Karma Yog (selfless actions, service) is a way of life. It purifies the mind by removing strong, deep selfish desires ( vāsanā-s) and helps improve concentration in meditation.
Practicing what we learn from scriptures and Guru-s in everyday life is very important.
आचारः परमो धमः आचारः परमं तपः ।
आचारः परमं ानम् आचारात् क न सा ते ॥
Living a life according to scriptural teachings
is the supreme ‘Dharma’.
It is the best practice & sacrifice.
It is also the supreme knowledge.
What cannot not be achieved by noble conduct?
(Everything can be achieved through actions
according to Dharma).
Subhāshitāni
"Truth is high, higher still is truthful living!"
Guru Nanak Devji
We all want to be happy and one very practical and brief advice is:
"Happiness depends on what you can give.
Not on what you get"
Swami Chinmayananda
Our duties are classified in to:
Nitya Karma - everyday responsibilities or Kartavya Karma - these Duties have to be performed by all. Taking bath, prayer, study of scriptures, professional work, chores at home, etc. Overcome likes & dislikes for these duties and perform them diligently.
Kāmya Karma - desire prompted actions (for personal gain). They are optional, like buying a fancy car, a big mansion, etc. These desires are optional.
Nishiddha (prohibited, unacceptable) Karma - when any action is performed by immoral, or illegal means ( Adharma) or is harmful to the individual who performs it or others, it impedes his/her evolution.
Our basic desires like satisfying thirst, hunger, sex, shelter etc. are common to most individuals.. Desire for more and more of the same leads to greed, accumulation of material goods and ultimately to moral decay. When we start thinking about the needs of people beyond us and our family, we experience a gradual evolution of our own self into a more caring, loving and happier individual.
3. Gnān (knowledge) Yog
Is the path of intellectual inquiry. The root word gna means ‘to know’. Gnān means knowledge. Vignān is used for special knowledge - something more than ordinary knowledge.
In scriptures Vignān is used for the spiritual wisdom or knowledge about Brahman (God).
Like all other paths the person following this path has to practice all the moral values first.
Taking this path of Gnān Yog without the moral values can be very dangerous. This path is followed at the intellectual level and through study, contemplation, and meditation the ultimate is realized.
We can deny the existence of everything and everyone but we cannot deny the existence of our own self. The intellectual inquiry starts with the questions like “Who am I?”, “Am I my body, mind, or intellect?”, “What is consciousness?”, “What makes me aware of the world around me?”, etc.
There are three steps in acquiring this special knowledge: 1. Shravań – listening to a Guru and reading scriptures.
2. Manan – contemplation on what Guru and scriptures have taught and on questions like “What is ‘Truth’?’, “Why am I here in this world?”, “What is the ultimate goal in life?”, “How should I lead my life?”, “What is ‘soul’?”, “What happens after death?”
etc.
3. Nididhyāsan – contemplation on above questions leads to deeper and deeper understanding of mind, ego, and the divine reality ( Brahman) within all of us.
Ultimately it may lead to the destruction of individual ego and ‘Self-realization’ or union with Brahman (the universal force).
4. Rāj Yog
Is also known as Astāng (eight step) Yog or Kriyā Yog. The goal of Rāj Yog is to destroy the ego and develop intense concentration. In the twelfth chapter of Bhagavad Gitā, Arjun asks Shri Krushń “Who is better – a devotee who worships a God with a physical form or one who meditates on the formless, absolute God?” Shri Krushń explains that those who can contemplate on a formless, indestructible, changeless God; should follow that path. Those who prefer to worship God as an icon or form ( Murti) will also experience the same God ultimately. Both these paths lead to the same result in the end if followers live according to highest moral and ethical principles. None is better than the other.
Patanjali has described eight steps in this Yog which include: 1. Yam-s (restraints) – are nonviolence ( Ahiṁsā), truthfulness ( Satya), control over all senses ( Brahmacharya), not taking anything that belongs to others ( Aparigrah).
2.
Niyam-s (rules or practices) – are cleanliness of body and mind ( Souch), contentment ( Santosh), self-control ( Dama), study of scriptures ( Svādhyāy), search for God or surrender to God ( Ishwar Pranidhān).
The first two steps ( Yam-s & Niyam-s) are common requirements for all paths – Bhakti, Karma, Gnān, & Raj Yog.
3. Āsan-s – Yog postures that are now being taught all over the world is a part of this path.
4. Prāńāyām – control of breathing by various exercises and techniques.
5. Pratyāhār – is control of senses or reducing input from all sense organs and thoughts about external objects. Detachment from desires to enjoy pleasures derived from taste, touch, sight, sound and smell.
6. Dhārań – is preliminary stage of meditation when the mind is trained to withdraw from all senses and concentrate on an idea or object you want to attain. Intense concentration is achieved for a short period of time.
7. Dhyān – is the second stage. The mind is still aware of its separate existence from the object of meditation ( Brahman).
8. Samādhi – is the final goal of meditation in Rāj Yog. In the final state of meditation the individual looses her/his individual ego and feels one with Brahman (God).
Meditation ( Dhyān यान)
Meditation quietens the mind, reduces stress and helps us make good decisions. It also improves our mental and physical health. Meditation can be helpful in some medical conditions too. The final goal in life ‘ Moksh’ - liberation from the cycle of birth & death according to ancient Indian philosophy - can also be achieved through meditation.
Our mind wanders in a thousand different directions. In Chapter VI ( Dhyān Yog) of Bhagavad Gitā Arjun asks Shri Krushń:
च लिह मनः कृ
मा थ बलवत् ढम् ।
त ाहं िन हं म े वायो रव सु
रम् ॥६ :३४॥
Mind is very active and restless, strong and like the wind,