“Seva” or “KarmaYoga” means sacrifice, selfless
service, unselfish work, meritorious deeds, giving away something to others without expectations.
Some people often get confused and think that leading a life devoted to
scriptural study, contemplation, and acquiring transcendental knowledge may be
better for spiritual progress than doing one’s worldly duty. Why this confusion???
There is twofold ways of living life:
1. Practised by Jnanis, Sankhyas or highly
intellectuals.
2. Practised by the Karma Yogi or men of action.
The Jnani who is highly intellectual analyses that
his body is formed by Prakriti and identify himself with the Supreme, hence clearly realise that he is only an instrument in His hands. Obviously he thinks he is a Non-Doer. As he is a Non-Doer he does not yearn for the outcome of the action too, so he automatically becomes Non-Enjoyer. Detaching himself away from the body he root out ego and
proceed from Non-Doer to Non-Enjoyer. Whereas a Karma Yogi is not intellectual
enough he should reverse the process and he should start with Nishkama Karma
(Non-Enjoyer) and end up becoming Non-Doer.
A Jnani withdraws himself from the world and its
activities and realizes the Supreme in the chamber of his own heart where as a
Karma Yogi tries to understand the Supreme as the greatest of the great in the
universe at large which he considers the manifestation of the Supreme by his
selfless service.
It is not wise to just by renounce the action
because by renouncing action it becomes Inaction which is Tamasic. No creature can ever be idle even for a
minute and also the body cannot be maintained properly if one sits idle. It is the nature of modes (prakriti) that the
three Gunas impel us to work. A fool
merely renounces the sense of organs while the same persist in his mind.
The three Gunas in us directs us to do work in the
respective ways:
1. Those
who work in a systematic way even though enthusiastic outward with a bit of
disinterest ness within. They are Satvik.
2. Those
who work with restlessness and are passionate towards the end result. They are
Rajasik.
3. Those
who put off work with lethargy and are unmindful of the importance of the work.
They are Tamasik.
Work done for the sake of their up-liftment will bind
them to samsaras so duty has to be done for the welfare of the society.
One’s growth comes from working selflessly rather
than giving up work and practising sense-control before one is naturally ready
for it. Bringing the mind under control is difficult, and spiritual life
becomes a mockery without mastery over the senses. Desires may become dormant
and rise again to give trouble, just as a sleeping person wakes up in due
course of time. The four goals of human life (Purusharthas)— doing one's duty
(Dharma), earning wealth (Artha), material and sensual enjoyment (Kama), and
attaining salvation (Moksha) — were designed in the Vedic tradition for gradual
and systematic growth of the individual and the progress of society.
One does not tread the spiritual life by prematurely
wearing saffron clothes to maintain an Ashram, he has to first conquer the six
inner enemies Kama (lust), Krodha (anger), Lobha (greed), Madha (pride), Moha
(attachment), and Matsarya (envy). It is said that such pretenders do a great
disservice to Supreme, Society, and Self. They become unfit of happiness in
this world and the next. A pretending monk is considered sinful and a destroyer
of the ascetic order of life.
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