Seven reasons to practice KARMA YOGA
by Monica Dascălu
Karma Yoga is the path of selfless action and detached makes possible spontaneous release in unison aspirant with divine energies, infinite. Systematically performing various altruistic actions, with sincere aspiration to help others, without attachment or desire for getting hold of the results or fruits of the action, the karma yogis manages to overcome their selfishness and awakens a number of wonderful qualities. The inner sacrifice implied by such an approach allows the yogi to spontaneously access some great spiritual states.
KARMA YOGA – Yoga of the Detached Action – is one of the main forms of YOGA. The purpose of this spiritual practice is the communion with God, the spiritual liberation, the final completion. The karma yogi should remember as often as possible of this noble goal of his practice and should realize that actually everything he does – apparently – for others, he does for his own good for he is the main beneficiary of his actions, which are correctly integrated in this spiritual practice which is KARMA YOGA.
A true yogi, a sincere and full of fervor spiritual aspirant is the one who seeks to transform himself every day, even a little bit –to be in the evening a step forward from where he was in the morning, one step closer to his goal, or closer to God. Especially such a yogi will appreciate very much KARMA YOGA, for this privileged form of yoga allows him to transform himself very fast and to become aware of the truthfulness of this transformation.
KARMA YOGA differs from other forms of yoga because we do not practice certain techniques, but we integrate in a specific way our everyday altruistic actions that we perform with the sincere motivation to help others. The key element in KARMA YOGA is the consecration.
The consecration is the act by which the human being gives in advance all the fruits (consequences) of an action he does to GOD THE FATHER, SHIVA or a Great Cosmic Power. The consecration must be done always before starting the action. In the yoga practice it is recommended to always perform the consecration of the main actions and activities, which generate significant karmic consequences. In order for us to ensure the harmony and spiritual integration of the various actions and moments of our lives, we can also do the consecration of a particular space (e.g. the consecration of the space in which a special initiating process takes place), or the consecration of a certain period of time when we will carry on that process. We can also do, in advance, the consecration of the beneficial activities that we will perform in a certain time interval, such as, for example, the morning consecration for the whole day, which should become a good daily habit for every yogi. Even when we do this overall consecration, for the actions and activities which are more important, it is good to make another separate consecration.
The yogi that sincerely aspires to integrate spiritually all his/ hers activities and all areas of his/ hers life in order to get to live a truly deified life, will always use the consecration to enlighten on the opportunity of an action and to be able to be perfectly detached. In doing so, the actions do not generate karma and so we no longer have to bear the consequences of those actions later. By carrying out our daily detached activities or social duties, the yogi constantly purifies the mind and accelerates its inner progress.
Seven reasons to practice YOGA of the detached action, KARMA YOGA
Seven reasons to practice YOGA of the detached action, KARMA YOGA
1. KARMA YOGA helps us transform ourselves very quickly and also helps us become aware of the extent in which our spiritual practice truly bears fruits and creates in us long lasting transformation.
“There is not enough for you to be good, you must be good at something” – KARMA YOGA teaches us to become really good at something. The results are measurable and not phantasmagorical!
2. KARMA YOGA helps us cover the “gap” between our spiritual practice and the rest of our life (family, work, and other duties). For many yogis a separation occurs between the spiritual practice and the rest of their lives, which can become critical and painful and can generate a certain disharmony and imbalance, which makes them feel that whatever efforts they make, the progress occurred is very slowly.
3. Our spiritual evolution consists in a continuous effort, in which we come, in certain privileged moments, to peak spiritual experiences and enlightening states (for example, in some spiritual exemplifications), after which we must do persistent, tireless efforts, for such states to become permanent. From one perspective, we can define the spiritual liberation as a continuous state of spiritual peak experiences. Moreover, the yoga treaties mention, for example, the imperative necessity of a daily spiritual practice, to minimize this inevitable effect (not that we go backwards when we don’t practice yoga, but we cannot maintain the same states). KARMA YOGA can help us enormously in this respect – not to have these fluctuations within which are, naturally, inevitable within certain limits.
When we practice Karma Yoga, there is no downtime, lost time, boredom, and/ or unnecessary actions. Every moment in which we act can be used for the benefit of our spiritual growth. Learning to act in a spiritual and divine integrated manner, we can reach exceptional inner states even while we are dynamic and active, and these valuable experiences can be extended in some other beneficial and divinely integrated actions.
4. Karma Yoga is a particular and very simple way that we can put into action the law of occult giving and can thus understand through direct experience, that whatever good we give to others we give to some extent to ourselves.
5. KARMA YOGA helps us to achieve extraordinary things. With a proper, exemplary integration of our actions in accordance with the principles of KARMA YOGA system, we benefit from a very good integration, divine support and a lot of energy. All of these can lead to extraordinary achievements, especially if we are perseverant and follow some noble goals (high ones).
6. KARMA YOGA gives us a certain amount of inner fulfillment, irrespective of our social status and the apparent importance or lack of importance of what we do. Not only that we can have great achievements – but even if when, apparently, our duties and our role are small, however, their meaning will be obvious to us and it will give us a state of accomplishment. We’ll be the right person in the right place, at the right time, which is great.
7. KARMA YOGA helps weld a spiritual group and to achieve a state of true spiritual brotherhood within a group. It is harder to form a group only by group discussions or group techniques. A group is welded easiest when performing a joint action.
In addition to these reasons that we have stated, KARMA YOGA allows us to awaken the essential qualities such as dedication, abnegation, detachment, altruism, kindness, humility. Any practitioner of this system will soon discover tens of other benefits of this millenary practice, all making up into very convincing reasons to practice YOGA of the detached action.
yogaesoteric
March 2014
