(2UFU.23
2250 675
Karma Yoga
t
•
VEDANTA PHILOSOPHY EIGHT LECTURES BY THE
SWAMI VIVEKANANDA ON
KARMA YOGA (THE
SECRET OF WORK)
Delivered under the Auspices of the Vedanta Society
FIFTH EDITION
NEW YORK THE BAKER & TAYLOR COMPANY 33-37 East Seventeenth St. 1901
Wellcorv; .Library
\
for the Listory
and Understanding of Medicine
Copyright,
1896,
BY
SWAMI VIVEKANANDA. Copyright, 1901,
BY
THE BAKER & TAYLOR
CO.
C l) ZFU, Z3 ROBERT DRUMMOND, PRINTER, NEW YORK.
Preface to Second Edition
The word Karma
is
fully
explained in
the text of this book, but possibly
it
may
not be out of place to give a brief idea of
what is meant by Yoga. This word, which sounds strange to Western ears, is nevertheless an old friend in a foreign dress. Its literal meaning is “ To join,” and it has the
same root ( Yug ) behind it as our own faword “ yoke.” When Yoga is used
miliar
technically,
it
signifies
human particular name
union of the
with the Divine, and the given to that union (or Yoga) stands for
method by which it is attained. Hence, Karma Yoga means the endeavor to reach
the
Divine realization through unselfish work. Karma Yoga might be called “applied ethics ” in the highest sense, rather than a merely theoretical system. This book is intended to give an insight into the manner of so performing the inevitable tasks of daily life as to lift our lives out of the region of the humdrum and the common7
Preface to Second Edition place
and make them pathways
to
the
heights of spiritual realization. It presents its own solution of the eternal problem how we, too, “ can make our lives sublime,” and gives an uplift to human enloftiest
deavor on even the humblest planes.
Karma Yoga bor
in a
words
way
proclaims the dignity of
la-
its own, and has and encouragement for all toilers in the world’s great work-
peculiarly
of help
grades of shop.
To
who imagine
Vedanta teaches but one road to salvation, this book will be a revelation. Its language is unmistakable when it asserts over and over again that same height of spiritual realization that is reached by him who gives up the world, is also attained by him who knows how to live in the world and be not of
those
that
it.
Karma Yoga
admits the necessity of work, but shows us how to be free from its bondage, how to work as masters, not as We can so transmute our comslaves.
monest actions into spiritual treasure, as to glorify existence and make it a gateway to Paradise.
The 8
Editor.
Contents i.
PAGE
Karma
in its
Effect on Character
11
II.
“Each
is
Great
in his
Own
Place.”
30
III.
The Secret of Work
S3 IV.
What
is
Duty?
73 V.
We Help
World
88
Complete Self-Abnegation.
99
Ourselves, not the VI.
Non-Attachment
is
VII.
Freedom
124 VIII.
The Ideal of Karma Yoga
9
150
KARMA YOGA I
KARMA
The word Karma
also
Karma.
is
means
means the
Technically,
metaphysics
effects of
were the causes.
But
meaning work.
kind
is
this
knowledge;
it
is
word
In con-
sometimes
which our past actions
have simply to do with as
everything that
the effects of actions.
with
nection
derived from the
is
Sanskrit “ Kri,” to do;
done
ON CHARACTER
IN ITS EFFECT
Karma Yoga we ” the word “ Karma
in
The goal that
is
of all
man-
the one ideal
placed before us by the Eastern philosophy.
Pleasure edge.
is
not the goal of man, but knowl-
Pleasure and happiness
come
to
an
Karma end.
the mistake of
It is
pose that pleasure of
all
that
the goal;
is
to sup-
the cause
world
in the
is
foolishly think pleasure to be the
man
After a time
ideal.
mankind
we have
the miseries
men
on Character
in its Effect
finds that
it is
not
happiness, but knowledge, towards which
he
is
going, and that both pleasure and
pain are great teachers, that he learns as
much from
As
from good.
evil as
pleas-
ure and pain pass before his soul they leave
upon these
it
different pictures,
and the
combined impressions
called man’s “ character.�
If
character of any man, what the tendencies, the his
mind?
