| The word path of Action or Karma yoga conjures | | | | our unintentional and involuntary actions like blinking, |
| images of social workers, charity workers and | | | | sneezing, etc. Karma |
| volunteer workers. | | | | Karma’ literally means action or deed done with |
| However, in most cases as the charity work done by | | | | intent. Karma includes all actions of the 5 sense |
| most of these social and volunteer workers is done at | | | | organs, 5 motor organs, mind and the intellect. From a |
| an emotional level or for publicity or fame, it does not | | | | spiritual perspective however karma refers to those |
| constitute path of Action or Karma yoga in the real | | | | actions that result in merits or demerits. |
| sense of the word. | | | | Akarma-karma (Nonaction-action) |
| Some people think that going about their day to day | | | | - This is the pinnacle of spiritual growth or the highest |
| duties or doing their jobs properly and honestly | | | | possible level achievable as per the path of Action or |
| constitute Karma yoga or path of Action. But this is | | | | Karma yoga. |
| again not true, i.e. doing this does not translate into their | | | | - This is possible only in the case of spiritually evolved |
| spiritual growth. | | | | people above the 80% spiritual level. |
| So what exactly is path of Action or Karma yoga? | | | | - Here (at 80% spiritual level) even voluntary/intentional |
| Some basic concepts — | | | | actions like helping others happen as kriya’. |
| Law of Karma | | | | - Examples of akarma-karma’ type of |
| As per the science of Spirituality, every action or deed | | | | deeds are the actions of these spiritually evolved |
| that we do earns us a fruit. The fruit is in the form of a | | | | people, when in complete communion with God. Also |
| merit or demerit depending on whether it is a good or | | | | as these highly evolved people are so merged with |
| bad deed respectively and a give-and-take account | | | | God, whatever deed happens through them happen |
| with the person or persons involved in the act. | | | | only as per God’s wish. |
| - Merits give us happiness and demerits give us | | | | Definition of path of Action or Karma yoga |
| unhappiness proportional to the intensity of the good or | | | | - The path of spiritual practice that gives guidance |
| bad deed that we did. | | | | about |
| - Nobody can escape from the fruits of his actions. | | | | - Why we do actions or deeds? |
| - If the fruits of our actions are not enjoyed or | | | | - Why our actions or deeds trap or bond us? |
| suffered in this very birth (and this happens in most | | | | - How to do actions or deeds without getting trapped |
| cases) then we have to take another birth to undergo | | | | in their fruits? |
| them. In such cases we have to wait till circumstances | | | | - Which actions or deeds liberate us from the bond of |
| are conducive again on Earth region for us to undergo | | | | Maya, i.e. cycles of birth and death? |
| them. That is till such time that the other people we | | | | - What is the importance of continuing doing actions |
| have to complete our give-and-take account with are | | | | even after attaining the state of Liberation |
| also there on Earth and the times on Earth are also | | | | (jeevanmukta)? and bestows Final Liberation (Moksha) |
| conducive for the type of life we have to undergo | | | | is known as path of Action or Karma yoga Benefit to |
| - It is understandable that one would not like to | | | | seekers of other paths of spiritual practice |
| undergo the results of demerits. However why would | | | | Even seekers following other paths of spiritual practice |
| one not want the results of merits? One of the | | | | like the paths of Meditation or Devotion benefit in their |
| reasons we should not want merits is that in the | | | | spiritual practice if they complement their regular |
| course of enjoying the fruits of our merits either in this | | | | spiritual practice with Karma yoga. Conclusion |
| or subsequent births we would do further deeds which | | | | One may think that giving up of doership would result in |
| would then incur further merits or demerits. This would | | | | irresponsible behavior or lack of efforts. However we |
| trap us in an endless cycle of life and death as a result | | | | must understand that path of Action or Karma yoga |
| of the incomplete give-and-take account with people. | | | | advises us to make all efforts as if everything is in our |
| Kriya or Kruti | | | | hands, but to think about the fruits of these actions as |
| Kriya are those actions of ours that do not result in | | | | if nothing is in our hands. |
| either merits or demerits. Generally speaking these are | | | | |