the speaking tree - Karma Yoga, Our Actions And Attitudes
P N Vijay
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Hindu scriptures discuss at length the issue of action and the attitude that one needs to have while performing it. This is broadly termed Karma Yoga; karma means action and yoga in this context means attitude to action.Action is inevitable. Man has to act because that is his very nature. Even if he is still, his mind is active. If we are not active our health will get affected.Hence what actions have to be performed and how they have to be performed is important for both emotional well-being and spiritual development.
Scriptures say that while action is inevitable, it generates fruits or results which bind you and affect your spiritual journey to Self-realisation and liberation. So, how to get around this dilemma? The answer is to perform right actions with a right attitude. But this alone is not enough to get liberated.Action by itself is inert; but detached action is an essential pre-requisite which we cannot do without. It purifies our mind and takes us to the path of knowledge with the right frame of mind. Otherwise scriptural knowledge may lead to cognitive transformation but you will remain emotionally unstable with alternate bouts of happiness and misery.
Knowing that action is inevitable, we should perform right actions. Scriptures divide actions into sattvika karma, raajasika karma and tamasika karma and require us to perform only saatvika actions.
Saatvika karmas are mandatory actions, which result in good for society and you. Mandatory actions are personal cleanliness, eating and sleeping, daily prayers, and doing karmas for one's forefathers. Other saatvika karmas include doing one's job sincerely so as to earn and main tain a family, tending to one's family, caring for the environment, feeding the poor and so on. Working for a living and looking after family is essential for the contin uation of the species and for the good of society and all this will bring you joy. Planting trees and keeping rivers clean are karmas that will lead to well-being of all.
Raajasika karmas may be good for you but not for others; but they do not harm others. These include amassing wealth without giving anything in charity, helping only your family members without doing anything for the community , spending money on your clothes, jewels, holidays and other personal luxuries without giving something to the less fortunate, striving hard for fame and power.
Tamasika actions are those which not only do good only to you but harm others. These include hurting others physically, using your power against others, helping family to the detriment of others, and damaging environment for personal pleasures.
Right actions should be performed with a sense of detachment without desire for results, says the Gita. The world is governed by results and this attitude may seem naïve and impractical.But scriptures teach us that a detached state of mind improves your effectiveness and performance because it removes stress and anxiety. Desire for results and expectations plays havoc, preventing you from realising your full potential.
All we need is a change in mindset.When i was a young lad my cricket coach would say as i went out to bat, “Just don't bother about the score and play your strokes.“ Golf hero Jack Nicklaus says, “Keep a good back swing and hit hard; don't bother about how far it goes.“ Ramana Maharshi said, “Moving from effort to effortlessness releases is cardinal for Self-enquiry.“
(The author is secretary, Ramana Kendra, New Delhi.)
Scriptures say that while action is inevitable, it generates fruits or results which bind you and affect your spiritual journey to Self-realisation and liberation. So, how to get around this dilemma? The answer is to perform right actions with a right attitude. But this alone is not enough to get liberated.Action by itself is inert; but detached action is an essential pre-requisite which we cannot do without. It purifies our mind and takes us to the path of knowledge with the right frame of mind. Otherwise scriptural knowledge may lead to cognitive transformation but you will remain emotionally unstable with alternate bouts of happiness and misery.
Knowing that action is inevitable, we should perform right actions. Scriptures divide actions into sattvika karma, raajasika karma and tamasika karma and require us to perform only saatvika actions.
Saatvika karmas are mandatory actions, which result in good for society and you. Mandatory actions are personal cleanliness, eating and sleeping, daily prayers, and doing karmas for one's forefathers. Other saatvika karmas include doing one's job sincerely so as to earn and main tain a family, tending to one's family, caring for the environment, feeding the poor and so on. Working for a living and looking after family is essential for the contin uation of the species and for the good of society and all this will bring you joy. Planting trees and keeping rivers clean are karmas that will lead to well-being of all.
Raajasika karmas may be good for you but not for others; but they do not harm others. These include amassing wealth without giving anything in charity, helping only your family members without doing anything for the community , spending money on your clothes, jewels, holidays and other personal luxuries without giving something to the less fortunate, striving hard for fame and power.
Tamasika actions are those which not only do good only to you but harm others. These include hurting others physically, using your power against others, helping family to the detriment of others, and damaging environment for personal pleasures.
Right actions should be performed with a sense of detachment without desire for results, says the Gita. The world is governed by results and this attitude may seem naïve and impractical.But scriptures teach us that a detached state of mind improves your effectiveness and performance because it removes stress and anxiety. Desire for results and expectations plays havoc, preventing you from realising your full potential.
All we need is a change in mindset.When i was a young lad my cricket coach would say as i went out to bat, “Just don't bother about the score and play your strokes.“ Golf hero Jack Nicklaus says, “Keep a good back swing and hit hard; don't bother about how far it goes.“ Ramana Maharshi said, “Moving from effort to effortlessness releases is cardinal for Self-enquiry.“
(The author is secretary, Ramana Kendra, New Delhi.)