You
sum
in
some
in
is
you study the really but
is it
total of the bent of
happiness were equal factors
an equal share
what
is
will find that
tion of that character.
result of
misery and
in the
Good and
forma-
evil
have
moulding character, and
instances
misery
teacher than happiness. 12
is
a
greater
In studying the
Karma
on Character
in its Effect
great characters that the world has pro-
duced
dare say that, in the vast majority
I
of cases,
it
than happiness;
more
than
more
that taught
was misery
was poverty that taught
it
wealth;
was
it
brought out the inner
blows
that
more than
fire,
praise.
Now
this
knowledge, again,
is
inherent
man; no knowledge comes from out-
in
side;
it is all
What we
within.
man
say a
“ knows,” should, in strictly psychological
language, be a “ learns ”
man
covers,” the
man “discovers;” what is
really
what a man “
word discover meaning
takes the covering from his
which say it
is
sitting It
anywhere
was
in a
it
out.
We Was
All
the time
knowledge
that the world has ever received
13
“ he
corner waiting for
own mind;
in his
came and he found
gravitation.
dis-
soul,”
a mine of infinite knowledge.
Newton discovered
him?
own
a
comes
Karma
in its Effect
from the mind; the universe
is
nal world
casion,
in
on Character
infinite library of the
your own mind.
The
exter-
simply the suggestion, the oc-
is
which
sets
you
to study
mind, but the object of your study
ways your own mind.
The
ple gave the suggestion to
studied his
own mind;
new
link
among
is
Newton, and he all
mind and discov-
them, which we
the law of gravitation.
al-
an ap-
falling of
he rearranged
the previous links of his
ered a
own
your
It
call
was not the ap-
ple nor anything in the centre of the earth.
All knowledge, secular or spiritual,
is
human mind.
not dis-
In
many
cases
it is
covered, but remains covered, and the covering
say “
we
is
being slowly taken
when off
we
are learning,� and the advance of
knowledge
is
made by
the advance of this
process of uncovering.
whom
in the
this veil
is
being
The man from lifted is
the
knowing man; the man upon whom 14
more it
lies
Karma thick
be yet, and that there
I believe, will
in the
piece of
flint,
actions
—our
and our
praises
selves, that
“
many
the friction
and our
smiles,
our
all
our joys
our weeping and our laugh-
and our blessings,
curses
find,
is
existing
is
So with
fire.
and our blames
them we
all
tears
griefs,
our
ter,
knowledge
mind; the suggestion
that brings out that
so
Like
be myriads in the cycles to come.
fire in a
om-
the all-knowing, the
is
it
There have been omniscient men,
niscient.
will
man from whom
ignorant, and the
is
has entirely gone
and,
on Character
in its Effect
our
—with every one
of
we calmly study our own
if
they have been brought out by
The
blows.
result
is
what we
are;
these blows taken together are called
Karma,” work.
sical
blow that
strike
out the
is
Every mental and phygiven upon the soul to
fire,
to
power and knowledge, being used
discover is
own
Karma, Karma
in its universal sense;
15
its
so
we
are
Karma
in
its
Effect on Character
doing Karma
all
you; that
Karma.
that
is
ma.
is
Karma.
We walk;
the time.
We
am
I
You
are listening;
breathe;
We
Karma.
talking to
that
Kar-
is
Karma.
talk;
I
Everything we do, physical or mental,
Karma, and
leaving
is
marks upon
its
There are certain works which
sum
were, the aggregate, the large
number
of small works.
us.
are, as
we
it
of a
total, If
is
stand
near the seashore and hear the waves dashing against the shingle
we
a great noise, and yet
we know
wave
is
really
composed
think
it is
such
that
one
of millions and
millions of minute waves; each one of these is
making
a noise,
and yet we do not catch
the sound of them;
come
it is
only
the big aggregate that
So every pulsation
we
of the heart
work; certain works we
come
when they
feel,
is
catch
beit.
making
and they be-
tangible to us; they are, at the same
time, the aggregate of a
16
number
of small
Karma works.
If
you
character of a
Every
works.
which
man
great man.
is
Watch
a
those
you the
one
a hero at
man do are
most
his
things
the
real character of a
Great occasions rouse even the
human
lowest of
he
becomes
fool
to judge the
look not at his great
actions;
will tell
want
really
time or another.
common
on Character
in its Effect
beings to greatness, but
man whose
a really great
character
is
great always, the same wherever he be.
