- Krishna The Bhagavad Gita (Classics of Indian Spirituality)
Karma, as we discussed last post, means action and reaction. It is a chain of causal events that go back into some dim past that we can barely imagine. Our karmic conditioning is this backlog of events that have lead up to the present situation. Because it is self-perpetuating, it also propels us towards a future something like an equation. Fate = past events + attachment. Attachment is mental and emotional. Or, as Buddha taught:
Our experience is based on our thoughts; we become
what we think. Suffering follows negative thoughts
like the wheels of a cart follow the oxen that draw it.
The Dhammapada: A New Translation of the Buddhist Classic with Annotations
Karma is imbedded within us as the unconscious thoughts which drive us. They are rooted in avidya, “Ignorance.” Ignorance in this sense is the not-knowing of the creative power of our own minds. It is our inability to recognize our own hand in constructing the narrative that defines us. Thoughts lead to actions. Sometimes we might have angry thoughts, but we refrain from acting on them and they have nearly null karmic consequence, except that they create stress within our bodies. Sometimes the thoughts are so deeply ingrained that we act upon them “without thinking,” i.e. without reflection, and they bear their inescapable outcomes. One way or another the reality that we experience is the result of our habits of thought.
The central universal habit of thought is known as “the ego.” It is the organizing principal around which our individual realities take shape. Without it who would we be? It is the “operating program” according to Ram Das which enables us to function in this reality. There is a deeper aspect of our beings, which is often referred to as the Self, who is present throughout the karmic experiences of our lives. We might also refer to this as the inner observer, witness, or the space in which experiences take place. When we learn to practice meditation we are able to step into the perspective of the inner witnessing awareness. We are able to reflect upon our ego ideologies. The ego believes in a fixed self and reality, or at least “the way things are supposed to be.” The witnessing awareness is simply open to “what is.” They work in conjunction with each other.
Karma yoga means bringing this meditative awareness into our daily activities. This might mean a job, taking care of children, cooking, cleaning, taking care of things around the house. It includes the quality of interactions with others and awareness of what is going on within oneself. That is a lot to keep track of! Being awake, aware and present to each moment is not always easy.
The Bhagavad Gita defines karma yoga as “work without attachment to the fruits,” as in the “fruits of our labors.” If you are focused primarily what you are going to get as reward, you are probably not present with the experience. We’ve all had days where we were just watching the clock, putting in the time so we could ensure that paycheck. If you stop to think about it, the paycheck can enslave us. Instead of a loving dedication to our labors, we begrudgingly do the minimum to get by. The point of karma yoga is to extricate ourselves from the process of time: past>present>future. It is to open ourselves to the eternal Now. A “paycheck mentality” can keep us trapped in work that is unfulfilling and demoralizing. It can also make just about any task seem that way.
Karma yoga was a large part of ashram life while we were in India and at the ashram here in the U.S. Between early morning sadhana and evening satsang, there were a number of tasks assigned to us. Some of us worked at the printing press, some in the kitchen, some in the gardens, construction, etc. Teaching classes in yoga was also karma yoga. I was assigned to help hand address envelopes in which Yoga magazine was mailed throughout India and the world. At first I thought I had gotten off pretty easy. It was far from strenuous work. After a couple of weeks I would have torn my hair out if my head wasn’t shaved. Then I was reassigned to help dye cotton cloth “dhotis” and stretch them out on the open rooftops to dry. The activity and interaction was so much fun I was elated. All of it was food for more awareness to develop. I was clearly not experiencing “perfect evenness of mind.”
The attitude of karma yoga helps us to become aware of the tendencies of our minds in various situations. How well can you take directions, get along with troublesome coworkers, or pay attention to routine details? Can you stay present and focus on doing your best when confronting an endless supply of dirty dishes? These are some of the challenges of karma yoga in the ashram setting. Of course these are the same challenges that confront us in the “real world.” Most of the problems that we encounter come from within ourselves. Not always though, but we need to know ourselves on a deeper level to know the difference.
The concept of dharma is closely related to karma. On a universal level, dharma refers to the unfolding of the universal process. “Dharma is the great cosmic power which holds everything together in perfect harmony.” writes Swami Vibhooti Saraswati. (http://www.yogamag.net/archives/1998/esep98/dharma.shtml) Within the context of the cosmic dharma everyone and everything has an integral relationship with everything else. Each of us has a “swadharma,” our unique individual role to fill in this process. Deepak Chopra explains, “There are no extra pieces in the universe. Everyone is here because he or she has a place to fill, and every piece must fit itself into the big jigsaw puzzle.”
In our post-modern age the concept of dharma is somewhat different than in ages past. In earlier centuries one was pretty much born into a role in society and in life. One’s dharma, however, comes from inside oneself. It is an attunement with one’s own nature, acceptance of one’s “duty” – which may or may not pertain to what society expects of us. An example that comes to mind is Martin Luther King. King obviously had a strong inner sense of mission. He didn’t go along with the prevailing social order but followed a deeper sense of morality. True dharma means going beyond the rigid boundaries of caste and class systems, not necessarily in the pursuit of wealth or even the “American Dream,” but in the pursuit of inner and interrelated fulfillment. Swami Vibhooti futher explains:
“To follow one's own dharma is to unfold the divine within oneself. Not to follow one's own dharma is to be out of tune with existence. The right performance of duty, or right action, in any station of life, provided it is done without attachment, will bring realization, according to the Bhagavad Gita. And duty has to be performed not only in relation to family and friends, but also to society, morality, spirit and the cosmos.” (ibid.)
Meditation helps us develop an intuitive connection with our dharma. The ultimate dharma for all of us is the evolution of consciousness – moving from a self-centered ego perspective to recognition of universal oneness. It is the awakening of Love. An understanding of dharma helps us to accept others as they are. Each of us has her own path in life, swadharma, so who is to judge? It also leads each of us to examine and explore our own inner nature without bringing in artificial criteria for judgment. “You’re duty is to Be,” taught Ramana Maharshi, “and not be this or that.”
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