05/S.T.E.P

KARMA YOGA: ACTION IN KRISHNA CONSCIOUSNESS

We are active beings, constantly making plans for the future. Our thoughts become our actions, repeated actions form habits, those habits make up our character, and that character determines our destiny. As Mark Twain famously commented, “We are not human beings on a spiritual journey, but rather we are spiritual beings on a human journey.” Every journey starts with a step and in Chapter Five Krishna explains how to take steps in the right direction. There are steps leading to further entanglement in worldly difficulties, but there are also steps leading to a life of liberation, freedom and spiritual tranquillity. The choice is ours.

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Stay in the World (1-12)

Arjuna is still confused. Despite Krishna’s explanations in Chapter Three, Arjuna still considers dutiful work and detachment from entanglement to be mutually exclusive paths. Krishna again reiterates that one who works in spiritual consciousness is automatically a renunciate. If one engages in respectable work, offering the results to God, and all the while remaining alert to the spiritual goal of life, then such work becomes worship. For most people it would be premature and immature to completely sever themselves from worldly ties in pursuance of spiritual perfection. Thus, the path of karma-yoga offers a progressive means of spiritual development while simultaneously staying in the world. Just as a lotus leaf is surrounded by water but remains completely dry, a karma-yogi stays in the world but remains untouched by materialistic influence.

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Three-Doers (13-16)

While functioning in this world, one can easily fall into the illusion that they are the director and controller. In reality, Krishna explains that three doers are involved in any activity; the individual soul, the Supersoul, and material nature. What to speak of controlling the results of our activities, we are barely in control of our own physical and mental faculties with which we perform those activities. The individual soul can only desire. That desire is then sanctioned by God (who resides within the heart as the Supersoul). Once sanctioned, material nature arranges all the necessary facilities to perform the activity. Just as an infant lacks the ability to ride a bike but can still pretend to do so with the help of stabilisers, in this world, the individual soul is constantly supported by the Supersoul in the heart, who provides all the knowledge, inspiration and facilities to function.

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Equal Vision (17-26)

Since the Supersoul resides in every living being, the advanced spiritualist is able to see every life form, be it plant, animal, or human, as a temple of God. Different bodies are produced according to one’s past actions, yet each entity is of the same spiritual quality and offered equal respect. Thus, the spiritualist is not only free of racism, nationalism, ageism and sexism, but also ‘species-ism!’ One who sees the Supersoul everywhere also sees the hand of God, and is thus equally disposed to the constant dualities of life and even the desires which arise within oneself. We shouldn’t take the illusion too seriously!

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Peace (29)

In touch with the eternal reality, one understands the temporary nature of our stay in this world. We come into this world with nothing and we leave with nothing. In the interim, however, we claim proprietorship and develop attachments to various objects, causing us great anxiety and pain. To the extent that we develop a sense of detachment, understanding the Supreme Lord to be the proprietor and ourselves as simply caretakers, to that extent we can experience a sense of peace within. Interestingly, it is this inner peace that brings about global peace; a community of individuals who are free from attachment, greed, envy, and covetousness is what this world really needs.

“TRY NOT TO BECOME A MAN OF SUCCESS, BUT RATHER A MAN OF VALUE” ~ ALBERT EINSTEIN