Su: Gurudev's thought for the day:
All the Shastras and Scriptures unanimously declare that our enemy is the Ego. The sorrows and sighs belong to the ego-phantom. Sublimate the ego in constant Vichar.
Turn your gaze towards the Light within. If you cannot all of a sudden do so, then do the easier act of self-surrender. The taller you stand, the longer shall be your shadow. Bend double, the shadow is half. Sit down, the shadow is still smaller. Fall flat at His Lotus Feet, in love and surrender, and the shadow is no more.
Detach the mind from memories and hopes. Desireless is the state of perfection. Egolessness is the state of Godhood. Attain that Supreme Goal of life through knowledge and right living. Detach yourself from this shadow. Know thy Real Self. Kill the tyrant within you. It will bring Ramarajya in your bosoms.
SS: If actions slow down our evolution by binding us and yet we cant give up action, then whats the solution?
NG: Try keep finding a higher purpose for all actions that we are required to perform in the situation we are in.
SS: When does karma become karma yoga?
SR: Do the actions as selflessly as possible, with a seva bhaav, surrendering to the lord
SS: If i dont surrender to the Lord is it still karma yoga?
SR: No. Then i would be engaging in selfish, ego centric actions
NG: It can be if we are able to keep doing the actions needed in a sincere manner without getting swayed by our likes and dislikes
Surrender will be an easier route but may not work for all
GP: Even if I don't surrender to the lord, but if I can surrender the actions to higher ideal or a higher altar, beyond our own selves, then isn't that too karma yoga?
Su: Surrendering doership is tough right now, but becoming more selfless where I don't always think of myself in relation to the results. Where Iam able to dilute my likes and dislikes.... isn't that also practicing karma yoga?
RP: In the cycle described yesterday - impressions-desires - thoughts - action - result- impression. The most easy to break appears to be action-result-impression part as all others are very subtle
Of the action-result-impression part, result is not under our control. Only action is
Can we do action such that we kind of ignore the result + impression part? Guess that's where karm yoga will come. Working without expectation if result
SR: Surrendering to a higher altar makes our actions less selfish no doubt. But surrendering to the highest purifies our mind, helps in karmaphalatyaga , & takes us that much along the spiritual path
RP: So focus is on performing the action and not press on result. This is easier when the desire-thought preceding the action is for an higher ideal.
So performing actions with ready and full acceptance of whatever the result is weakens the pressure of the enjoyer of the fruit of action.
Reduces impressions, consequently desires and thoughts and finally resulting in less pressure to act in the first place.
SS: Surrender to a Higher alter can purify the intentions and reduce doership but doership goes only when surrender is to the Lord. Thats when karma yoga is complete. Thats why the definition of karma says karma = action with BMI + intention + doership.
Will continue more tomorrow. You may please carry on
VS: Selfish actions and actions with strong doership feeling(pride of doing the action) will slow down my evolution.
I need to maintain a feeling that the actions as well as the results are also due to His power.
A constant reminder that He is acting through me.
Can we term successful completion of an action also as results? because that also creates anxiety and gives happiness or sorrow.
KG: why to surrender is ok. But How to surrender is still a Q?
SS: Successful completion of an action is not anxiety for result. It is the tension of action
How to surrender? I must know my insignificance and the glory of the Lord and if i have love for the Lord, surrender happens. This is where understanding of ishwara and connecting to ishwara through a form is vital.
VS: So surrender to the Lord can help us overcome this anxiety also right
Because it does reduce
SS: Yes
Verse no.3 - ishwaraarpitam nechaya kritam. Chittashodhakam mukti-saadhakam.
Actions done as an offering to the Lord and not for self-importance purify the mind and are a means to liberation.
Karma = action.
Karma yoga = dedicated action.
What is NOT Karma-Yoga:
1. Merely doing one's duties
2. Mere efficiency in action
3. Mere social service
4. Working for long hours.
RP: One would have thought performing duties and social service qualifies as karma yoga.
But merely the action without the dedication does not make it a karma yoga is the key
However noble and even self less the action could be
The dedication and attitude of surrender is to be done in the mind. So if action is like a washing machine that could clean the mind (Chitta shodhakam) then the attitude of surrender is the soap. Without that the machine can run long hours but nothing gets cleaned, instead it gets more dirty.
SS: Nice analogy
NP: Wow!
NG: Nice one Ram 👍
Su: Karma yoga always gives the feeling that it's 'action'. But it's totally in the mind. Very important to remember that.
SS: Yes karma yoga is an attitude not an action. Karma is action
RP: Nicely put Swamiji and makes it clear. Key word is it's attitude towards 'action'. Interesting to note that shying away from action also cannot be yoga. It's not that we can escape the ocean by avoiding to get in there. There is no "dry cleaning" at our levels, dirt still remains and continues to attract more and only way to get rid of it is to act with the right attitude.
SS: We are already in the ocean. We can choose to sink (drown unaware of higher way) or try to swim (keep acting selfishly) and cross or take a boat(satsang and karma yoga) and go across.
Practice exercise: before and after action feel and say Ishwararpitam and dedicate it to the Lord. Poojya Gurudev used to say Krishnarpanam astu or Narayana Narayana or Krishna Krishna.
RP: Oh man! If I have to do that I have to clean up my actions first. Half the things I do - I cant dare say Ishwararpitam! But definitely a good exercise!
Su: So true Ramkumar!!
SS: Applies to all of us
NP: Hahahaha Ramkumar very true.
KG: True. I have heard some term this practice as' madhu vidya'.... Didn't know remembrance of the Lord frequently will be so difficult to inculcate. Makes me realize acting has become so very unconscious.
