Posted 24 September 2016 by Sal
Karma Yoga
In the ‘What about Desire’ YouTube video, you mention Karma Yoga, which is “You desire what you desire, but the outcome is out of your hands.” I see this and I see I am not the doer. Nevertheless, we all have this wanting or desiring. Could we call this a “natural” progression of a life form to grow and survive?
A flowering bud naturally directs its movement towards the sun to fully bloom. If the flower is covered over by an object away from the sun’s rays, it will wither and not survive. Are we not the same as flowers, animals, and birds, but with a “mind” stuck on top? Maybe some people naturally bloom in a certain trade, job, or art (they desire) and other people may not find a way to bloom and fulfill their desires. It’s not bad if they don’t. It just is. There really is no good luck or bad luck. It just is.
It’s a good analogy, but the flower doesn’t desire. It just moves in a totally instinctual, thoughtless way for survival. We, humans, have another aspect, which is conditioned thought. We have a sense of lack or a sense that we are not complete, even if our survival is not in jeopardy. Most of our desires are not needed for survival, and many are even frivolous. Unlike the flower, many of our desires are ego fulfilling ones. Those desires are not invalid; they are what they are and they appear as they appear. We don’t choose them.
If someone wants to make a fortune, that is just what they want. The outcome, however, is not guaranteed. If someone is naturally drawn to a particular trade, it is the same. Either way, Karma is true. Good luck and bad luck are personal viewpoints. Often, so-called bad luck can lead to something good, and vice versa.
In Indian Vedanta, Karma Yoga is one of the three paths to enlightenment. The other two are Jnana and Bhakti. Jnana Yoga, is wisdom or Self-knowledge (recognizing your essential being); Bhakti Yoga, is devotion or worship (valuing your essential being, not valuing God or anything like that); and Karma Yoga, is wanting whatever you want, but giving up the fruits of your actions (you have no idea what’s going to happen). We do all of the three Yogas of Vedanta here. It’s all one, and it’s all the same.
In truth, Karma is the result of knowing your essential being is free, you lack nothing, and you are already complete and whole. Therefore, you are not fearfully concerned with the future outcome and are not overly bothered when things you desire don’t materialize or you lose things you have gained. That is just how you are when you know you are free, you lack nothing, and you are complete already.
Be a Karma Yogi with this work—intend for freedom, and have holidays because of that intention, and that’s it, you are finished. Don’t worry about the fruits of that action in the future. Be a Jnani, know who you are and what’s true. Be a Bhakta, worship truth, your essential being.