Re: Karma Yoga?
Hi Eastern... I will post a bit freely here, take it as such:
Overall what you mentioned are usually good actions.
Dharma and karma are inseparable, since dharma is the divine will and what breaks that is bad karma and what follows that is good karma.
Doing my dharma is good karma.
Not doing it is bad karma.
Doing it for myself (lower self) creates attachment.
Doing it as divine service (preferably by actually seeing divinity in your fellow men/animals), creates no attachment and is the highest worship. (divinity dwells in the heart of every creature)
Now the question arises, what is dharma? It has been defined according to varna and other categories. That definition is OK and is a help to those who need it. But there is a higher one which is more flexible. That action which gives shanti in mind is dharma, since it has the blessing of the highest divinity. So to follow this atma-dharma or sva-dharma is the essence of karma-yoga. If we follow it we will get very much shanti (peace) of mind.
Or to keep it short: If we follow conscience we are prefect karma-yogis, directly verified by the highest divinity (which is very hard to do completely). If we cant do that, we do it according to scriptures and add in not desiring the fruit. If we cant do that we should at least avoid harming others etc.
Personally I find it hard to define a number of situations as good or bad. But we know that truthfulness, helpfulness etc are classified as eternal values. The goal of karma-yoga is the realization of the universal divinity and acting according to that realization. It might take time to get there, and it might be in steps. But the path and goal will then be the same. When we are perfectly in tune with karma-yoga, we are perfect yogis (one with atmic will). Hence there is no end to karma-yoga. That which is not karma-yoga is ego-yoga. Karma-yoga will result in both bhakti and jnana. Bhakti & Jnana will express itself as karma-yoga. Karma-yoga cant be avoided.
“There is a Guru in each of us. It is the Atma principle. It is the Eternal Witness functioning as Conscience in everyone. With this Conscience as guide, let all actions be done.” (sss20-15)
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