VS: Agree ram anna. Thanks for the exercise Swamiji
All the Shastras and Scriptures unanimously declare that our enemy is the Ego. The sorrows and sighs belong to the ego-phantom. Sublimate the ego in constant Vichar.
Turn your gaze towards the Light within. If you cannot all of a sudden do so, then do the easier act of self-surrender. The taller you stand, the longer shall be your shadow. Bend double, the shadow is half. Sit down, the shadow is still smaller. Fall flat at His Lotus Feet, in love and surrender, and the shadow is no more.
Detach the mind from memories and hopes. Desireless is the state of perfection. Egolessness is the state of Godhood. Attain that Supreme Goal of life through knowledge and right living. Detach yourself from this shadow. Know thy Real Self. Kill the tyrant within you. It will bring Ramarajya in your bosoms.
SS: If actions slow down our evolution by binding us and yet we cant give up action, then whats the solution?
NG: Try keep finding a higher purpose for all actions that we are required to perform in the situation we are in.
SS: When does karma become karma yoga?
SR: Do the actions as selflessly as possible, with a seva bhaav, surrendering to the lord
SS: If i dont surrender to the Lord is it still karma yoga?
SR: No. Then i would be engaging in selfish, ego centric actions
NG: It can be if we are able to keep doing the actions needed in a sincere manner without getting swayed by our likes and dislikes
Surrender will be an easier route but may not work for all
GP: Even if I don't surrender to the lord, but if I can surrender the actions to higher ideal or a higher altar, beyond our own selves, then isn't that too karma yoga?
Su: Surrendering doership is tough right now, but becoming more selfless where I don't always think of myself in relation to the results. Where Iam able to dilute my likes and dislikes.... isn't that also practicing karma yoga?
RP: In the cycle described yesterday - impressions-desires - thoughts - action - result- impression. The most easy to break appears to be action-result-impression part as all others are very subtle
Of the action-result-impression part, result is not under our control. Only action is
Can we do action such that we kind of ignore the result + impression part? Guess that's where karm yoga will come. Working without expectation if result
SR: Surrendering to a higher altar makes our actions less selfish no doubt. But surrendering to the highest purifies our mind, helps in karmaphalatyaga , & takes us that much along the spiritual path
RP: So focus is on performing the action and not press on result. This is easier when the desire-thought preceding the action is for an higher ideal.
So performing actions with ready and full acceptance of whatever the result is weakens the pressure of the enjoyer of the fruit of action.
Reduces impressions, consequently desires and thoughts and finally resulting in less pressure to act in the first place.
SS: Surrender to a Higher alter can purify the intentions and reduce doership but doership goes only when surrender is to the Lord. Thats when karma yoga is complete. Thats why the definition of karma says karma = action with BMI + intention + doership.
Will continue more tomorrow. You may please carry on
VS: Selfish actions and actions with strong doership feeling(pride of doing the action) will slow down my evolution.
I need to maintain a feeling that the actions as well as the results are also due to His power.
A constant reminder that He is acting through me.
Can we term successful completion of an action also as results? because that also creates anxiety and gives happiness or sorrow.
KG: why to surrender is ok. But How to surrender is still a Q?
SS: Successful completion of an action is not anxiety for result. It is the tension of action
How to surrender? I must know my insignificance and the glory of the Lord and if i have love for the Lord, surrender happens. This is where understanding of ishwara and connecting to ishwara through a form is vital.
VS: So surrender to the Lord can help us overcome this anxiety also right
Because it does reduce
SS: Yes
Verse no.3 - ishwaraarpitam nechaya kritam. Chittashodhakam mukti-saadhakam.
Actions done as an offering to the Lord and not for self-importance purify the mind and are a means to liberation.
Karma = action.
Karma yoga = dedicated action.
What is NOT Karma-Yoga:
1. Merely doing one's duties
2. Mere efficiency in action
3. Mere social service
4. Working for long hours.
RP: One would have thought performing duties and social service qualifies as karma yoga.
But merely the action without the dedication does not make it a karma yoga is the key
However noble and even self less the action could be
The dedication and attitude of surrender is to be done in the mind. So if action is like a washing machine that could clean the mind (Chitta shodhakam) then the attitude of surrender is the soap. Without that the machine can run long hours but nothing gets cleaned, instead it gets more dirty.
SS: Nice analogy
NP: Wow!
NG: Nice one Ram 👍
Su: Karma yoga always gives the feeling that it's 'action'. But it's totally in the mind. Very important to remember that.
SS: Yes karma yoga is an attitude not an action. Karma is action
RP: Nicely put Swamiji and makes it clear. Key word is it's attitude towards 'action'. Interesting to note that shying away from action also cannot be yoga. It's not that we can escape the ocean by avoiding to get in there. There is no "dry cleaning" at our levels, dirt still remains and continues to attract more and only way to get rid of it is to act with the right attitude.
SS: We are already in the ocean. We can choose to sink (drown unaware of higher way) or try to swim (keep acting selfishly) and cross or take a boat(satsang and karma yoga) and go across.
Practice exercise: before and after action feel and say Ishwararpitam and dedicate it to the Lord. Poojya Gurudev used to say Krishnarpanam astu or Narayana Narayana or Krishna Krishna.
RP: Oh man! If I have to do that I have to clean up my actions first. Half the things I do - I cant dare say Ishwararpitam! But definitely a good exercise!
Su: So true Ramkumar!!
SS: Applies to all of us
NP: Hahahaha Ramkumar very true.
KG: True. I have heard some term this practice as' madhu vidya'.... Didn't know remembrance of the Lord frequently will be so difficult to inculcate. Makes me realize acting has become so very unconscious.
VS: Agree ram anna. Thanks for the exercise Swamiji
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