Karma Yoga

Karma Yoga is the consecration of all the actions and their outcomes to the Almighty. Known as the Yoga of action, Karma Yoga purifies the heart, for the reception of the Divine Light and attainment of the knowledge of one's own self. The ultimate aim of Karma Yoga is to provide selfless service to humanity, without any ego. People performing Karma Yoga serve the needy, without urging to bear fruit for all their actions. It is one of the most popular types of Yoga, which cannot be done without dedication, determination and altruism.

Karma takes the shape of Karma Yoga, when the practitioner acts as an instrument in the hands of the Almighty, as a participant in the cosmic activity of Nature and does the service without the expectation of fruits. The person then believes that he/she is only the instrument and that the Lord is working unselfishly, through him/her. He/she surrenders all the actions and their fruits to the Lord. He/she attains the knowledge of the Self. Ultimately, the person is released from the bonds of Karma.

A person aspiring to follow the divine path of Karma Yoga doesn't have to possess materialistic wealth. All the person needs is a peaceful mind, body and a selfless attitude, to serve humanity. The person following the path of Karma Yoga, known as Karma Yogi, should be free from lust, greed, egoism and anger. His/her heart should be filled with the thought of serving the poor and the helpless people, selflessly. Even if the person has any traces of these 'doshas', he/she should try to eliminate them immediately. In addition, he/she should not desire for name, fame or money in return of the service.

A jealous person can never be a Karma Yogi. He/she should be humble, free from meanness, miserliness, harshness, hatred and jealousy. He/she should be a soft-spoken person and should never use any harsh words. The person, who expects respect and honor from others, cannot serve people selflessly. Moreover, a Karma Yogi should be fearless. He/she should be amiable and social. He/she should never differentiate people in terms of their caste, creed, color and gender. The Karma Yogi should have the feeling of love, compassion and mercy and should have perfect adaptability and tolerance.

Karma Yoga purifies the heart. It releases the Karma Yogi from the ties of the kindred and indulges him/her into activities of selfless social service. Bad qualities of egoism, jealously, superiority and hatred are completely removed from the mind of the person, when he/she follows the path of Karma Yoga. The person gets a broad outlook on life. He/she attains the knowledge of the Self and realizes the concept of 'one in all' and 'all in one'.