This
Karma
in its effect
the most tremendous to deal with.
and he
is
Man
attracting
is
on character
power
that
a centre, as
all
the
man it
powers
is
has
were, of the
universe towards himself, and in this centre is
fusing
in a
them
all
big current.
and ejecting them again
That centre
is
the real
man, the almighty, the omniscient, and he draws the whole universe towards him;
good or bad, misery or happiness,
all
run-
ning towards him, clinging round him, and *7
Karma
in its Effect
on Character
out of them he fashions the tremendous
power
and throws
called character
As he has
wards.
the
power
of
it
out-
drawing
in
anything, so he has the power of throwing it
out.
All the actions that all
the
movements
in
we
see in the world,
human
society, all the
works that we have around
us, are
simply
the display of thought, the manifestation of the will of man.
or
cities,
Machines or instruments, men-of-war, everything
ships,
is
simply the manifestation of the will of man,
and
this
character is
will is
character, and
manufactured by Karma.
Karma, so
will.
made by
is
is
the manifestation of the
The tremendous
willed
world has produced have
dous workers
As
— gigantic
all
men
that the
been tremen-
souls,
with wide
wills,
powerful enough to overturn worlds;
and
they
got
that
by persistent work,
through ages and ages. 18
Such a gigantic
Karma
in its Effect
will as that of a
be got in one
Buddha or
life,
fathers were.
for
It is
fathers ever spoke a
we know who
not
known
word
their
that their
for the
Joseph have gone;
good
of
millions are
Millions and millions of petty
living.
still
a Jesus cannot
Millions and millions of carpen-
mankind. ters like
on Character
kings like Buddha’s father have been in the world.
If
is
it
how do you account
transmission, little
petty prince,
obeyed by son,
only a case of hereditary
whom
his
own
half a
you account
who was servants,
penter and his son,
man
producing
whom
beings regard as
will
which
this
How
gap between the
do
car-
millions of hu-
God?
accounted for by that theory. tic
not, perhaps,
world worships?
for this
for this
It
cannot be
This gigan-
Buddha threw over
the
world, which came out of Jesus, whence did it
come?
Whence came
of
power?
It
this
accumulation
must have been there through 19
Karma
on Character
in its Effect
ages and ages, continually growing bigger
and bigger,
until
Buddha or a
burst on society in a
it
Jesus,
and
it
down even
rolls
to the present day.
And work.
this
No
one can get anything except he
earns
it;
think
it
shall
determined by Karma,
all
this is
is
an eternal law; we may
is
we
not so, but in the long run
be convinced of
it.
A man
may
strug-
rich;
he may
cheat thousands, but he finds at
last that
gle
all
his life in
becoming
he did not deserve
it,
and
his life
a trouble and a nuisance to him.
go on accumulating
for
may buy
but they
all
We
is
ours.
A
the books in the world,
be in his library, and he
will
may
our physical en-
joyment, but only what we earn fool
becomes
will
only be able to read those he deserves, and this
deserving
Karma
is
produced by Karma.
determines what
what we can
assimilate.
20
we
We
Our
deserve and
are responsible
Karma
in its Effect
what we
for
are,
ourselves.
and whatever we want our-
we have
selves to be
past actions
follows that whatever
so
make
You will learning how to
the use of
is
is
world.�
in this
such a thing as frittering away
With regard
our energies.
Yoga,
be we
to
to act.
Every one works
But there
make
certainly
it
we want
know how
to
What
work?
to
ourselves by our present actions;
we have
say, “
power
the
what we are now has been
If
made by our own
can
on Character
in the
Bhagavad Gita
Karma Yoga
is
it
is
said that
doing work, but with clev-
erness and as a science;
do work that
Karma
to this
will
knowing how
to
bring the greatest results.
