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Karma Yog, and the matter of being good || Acharya Prashant (2020)
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5 years ago
Karma Yoga
Yoga
Mind
Inquiry
Desire
Ego
Liberation
Action
Description

Acharya Prashant explains that Yoga is fundamentally one, though it is expressed in various ways. He defines Yoga as union, or more precisely, reunion—a coming together of the many. To understand this, one must first identify what is divided or fragmented, which he states is the mind. The mind constantly wanders, searching for something elusive. Yoga, therefore, is about giving the mind what it truly wants. The speaker elaborates that the mind has already tried everything materially available to find satisfaction, repeating these attempts for millions of years without success. In the absence of attention, the mind fails to see that future attempts at self-gratification are mere repetitions of past failures. Yoga, in this context, is about encouraging the mind to inquire into its own quest and desires. This inquiry involves asking fundamental questions like, "What do I want?" and "Why do I keep searching?" As one inquires more deeply, the nature of the inquirer becomes clearer, and the intensity of the question itself diminishes. The speaker points out that the questioner is the source of the trouble and the separation from the solution. As the question's intensity dwindles, the questioner, who is the problem, also starts to lose strength. This dissolution of the troubled one is Yoga. At this point, the scattering ceases, a oneness is achieved, and the one thing that can bring peace is found. Acharya Prashant then defines Karma Yoga as a specific application of this inquiry, focused on the direction of one's actions. Since the mind's movement manifests as the body's actions, observing what you do reveals who you are. Karma Yoga is the inquiry into why you do what you do. This investigation reveals that all actions are typically performed for the little ego, which he describes as an endless abyss that is never satisfied, despite a lifetime of being fed. Recognizing that working for the ego has failed to bring peace or relief, Karma Yoga marks a fundamental shift. It is the decision to stop working for the sake of the ego and its bondages. Instead, one begins to work for the sake of one's own liberation. Karma Yoga, therefore, is about working in a way that brings solutions and freedom, rather than more miseries and further incarceration.