort of perfection. There always seems to be "more" that one may do to be unattached.  Warm and kind regards to everyone.