You must remember
that
all
this
work
is
simply to bring out the power of the mind
which
is
already there, to
The power knowledge
is is
wake up
inside every
there;
the soul.
man, and the
these different 21
works
Karma
are like blows to bring
giant to
wake
A man
on Character
in its Effect
out, to cause this
it
up.
works
for various motives;
cannot be work without a motive.
there
Some
people want to get fame, and they work
Others want to get money, and
for fame.
they work for money.
and they work
Others want power, Others want to
for power.
get to heaven, and they
work
heaven. Others want to leave a they
die, as
gets a ter
way, after
he
dead; that
is
When
all.
good things they give
who
is
Some
work
their lives to
when they as
a
I
a bet-
does very
of nobility to
title
sects
have a gigantic tomb
know
soon as a child
man
Mohammedan
of the
die.
a
is
man
dead, or to his grand-
father. all
name when
they do in China, where no
title until
his father,
to get to
is
sects
among whom,
born, they begin to
prepare for his tomb;
that
work a man has
and the bigger and
to do,
22
is
the greatest
Karma
in its Effect
finer the
tomb
posed to
be.
do
all
on Character
the better off the
man
sup-
is
Others work as a penance;
sorts of wicked things, then erect a
temple, or give something to the priests to
buy them
and give them a passport to
off
They think
heaven.
and that they
some
for
who do
There are a few
work’s sake.
who work
good
for work’s
There are others who do
to the
poor and help mankind from
higher motives, because
they love good.
Desires
it is
for
fame seldom bring immediate rule,
sake,
not care for name, or fame, or to
get to heaven.
are
work.
are really the salt of the earth in every
country and
still
them
These are
scot-free.
of the various motives for
Work who
go
will
that will clear
they
come
done with
to us
life.
name and as a
results;
when we
If a
good, and
are old
man works
and
with-
out any selfish motive in view what be-
comes
of
him?
Does he not gain any23
Karma
in its Effect
Yes, he
thing?
on Character
pays more, only people have
selfishness
not the patience to practise
paying
Un-
the highest gainer.
is
It is
it.
more
Love, and
in physical value also.
and unselfishness are not only moral
truth,
figures, but are the highest ideals, because
they are such manifestations of power. the
man who
place, a
first
or for
five days,
In
can work for
minutes, without any
five
motive whatever, without thinking
selfish
of the future, or heaven, or punishment, or
anything of the kind, becomes a giant. is
hard to do
we know
good
brings.
it
tation of
all
the value of
is
a
tremendous
a manifestation of
outgoing action.
four horses restraint;
the horses.
it,
may
A
restraint;
more power
carriage with hill
without
coachman may
restrain
down
rush
or, the
and what
the greatest manifes-
It is
power and
to restrain
than
but in the heart of our
it,
hearts
It
Which
is
24
a
the greater manifes-
Karma
in
its
Effect
tation of power, to let
them?
strain
on Character
them go or
A cannon-ball
the air goes a long distance
Another
is
cut short in
to re-
through
flying
and then
its flight
by
ing against a wall, and intense heat So,
erated.
motive, goes away;
selfish
turn to you, but
that character
move.
if
be restrained
it
will
it
which makes a world not
know
know
that he can rule the
the
Man
they want to rule mankind.
does not
world
gen-
not re-
will
it
men do
Foolish
secret;
is
Restraint will produce a gigantic
develop. will,
if
strik-
outgoing following a
this
all
falls.
whole
Let him wait a few years,
he waits.
restrain that foolish idea of governing,
and
man
will
when
that idea
be a power
in the
But we are such
world.
of us
cannot see be-
a few years, just as animals cannot see
beyond cle;
wholly gone that
The majority
fools!
yond
is
a
that
few steps. Just a is
our world. 25
little
We
narrow
cir-
have not the
Karma
in its Effect
on Character
patience to look beyond and thus
come immoral and wicked. ness,
we
be-
our weak-
It is
our powerlessness.
But the lowest be despised. better,
work
fame; but a
sorts of
work
are not to
Let a man who knows no for selfish ends, for
man
name and
should always try to get
towards the higher motive and to understand what that motive
Krishna
is.
tells
To work you have
us in the Gita, “
the
right, but not to the fruits thereof.”
Leave
the fruits alone, leave results alone.
Why
care for results?
When
wanting
to help a
man, never think what that man’s attitude should be towards you. understand. a
If
Do
not care to
you want to do a great or
good work, do not trouble
to think
what
the results will be.
There comes another with this sort of work. necessary;
difficult
Intense activity
we must always work. 26
question is
We can-
Karma not
live a
comes
on Character
in its Effect
What
minute without work.
