Introduction:
Karma in the millennial world is the most prevalent concept all around the world. Originally, karma was a philosophical concept derived from ancient philosophies that worked on a person's mental and physical state and stated that the outcome of a person's life depends on his good and bad deeds. The deed of karma thus directly or indirectly influences people to get a hold of their lives and bring them into a zone of discipline. Influencing this concept is the yogic practice that came into existence, called karma yoga. This yoga practice guides, influences, and motivates people to have control over their emotions and actions, which gives them the chance to lead a very altruistic life.
What Is Karma Yoga?
Karma yoga is a form of yogic practice that is related to one’s actions or work. Every individual is associated with some form of work or another on an everyday basis. In this yoga form, karma yoga teaches one to prioritize one's duties and concentrate on them. Karma yoga was developed to balance a person’s work, life, and priorities. Karma yoga provides an understanding of life in its simplest way, making people understand that not all things can be done by a person's own hand. It teaches the individuals that they, as themselves, should learn to perform their duties without any expectation. Karma yoga also helps one battle against innate human behaviors like ego, expectation, attachment, jealousy, etc.
What Are the Things Not to Be Done in Karma Yoga?
However, there are various misconceptions about believing in and practicing Karma yoga due to a lack of understanding of the concept. Some of the misconceptions prevailing and ways to handle them are:
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Karma yoga is not offered as an exchange of help for anyone or any indebted deeds, if there is a factor of giving or expectation involved then it changes the concept of karma yoga.
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Karma yoga does not indicate a person to work free of cost under any spirituality or humanity.
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Not extracting work from individuals with poor labor charges in the name of karma.
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Karma yoga is the knowledge of morality of living and not to be considered as social services.
What Are the Types of Karma Yoga?
Three different types of practices come under karma yoga, and they are:
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Sanchita Karma: This karma is known as the collection of total karmas present in one's present and past lives, which includes both the good and bad actions a person has done. Hence, this yoga concentrates on reforming one’s actions owing to the future of one's present life and future life. This is done by performing good actions, which by doing proves the universal concept that what we sow we reap; also, the actions innately provide us with a peaceful and calm mind and heart.
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Agami Karma: The concept of Agami karma yoga is also known as Kriyamana karma, which states that the destiny of future karma depends on the actions we perform currently. This karma is believed to be the future fruit of all the current day-to-day actions. It also states that a person cannot control what has happened in the past but can certainly control their current actions by being positive and filling one's mind and soul with compassion and kindness towards other people giving a right orientation towards people and the community around oneself.
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Prarabdha Karma: The concept of Prabhatha karma includes both the past and the present karmas and their effect on one’s current life. This states that a person cannot go back and change what has happened in the past but has to bear the consequences in the present life. Prarabdha karma can be classified into three types and they are:
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Iccha - It is concentrating on one’s desire.
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Anicha - Doing something without desiring it.
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Parecha - Getting something due to the desire of other people.
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Where all these occur in Prarabdha karma, they create situations that we meet in our lives due to destiny along the path of life.
How to Perform Karma Yoga?
The practice of karma yoga is essential to purifying one’s mind, soul, and nature of behavior. Practicing karma yoga for one’s wellness is very important. Here, karma yoga can be practiced in the following ways:
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Noting down the list of one’s priorities, needs, or roles one needs to fulfill.
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Knowing the importance of the tasks and organizing them according to one’s priority.
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Keeping a log and starting to complete them on an everyday basis.
With all these three steps, it is easier to achieve a peaceful mind when practiced consistently.
What Are the Advantages of Karma Yoga?
All forms of yoga come with their own advantages and disadvantages, and here are the particular advantages of karma yoga that give us reasons to practice it on a daily basis. The advantages of practicing karma yoga are:
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Cleanses a person's mind and thoughts.
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Decreases the ego of an individual towards society or another person.
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The clarity in priorities and needs become more important when it allows a person to perform one’s actions without being biased or altered due to any attachments.
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Gives a person a balanced opportunity in managing one’s karma.
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Provides a peaceful mind and relief from stress, worries, fears of the future, etc.
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Makes one a better person in society.
Conclusion:
Karma yoga, as its name indicates, works to balance the karmic events of the past, present, and future. As humans, all of us tend to be imperfect, and it takes the right mind and source to develop our minds and evolve, and here, karma yoga mainly concentrates on that concept. It helps people battling signs of depression, anxiety, mind clouded ness, etc. to come into an orientation and be aware of themselves, the situations, and their priorities in life, which teaches them the perspective on which and when they need to be stressed or worried about things. Hence, Karma yoga is the best form of mind control yoga because it controls and coordinates one’s mind and soul along with one’s body, life, karmic outcomes, and attitude towards society.
