Hi James,
I’m still on the karma yoga thing, sorry to sound like a broken record, I just really want to be sure my understanding and practice is correct.
I’ve spent some time perusing the satsangs on shining world in addition to the Bhagavad Gita teachings and my issue is that I haven’t come across a set of clear “instructions” on how one is to practice karma yoga. The closest thing are statements like “offer your actions to Ishvara and surrender the results”. How do I offer my actions to Ishvara? How do I surrender the results of my actions to Ishvara?
I guess what I’m asking for is a set of karma yoga instructions that I can follow as I go about my day.
Appreciate the help as always 🙂
Warm regards
Hi X,
Karma Yoga is a spirit, a feeling of gratitude for the gift of life, that inspires you to contribute your energy to the people and situations in your environment. You appeared here one fine day by the grace of God and you love life, so you want to give back. It’s a giving, not a getting, grabbing attitude.
How does it work? Before you do an action that you feel is a positive contribution you offload the anxiety about the result to Isvara so your mind is calm, present and efficient when you do the action. You should practice all day. It’s a discipline. For instance, you’re going on a date. You would like a relationship but you don’t know if the person will like you. Do you want to be worried and anxious the whole evening as you look for signs of affection? Of course not. You want to be relaxed, pleasant and self-confident. So you leave the result up to God, the situation, and when the date is winding down and your love interest doesn’t show interest in going out again, you take that as God’s position on your relationship to that particular person. If it happens a lot with different people you can assume that God doesn’t sanction a relationship for you at that period of your life. And you are grateful for the result. Why? Because you can put your energy into something more fruitful i.e. more pleasing to God. In this way your likes and dislikes are neutralized and your mind turns toward God. Your desire to please God slowly becomes more important that your likes and dislikes, your fears and desires, and you grow, meaning you become happier.
If your date shows interest, you don’t get elated. Yes, you’re pleased, but you don’t start making wedding plans in your mind and lustily slobber over her on the next date. You see her as God and treat her with respect. You’re cool. You say, thank you Lord and on the next date you are the same calm, relaxed charming self. It’s a cheerful attitude of equanimity toward what has happened, is happening and will happen.
It’s not a joyless mechanical attitude. It’s a simple set of instructions that lead you to peace. It seems you have a lot of anxiety and want to make sure you don’t fuck up. That’s the wrong attitude. You can be too conscientious. As it says in the Gita, “A little karma yoga removes great anxieties.” . You’re gogng to get freedom and non-dual love when the time is right—God is time—so you stay humble and present and take up the activities the day brings happily. That’s it. It’s not complicated.
Much love
James
