Karma yoga (), also called Karma marga, is one of the three Three Yogas mentioned in the Bhagavad Gita, one based on the "yoga of action",[P. T. Raju (1954), The Concept of the Spiritual in Indian Thought, Philosophy East and West, Vol. 4, No. 3 (Oct., 1954), pp. 210.] the others being Jnana yoga (path of knowledge) and Bhakti yoga (path of loving devotion to a personal god).[John Lochtefeld (2014), The Illustrated Encyclopedia of Hinduism, Rosen Publishing New York, , pp. 98–100, also see articles on bhaktimārga and jnanamārga][Karen Pechelis (2014), The Embodiment of Bhakti, Oxford University Press, , pp. 14–15, 37–38.] To a karma yogi, right action is a form of prayer.[ The paths are not mutually exclusive in Hinduism, but the relative emphasis between Karma yoga, Jnana yoga and Bhakti yoga varies by the individual.]
Of the classical paths to spiritual liberation in Hinduism, karma yoga is the path of unselfish action.[Robert A. McDermott (1975), Indian Spirituality in the West: A Bibliographical Mapping, Philosophy East and West, University of Hawai'i Press, Vol. 25, No. 2 (Apr 1975), pp. 228–230][
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Concept
According to Krishna in the Bhagavad Gita, Karma yoga is the spiritual practice of "selfless action performed for the benefit of others".
The tendency for a human being to seek the fruits of action is normal, state Hindu texts, but an exclusive attachment to fruits and positive immediate consequences can compromise dharma (ethical, rightful action). Karma yoga, states Bilimoria, is "ethically fine-tuned action".
Karma yoga, states Bilimoria, does not mean forfeiture of emotions or desires, rather it means action driven by "equanimity, balance", with "dispassion, disinterest", avoiding "one sidedness, fear, craving, favoring self or one group or clan, self-pity, self-aggrandizement or any form of extreme reactiveness".
According to Phillips, Karma yoga applies to "any action in any profession or family activities", in which the yogi works selflessly to others' benefit. This is in contrast to other forms of yoga that focus on self-development and self-realization, typically with isolation and meditative introspection.
Bhagavad Gita
The Bhagavad Gita gives a summary of the karma yoga process.[Maharishi Mahesh Yogi on the Bhagavad-Gita, a New Translation and Commentary, Chapter 1-6. Penguin Books, 1969, p 131 (v 45), p 144 (v.51), p 149-150 (v.54)] According to the Bhagavad Gita, selfless service to the right cause and like-minded others, with the right feeling and right attitude, is a form of worship and spirituality.
Verse 3.4 of the Bhagavad Gita states that avoiding work or not starting work is not the path to become free of bondage, just as renouncing the world and wearing monk's dress does not automatically make one spiritual.
A part of the premise of "disinterested action" is that the more one acts with the hope of getting rewards, the more one is liable to disappointment, frustration or self-destructive behavior. Further, another part of the premise is that the more one is committed to "disinterested action", the more one considers the dharma (ethical dimension), focuses on other aspects of the action, strives to do one's best, and this leads to liberating self-empowerment.
According to chapter 5 of the Bhagavad Gita, both sannyasa (renunciation, monastic life) and karma yoga are means to liberation. Between the two, it recommends karma yoga, stating that anyone who is a dedicated karma yogi neither hates nor desires, and therefore such a person is the "eternal renouncer".
Other Hindu texts
The earliest texts that are forerunners of the karma yoga ideas in the Bhagavad Gita are the ancient Upanishads, such as the Brihadaranyaka Upanishad.[P. T. Raju (1954), The Concept of the Spiritual in Indian Thought, Philosophy East and West, Vol. 4, No. 3 (Oct., 1954), pp. 212-213]
Karma yoga is discussed in many other Hindu texts. For example, the section 11.20 of the Bhagavata Purana states that there are only three means to spiritual liberation: jnana yoga (knowledge), karma yoga (action) and bhakti yoga (devotion).
Discussions on Karma yoga are also found in chapter 33 of Narada Purana.
Karma yoga versus Kriya yoga
While karma yoga is delineated as the "yoga of action," kriya yoga is the "yoga of ritual action". Kriya yoga is found in tantric texts, and believed by its practitioners to activate chakra and energy centers in the body through disciplined breathing practices.
See also
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Flow (psychology)
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Taṇhā – greed, craving
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Three poisons – three afflictions mentioned in Buddhist texts as what entrap people into the cycle of rebirths and sufferings
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Trul khor
Notes
Sources
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