What is Karma Yoga

Guru:

You’ve asked ‘what is Karma Yoga’, so lend me your ear,
In that you see, two words entwined, holding truth clear!
‘Karma’ speaks of actions, the deeds we choose to take,
While ‘Yoga’ makes you free in every action that you make.

Together they reveal the truth of how to live and grow,
To act with selfless purpose, to let the inner light show!
In every task and every choice, there is a sacred way,
Karma Yoga leads that path, bringing joy every day!

Sishya:

By the term ‘Karma’, we only mean action, is it not?

Guru:

Karma is an action, In general that is right!
Not all actions are Karma, as there is a twist!

Sishya:

What action then is a Karma? For whom and when?
Such specifics are not known, even to many men!

Guru:

The actions of all creatures, In nature’s endless flow,
Are NOT deemed as Karmas, For they act by instinct’s glow.
It’s only in the realm of humans, Where choices come alive,
That actions take on meaning, Where free-will can strive.

Yet even in our deeds, there are conditions to be met,
Intent and awareness guide in the paths that we beget.
Karma blooms from purpose, from heart’s discerning light,
In every thoughtful action, we shape our fate and might!
Human Mind is the Cause of Karma

Sishya:

What makes the actions by human beings alone
To be deemed as Karma? This to me, not known!

Guru:

Faculty of the Mind is special for human kind!
That is the reason why human actions bind!

As human beings, we hold the power to think and choose,
With desires igniting our hearts, in paths we wish to cruise.
Our actions are intent-driven, aiming for effects we seek,
Distinct from natural instincts, where lesser beings speak.

It’s the mind that sets us apart, a spark of conscious light,
To shape our fate and influence, to navigate the night.
In this dance of thought and will, our essence comes alive,
For in our capacity to reflect, the human spirit thrives.

Sishya:

O teacher, how is that mind is unique to us?
Even other life-forms do sense all things!

Guru:

O seeker, your question is wise, and reflects a deeper quest,
Other life-forms sense and act, it’s true they do their best
Yet the mind we speak-of in humans is layered and refined,
With awareness and reflection, a depth that’s intertwined.

Animals respond to instinct, to survival’s urgent call,
Their actions are instinctual, guided by nature’s thrall.
But in us, there’s the gift of choice, of thought and design,
A capacity to question, to seek, and to align.

We ponder our existence, the meaning of our days,
And through this contemplation, we find myriad ways.

It’s the ability to reflect and create a purposeful thread,
That makes the human mind unique, thorough- bred.
A tiger’s strike, a swift design, is nature’s ancient way,
Its kill is not a sin or crime, but instinct at play.

For in the wild, survival rules, as each creature plays a part,
The tiger hunts with purpose true, guided by its heart.
While goats may sense the looming threat,
Their minds are not the same,
For instinct drives their actions,
Not the weight of thought or blame.
In the butcher’s stall, the scene unfolds, as life takes a turn,
Yet other goats stand still and calm, as they do not learn!

It’s this distinction of the mind
That marks our human plight,
To ponder life and choices made,
To seek the wrong and right.

Sishya:

So, should I take that the human-mind
Is only a trouble maker of some kind?

Mind is the Means for Freedom

Guru:

Not really!

The mind, a tool at our command,
To wield with care and grace,
An instrument for truth and growth,
To help us find our place.

We must exercise our power, to guide its restless flight,
Focusing on sacred texts, to illuminate our sight.
To keep the mind aligned and clear, we nurture it with care,
Engaging with the wisdom found in scriptures we revere.
Let intellect be our compass, as we navigate the way,
Using thought to serve our growth, not leading us astray.

For in this balanced dance of thought,
We find our rightful role,
The mind as servant in our quest,
A means to shape the soul.
So let us train it well and true,
To support our journey’s aim,
As a tool for deeper understanding,
Not as our master’s claim.

When you know how to handle the mind
You will have the ability to do actions any kind!
You would know how the actions you refine
Into a Karma or the Yoga, as scriptures define!

Sishya:

O Teacher! Guide me!

Actions out of attachment, from desire’s tight embrace,
Become the threads of Karma, woven in time and space.
This is what you said as I grasp, so may you clarify,
My understanding as the shapes the Karma draws nigh!

Guru:

What we do with like or dislike, in every choice we make,
Transforms into our Karma, for our own hearts’ sake.
When we claim the sense of doer-ship, in all we say and do,
These leave their imprint, both in shadows and in hue.

Good karma or the bad, their labels motives assign,
Yet each reflects our free will, in the design divine.
With intent behind our actions, we shape the world around,
Thus the law of karma speaks in every choice profound.

Action and Attitude

Sishya:

Is doing office work deemed as Karma?
And shopping? Cooking and such action?

Guru:

It all depends on motive, the heart behind the deed,
Karma’s deeper meaning lies in the intentions we breed.

In this world of human trials, to endure, we must engage,
Efforts pave the path we walk, turning each page.
Our motives and the way we act shape the world we know,
Giving us many experiences that teach us as we grow.

As we learn that we born again and again
We need to know the right path to go
By which right results we gain
In this life, and the life herein-after too!

Dharma guides the path we tread,
In every step, by it we’re led.
What to embrace, what to forsake,
It shows the course we must partake.

For humans gifted with free will,
The onus is to choose what’s still
The righteous path, the virtuous way,
To light our hearts and guide our day.

‘Punya’, the credit of deeds so pure,
A deposit of joy, for peace to ensure!
‘Papa’, the penalty of things done wrong,
Accrue as burdens, where sufferings belong.

‘Karma-Phala’, the fruits we must face,
No escape from its inexorable trace.
While Punya and papa, bind our soul,
Supreme knowledge free us, in the whole!

Sishya:

O Teacher! On Dharma, what do the scriptures lay!
For the ignorant like me, what would you say!

Guru:

Preceptors wise, with knowledge so vast,
Decode the scriptures for truths to last
Giving us moral code as the righteous way
For all to follow, come what may.

Vedic Dharma is no dogma’s reign,
But timeless wisdom, free from vain.
The light of Santana Dharma shines,
Guiding souls through all of time.

So seek the Learned, be humble and true,
To learn your Dharma, for it’s due.

Sishya:

Thank you, Sir, for teaching so clearly,
What Karma is in the Karma-Yoga!
It is the right action done in the righteous way,
By the dos and don’ts we live each day.

But tell me, Master, what’s the role
Of Yoga, when linked to this noble goal?
How do I turn each act, each deed,
Into Karma Yoga, the path to succeed?

I plead for your wisdom, please impart,
How to align my mind and heart.
To perform my actions, pure and true,
In Karma Yoga, as taught by you.

(To be continued….)

Mee. Ra