The Spirit of Karma Yoga
कर्म योग का भाव
-बाबा हरिदास ( २४ सितम्बर, २०१२)
कर्म योग क्या है? कर्म योग एक निस्स्वार्थ कार्य है | कोई भी काम जो केवल अहंकार की पूर्ति के लिए नहीं किया जा रहा, वह कर्म योग है | अगर किसी की गाड़ी का पहिया पंक्चर हो जाए और आप रुक कर उसकी मदद करें तो यह एक धार्मिक काम है | अगर आप राह पर पड़ी कील को यह सोच कर हटा दें की वो किसी को चोट पहुंचा सकती है, तो वो कर्म योग है | कोई कार्य सिर्फ करने से कर्म योग नहीं बनता, पर किसी काम को आप किस भाव से करते हैं वह उसे कर्म योग बनाता है | कर्म योग का भाव तो सिर्फ आपके मन मैं छुपा होता है, सामने वाला व्यक्ति आपको देखकर यह नहीं बता सकता कि आप कर्म योग कर रहे हैं या यह काम अपने स्वार्थ के लिए कर रहे हैं |
मान लीजिये कि आपका उद्देश्य तो अच्छा है पर सामने की स्थिति आपको क्रोधित करती है ?
तो वहां स्वार्थ है | उस काम मैं ज़रूर कोई स्वार्थ है |
अपने कर्तव्यों से मोह हटाने का क्या तरीका है ?
अगर हम सांसारिक माया मैं बंधे हैं तो मोह से बचना बहुत मुश्किल है | मोह ही इच्छाओं को वास्तविकता देता है | मान लीजिये आपको आइस क्रीम खाने कि इच्छा है पर को आपको आइस क्रीम से लगाव नहीं है तो वो इच्छा जल्दी ही जाती रहेगी |
अब प्रश्न यह उठता है कि मोह से कैसे निकला जाए | आप कोई भी काम करते हैं तो पहली बात यही दिमाग में आती है कि, " यह काम मुझे अपने लिए करना है, में ही इस स्थिति का स्वामी हूँ |"लेकिन अगर हम अपने हर काम को इस दृष्टि से देखें कि उसे हम किसी दूसरे के लिए कर रहे हैं और उसे हम इस संसार का अंश मात्र होने के नाते कर रहे हैं, तो हौले- हौले हमारे ह्रदय से मोह का भाव हट जाएगा | इस आंतरिक परिवर्तन से आपके सांसारिक कार्यों पर कोई असर नहीं पड़ेगा | बदलेगा तो सिर्फ आपके मन और कर्म का आपस का नाता| हमें अपने हर कर्म और विचार में निष्काम सेवा का भाव उत्पन्न करना होगा |
वैराग्य क्या है?
"मोह" क्या है, यह समझ पाना कुछ मुश्किल है| जब हम "निर्मोह" शब्द का इस्तेमाल करते हैं तो ऐसा लगता है कि हमें किसी चीज़ की परवाह या ज़िम्मेवार ही महसूस नहीं होती| उदाहरण के लिए, एक किसान और उसका मज़दूर खेत जोत कर बीज बो देते हैं | पूरे दिन मेहनत करने के बाद मज़दूर अपने घर चला जाता है | उस रात बहुत बरसात होती है, खेत पानी से भर जाता है और सारे बोये हुए बीज नष्ट हो जाते हैं | इस स्थिति का किसान पर क्या असर होगा और मज़दूर पर क्या असर होगा? मज़दूर ने किसान से ज्यादा मेहनत कि पर खेत के नुकसान का उस पर कोई असर नहीं होता| उसका मोह सिर्फ उसके अपने काम तक ही सीमित है | ये दो अलग-अलग बातें हैं: १) कर्त्तव्य से लगाव, २) कारक होने और स्वामित्व का भाव होने का मोह
आपको लगेगा कि अपने हर काम को अच्छी तरह से करने और अपने कर्तव्य को पूरी तरह निबाहने के लिए आपको अपनी मेहनत के फल के बारे में तो सोचना ही पड़ेगा|
"कर्त्तव्य" का मतलब ही है कि वह काम पूरे ध्यान, उत्साह और पूर्णता से किया जाए | अपने परिवार के लिए आपके कुछ कर्त्तव्य हैं | रोज़गार के बारे में आप सोचें, प्लान करें और उसका कोई साधन ढूंढें, ये ज़रूरी है | पर उससे मोह हो जाना, अपने आप में दुःख, क्रोध और आशंका उत्पन्न कर सकता हैं | आपका मन कर्म के फल की इच्छा के मोह में फस जाता है| हमें यह जानना ज़रूरी है कि कर्म फल हमारे हाथ में नहीं है ...
आपने अपने कर्त्तव्य को पूरी तरह निबाहने के बारे में कहा, उसका क्या तात्पर्य है?
उसका मतलब है कि आप किसी भी काम को अधूरा न छोड़ें और साथ ही द्वैतवाद और सांसारिक सुख-साधनों में न फस जाएँ | अपने उत्साह को पढ़ावा दें |
- बाबा हरिदास, माउन्ट मडोना के मौन सन्यासी, "सैल्फ्लैस सर्विस: दि स्पिरिट ऑफ़ कर्म योग" - "निष्काम सेवा: कर्म योग का भाव"
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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8 Past Reflections
On Sep 25, 2012 Rajesh Singh Sisodia wrote :
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.
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On Sep 25, 2012 Bijay Naik wrote :
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]
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On Sep 25, 2012 Jeff wrote :
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.
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On Sep 23, 2012 Narendra wrote :
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]
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On Sep 23, 2012 david doane wrote :
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]
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On Sep 21, 2012 Ganoba wrote :
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.
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.
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On Sep 21, 2012 Conrad P. Pritscher wrote :
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.
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On Sep 21, 2012 Conrad P. Pritscher wrote :
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.