Mystic Mantra: Karma yoga decoded

The term karma yoga is generally translated and understood as the “path of action” — the yoga of action. Different people have many misconceived notions about karma yoga. What is not karma yoga: Some think that if a person is engaged in action throughout the day, he is a karma yogi. According to this yardstick, those who put in several hours of hard work in illegal activities like gambling and smuggling or those who work for hours motivated by greed, maximum profits or more power would be karma yogis! Doing a lot of karma (actions) for many hours a day may be a part of karma yoga, but it is not its essential nature.

Others believe that karma yoga refers to performing actions, skilfully. Thus, a person who deftly picks the pocket of another can be considered a karma yogi. There were two skilled pickpockets who met, fell in love and got married. They were very happy when they were blessed with a son. They hoped that he would excel them in pick pocketing. To their horror, they found the child would not even open his fist. How, would he ever become a pickpocket? Finally, with some effort, they opened the baby’s fist. In it, the couple saw the gold ring worn by the nurse who had assisted in the delivery. This story may be an exaggeration, but it demonstrates an important point — to do things skilfully or with dexterity is, no doubt, an important part of karma yoga, but merely doing things skilfully does not make one a karma yogi.

Another popular misconception is that one should do karma without any desire for results. People question: “If all actions are to be done without desire for the fruits of action, how will there be any karma? Actions are performed only to fulfil desires.” They also stipulate that all prosperity in the world is because of desires. Karma yoga is dismissed as impractical. It is true that there can be no action without a desire, or some motive but why should a desire be merely for materialistic gains? Actions can also be performed for a higher purpose.

People generally ask: “What will I gain, materially, from this action?” But one can also ask: “How can this action bring material benefit to somebody else?” In karma yoga, there is a desire, but not for material comforts and enjoyment. Even if it is for material gain, it is to benefit somebody else, not the doer. There are many householders who work extremely hard for the benefit and prosperity of their children. Their gain is not material, but it is the joy they experience when their children accomplish great goals. A karma yogi asks: “Will this karma purify my mind? How will it benefit another or the community?”