Understanding Karma Yoga 1 – Goal of human beings

Karma Yoga (I believe most readers are familiar with ‘yoga’ – joining or uniting) is one of the four pillars of ‘yoga’. It means ‘discipline of action’.

Swami Vivekanada, one of the greatest philosophers from India explained Karma Yoga. I will make an attempt to simplify it to suit our life in this century. Again, the topic is so big that I have to look at small bits with each blog. This is a process of learning, for me and for you. There may be some readers well adept, pardon me if I sound overconfident or display the slightest of ignorance in this matter.

What should be our goal (ideally?)

As per Karma Yoga, the goal of mankind is ‘knowledge’. Pleasure (mainly materialistic) should not be the goal. Happiness will come, much more than any materialistic pleasure can give. It would be a mistake for a person to make materialistic pleasure as their goal (accruing money and various things money can buy, seeking happiness from the opposite sex or yearning for the opposite sex, aspiring for power and so on..). Perhaps it is this pleasure seeking behavior of human beings that has been and will be responsible for all the human miseries.

When you are close to dying; in those last days many of us realize that it was not pleasure but ‘knowledge’ that we have been seeking. Knowledge of the self, knowledge about God/supreme power and all other knowledge has given us happiness that is long lasting.

Pleasure and Pain
Pleasure and pain are both great teachers. Both of them carve our character. It takes many hits and polishes before a sculptor can make a beautiful idol (of stone). The combined impressions of pain and pleasure make our character. The moulding of character is influenced by both good and evil. Sometimes, misery or suffering is a greater teacher than pleasure. If one studies the great people Earth has produced, you would be surprised to see that it was misery/suffering that has taught these people more than happiness. Suffering is what makes you look back, introspect, pray God, yearn to become a better person and improve your character. It has been poverty, criticism and sadness that will bring out your inner fire more than money, praise or pleasure.

What should we do?

I hope this was not too intense. The yoga is a very serious discipline. If we apply 50% of what yoga teaches us and also practice the same, this world will be a much better place to live. Again the take home message – strive for knowledge and continuing with my previous post, always think positive.