Yukta(h)karma – Further Reading
Yukta(h)karma – Further Reading
A person who abandons the fruit of action, attains peace and such person is a true Yogi. A person who is unsteady and full of desires becomes bound through his attachment to fruits of action. Perfection in the path of knowledge has the following stages of development.
- Purity of Heart.
- Gaining of Knowledge.
- Renunciation of the fruits of action.
- Steadiness in knowledge.
Dhritaraashtra of Mahabharata is an example. He was always attached to his sons. He forgot that as a king he has to be just and impartial. Whatever action he does, he does it with some intention. He was always selfish.
Bhagawan always describes him as blind physically as well as mentally. That brought about the destruction of his whole race. He lost mental peace forever.
If you aspire for eternal joy, eternal liberation, then you must pay the price, by giving up of the desire, fruit of action, dedicating everything at the feet of the Lord.
The Sun is the greatest Karmayogi. He has unequalled renunciation. He scatters his rays equally on all. He has no pride and He feels that it is His mission, His purpose and not as His service.
The Atmajnaani is not bound by the results of Karma. It is only those who indulge in karma without the awareness of the Atma, that do get bound. Like the person who knows swimming, the Jnaani can safely wade into the sea of worldly activity.
The Yogi is one who has mastered his senses and mind. He understands that the same Atma that is in him is in all others. In fact, there are no ‘others’ for him. All is the Divine in and around him. All work is the Lord’s work. He feels no desires to get sense objects and enjoy them alone. He attains peace which is born of steadfastness and love for all. His mind is immersed in God – consciousness. There is no anxiety or worry to get things done in a hurry or with feverish activity. Calmness prevails in his mind, not dullness or lack of concern for others, but peace, purity and dynamic love. He becomes an instrument in the Divine hands, as he does not obstruct with his egoistic desires and plans, the will of God.
The non-yogi gets entangled in work. If things do not go his way, he gets angry and depressed. He has a blaming attitude and even blames God for injustice.
The secret of good karma is to do karma as an act of worship, offered to the source of all energy and intelligence and never to take consequences to heart. – BABA
With full intellectual awareness, give up attachment to the fruits of action and continue doing things as either duty or dedication. Cultivate this attitude and through this, liberate yourself from bondage of karma. – BABA
Story-Attachment
It is said whenever Kabir Sahib walked by a certain place in Banaras, he would find a certain man sitting in his garden. One day Kabir Sahib stopped and suggested to him, ‘Sir, instead of sitting idly in your garden, you could better spend the time in spiritual meditation and thus improve yourself.’
‘I have very young children and will be able to afford the time for spiritual practices only after they have grown up’, the man replied.
When the children had grown up, Kabir met the same man and asked him, ‘Do you now find time for spiritual pursuit’? He replied, ‘ Ah, Sir, I must wait for my children to be married so that they can look after themselves independently. Then I will have time for the God.’
After some days Kabir met the man again and asked, ‘ Now, fortunate man, all your children are married and settled down in their life. So, you are in no doubt devoting yourself to Naamsmarana’.
The man replied, ‘oh, I am now eager to see my grandchildren grow up and get them married’.
When this had taken place again, Kabir asked him, ‘what is your position now, my friend’?
‘Oh Sir, my grand children are very careless. It is quite necessary that I look after the house even at night or thieves will steal what little we have.’
After some years, Kabir Sahib again visited his house when the sons and grand -children of the man told him that he had died.
‘Ah, poor man, his life was wasted following the orders and dictates of his mind which led him to attachment to children, grand children and possessions. Even a few months of love for the Lord would have helped him to end his imprisonment on earth’.
When this man was alive, he had to look after the cows and buffaloes. He was particularly fond of one cow. When he died, he was born again as her calf and when he grew up to be a bullock, he was hitched to the plough and then to a cart. When he grew old and could do no work, he was sent to the slaughters house to butchers. Ultimately, his flesh was sold and the hide was used to make a drum and whenever anyone beat the drum, it would repeat,
‘Thum Thum Thum – I was born as a bullock, was hitched to the plough and cart, then was sold to a butcher who cut me into pieces and sold them as meat. My hide is now used as drum. So, whatever Karma is left of me is receiving blows every minute and I am continuously in misery’.