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Expert Yogi
Posts: 8442
    
| What is karma yoga and how do you define it for yourself? Do you do volunteer work at your studio? Do you spend time here answering questions from newbies? Is it still karma yoga if you like doing it or it is something that you find "feeds" your inner self as much as it provides a service to someone else? What about "karma yoga" vacations? |
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| As part of our TT, we were asked to provide some sort of service for the studio, such as take all the blankets and wash them, or sort out and catalog the books in the back office, or provide content for the studio website, anything we felt called to do, as our karma "obligation". Helping for the sake of helping, without taking any fruits of the actions, that's what karma is. Doing the work because you feel good doing it, that's technically taking something for yourself. "When in doubt on the spiritual path, serve" is the best definition for me of what karma really is. It's a way to enlightenment. It's not about having a clean yard, or getting someone else to clean your yard, or even feeling good as a result of doing physical work. It's the offering up that matters.
As for karma vacations, I have no idea what those are. I know that there are community service teen trips where the kids go and do "karma work" where it's needed, and still get a great summer trip touring various areas of the country or abroad. I'm guessing these karma vacations are the same thing for adults then, yes? Technically, not karma as I see it, then. The Peace Corps would be more along the lines, I think. You go and you serve. That's yoga enough. |
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| karma Yoga is selfless service.
It's work for work's sake, with no desire for reward.
If you are giving your time and energy for free but with a poor attitude then it's not karma Yoga, though if you approach your career (i.e what you receive a salary for) with the right attitude it may be karma Yoga.
Jonathon
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| God bless the toilet washers |
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Location: Upstate NY | jonnie - 2007-08-15 9:35 AM karma Yoga is selfless service. It's work for work's sake, with no desire for reward. If you are giving your time and energy for free but with a poor attitude then it's not karma Yoga, though if you approach your career (i.e what you receive a salary for) with the right attitude it may be karma Yoga. Jonathon Om Namo Narayanaya....... I am not sure exactly what Heaven will be like. But I don't know that when we die and if comes the time for God to judge us, He will not ask, "How many good things have you done in your life?" Rather He will ask, "How much love did you put into what you did?" -Mother Teresa
Edited by Ravi 2007-08-15 5:04 PM
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| funny, b ut i never thought of answering questions for people as "karma yoga" but i can see how it can be that way. 
i also was informed by a friend of mine (teacher) who said that she felt that my selflessness in training people (even though i charge for training, i'll never hesitate to train someone for free or help out that teacher in any way possible) was 'karma yoga.'
i just enjoy myself.
most of my karma yoga right now is focused on my home. i read some thich naht hanh about this, and it was very cool. he said that when we take care of our home and family, we are doing community service at the most intimate level.
it was the first time that i'd considered it that way--and it really impacted me in a major way and totally changed my mind, and through practice, my behavior about 'home work' and 'house work.'
it been totally enlightening. and i guess that's the point of any kind of yoga.  |
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| Please come over to my house to do Karma Yoga. I have a lot of service you can do. Assured, we will bow and meditate and dedicate our labor to Buddha and then have you head out to cut the lawn, trim the hedges, paint the garage and maybe even pick up twigs.
Just vamping on this subject... |
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| karmayoga: Karma means activity which a human being does. Karmayoga is an Activity performed by Human in order to reach the goal of Yoga, that is Liberation. The nature of activity itself is secondary, but the intention behind that activity decides whether it can be called Yoga.
Acitivy can be 'selfless work', 'meditation', 'hathayoga practice' or 'charitable work', etc. Or, it an even be killing someone.
Intention however has to be ONLY : To reach liberation.
And, one who performs that activity should feel that the activity truely shall lead him/her towards the goal, either by the suggestion from an already liberated soul, or by his own definite conviction.
Liberation necessitates relinquishing ego, and that is highly aided by doing SelfLess work for the benefit of others. However, if the charitable work is done with any selfish motive, such as gainig fame and name, gaining donations from people, conversion of people to one's own relgion, etc. that is NOT karmayoga.
Also, removal of ego due to karmayoga is synonymous with puriication of chittaM (yogaangaanushthaandashuddhikshaye dnyaandiiptiraavivekakhyaateH... Patanjali) , and this results in the Vivekakhyaati, and that person becomes Dnyanayogi. (A real Dnyanayogi, not the practitioner of the Path of Knowledge, also called Dnyanyoga).
A real Dnyanyogi does not need to perform any karma or follow any rules. However, he does so for giving examples to others.
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Volunteering/karma yoga...
