We have all heard and read about Karm Yog. Many of us may even practice it.
But what is
Karm Yog? Why is there so much importance placed on Karm Yog in this age of Kaliyug?
The aim of
human life is to reach God and there are many paths one can take. In the
ancient days, reverence and importance of God in daily life was very
high. People imbibed devotional sentiments in almost every aspect of their
life, irrespective of their vocation. It was not out of the ordinary to see
people take up the spiritual path as the aim of life. Many even took sanyas.
The society understood that it was an intrinsic part of life in sanatan
dharm.
Hence, the
environment was fairly conducive for aspirants to pursue their path of spiritual realization,
be in Yog, Gyan or Bhakti. Seekers
could dedicate their mind and body in progress of their chosen path. External
distractions and material attachments were not as much as it is today.
As time passed,
civilization underwent tremendous transformation and material attachment gained
prominence with simultaneous degeneration of spiritual and moral values in the
society.
Today's world
bears no comparison to generations 2000 years ago or older. Our mind is deeply
attached to the various material objects of this world, some subtle and some gross.
Many negative elements like violence, grief and calamity clouds our mind and
thought. The level of spiritual knowledge and awareness of the
general public is less compared to what it was. We do not find peace and
happiness in this material world, yet we chase the mirage endlessly.
After learning
the fact that true happiness lies in God alone, how can a common man who works
10 hours day or more, concentrate his mind on God with all the stress and
strife surrounding him?
Shree Krishna
explains in 'The Gita' that all beings are compelled to work by their intrinsic
modes of nature, and nobody can remain without action for even a moment. Those
who display external renunciation by donning the ochre robes, but internally
dwell upon sense objects, are hypocrites. Superior to them are those who
practice karm yog, and continue to engage in action externally, but
give up attachment from within.
Shree Krishna
then stresses that all living beings have responsibilities to fulfill as
integral parts of the system of God's creation. When we execute our prescribed
duties as an obligation to God, such work becomes yajña (sacrifice).
The performance of yajña is naturally pleasing to the
celestial gods, and they bestow us with material prosperity. Such yajña causes
the rains to fall, and rain begets grains which are necessary for sustenance of
life. Those who do not accept their responsibility in this cycle are sinful;
they live only for the delight of their senses, and their lives are in vain.
Jagadguru Shri Kripaluji Maharaj has provided the most comprehensive explanation to Karm Yog for the modern world.
He advises that
a spiritual aspirant need not abandon his or her home to become one with God.
Bhakti can be practiced while a person remains active in the material world, fulfilling
his duties. What one needs to abandon
is the attachment to material objects. The mind needs to be attached to God by detaching it from the material world.
A person can
continue to work in daily life but should learn to detach himself from the
fruits of his actions. He need not wear an orange robe and roam the streets with a bowl. One should continue to perform his duties to the best of his
abilities and leave the results to God. Whatever the fruits are, he must
dedicate it to God and accept it as his grace. One must not let the events of
life distract or affect the mind. Whether an event is good or bad, the mind
must not get disturbed. It is with practice that we learn to detach our mind and
attach it to God.
Another very
important aspect of spiritual practice is meditation on the personal form of
God. Throughout the day, one goes through many tribulations and the mind gets
disturbed. To strengthen the mind, a Karm
Yogi must also dedicate a few hours every day in contemplation and
meditation (Roopdhyan) of his beloved
and personal form of God. This is called Karm
Sanyas. This practice helps an individual increase his longing for his beloved and at the same time, helps strengthen the mind to tolerate the many adverse situations that life throws at him.
Detachment of the mind from the world and attachment to God will develop slowly. With rigorous practice, a person can become a perfect Karm Yogi. He will be a good worker,
husband and father by performing his duties to the fullest, but his mind and
heart will remain attached to God alone.
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