Here
of rest?
is
one
side of
belife-
struggle work, to be whirled rapidly round in the
current of social
another picture
—calm,
If
a place as
a
man goes
soon as he
is
a perfect
to live
brought
is
is
of noise,
little
Neither of them
only nature.
here
everything
retiring,
peaceful around you, very
picture.
And
life.
such
in
in contact
with the surging whirlpool of the world he will
be crushed by
lives in the is
brought
pieces;
kept
it
deep sea water, as soon as to
the
just as the fish that
it;
the
surface,
breaks
weight of water on
together.
Can
a
man who
he comes into a quiet place?
suffer
and perhaps
lose his
man
is
he
who
in the
had
has been life
He
mind.
few are able to bear entire solitude. ideal
into
it
used to the turmoil and the rush of if
it
live will
Very
The
midst of the
greatest silence finds the intensest activity
27
Karma and
in the
finds the
in its Effect
on Character
midst of the intensest activity
silence of
the desert.
He
has
learned the secret of restraint; he has controlled
He
himself.
goes
streets of a big city, with
and
his
mind
all
calm as
as
is
through
if
the
their traffic,
he were
in a
cave, where not a sound could reach him.
and he
That
is
have
is
working intensely
the ideal of
attained
all
the time.
Karma Yoga, and
to
you have
that
if
you
really
learned the secret of work.
But we have
to begin
from the begin-
ning, to take up the works as they to us
and slowly make ourselves more un-
find out the
hind,
We
every day.
selfish
and
prompting us
will find
selfish,
must do the work
motive power that to the
most without exception,
we
come
is
work, and,
beal-
in the first years,
that the motives are always
but gradually this selfishness
melt, by persistence, and at last will
28
will
come
Karma the time unselfish
in
its
when we work.
time or other, as
path of shall
life,
shall
We
on Character
be able to do really all
hope that some
we struggle through the a time
when we
perfectly unselfish,
and the
there will
become
moment we
Effect
come
attain to that,
our powers
will
be concentrated, and the knowledge which is
ours will become manifest.
29
II
EACH
GREAT IN HIS OWN PLACE
IS
According to the Sankhya philosophy, nature
composed
is
of
three
called, in Sanskrit, Sattva,
Tamas
nias.
activity;
is
Rajas and Ta-
typified as darkness or in-
Rajas as
ticle is
trying to
centre,
and Sattva
activity,
fly off is
where each par-
from the attracting
the equilibrium of the
two, getting a control of both. is
composed
each of us
mas
we
prevails;
move; we are tain ideas. vail,
and
Each man
of these three materials; find that
we become inactive,
still
lazy;
we cannot
bound down by
cer-
activity will pre-
other times
control of both will prevail
30
in
sometimes the Ta-
At other times at
materials,
that
calm
the Sattva.
“
Each
Again,
is
Great
in his
men, one
in different
terials is
man
one
is
the
activity,
is
tion of energy, find
of these
The
and
power, manifestaanother
So
—
—we
typification of
all
Karma Yoga
and men
find the
has specially to deal with
they are and
how
us to do our
work
By teaching
to
employ them
better.
about morality, and we
us what it
Human
We
a graded organization.
duty, but at the
in creation
these different materials.
these three elements.
is
man we
gentleness,
calmness,
which are controlling both. in animals, plants
char-
that of inactivity,
in still
sweetness,
ma-
the characteristic of
dullness and laziness;
man
”
Place
generally predominant.
acteristic of
another
Own
all
all
helps
society
know
know about
same time we
find that in
various countries morality differs greatly.
What is regarded as moral in one country may in another be considered perfectly immoral.
Yet we have the idea that there 3i
“
Each
is
Great
in his
Own
must be a universal standard
So
it is
much among are left
open
norant,
who
way
to
The
with duty.
Place
of morality.
idea of duty varies
Two ways
different nations.
—the
us
to
way
think that there
truth,
”
and that
of the igis
only one
the rest
all
are
wrong, or the way of the wise, who admit that,
according to the mental constitution
or the different plane of existence in which
we
are,
duty and morality
important thing
is
to
may
know
that there are
gradations of duty and of morality
what
is
The
vary.
the duty of one state of
set of circumstances will not
—that
life in
one
be that of an-
other.
The
following example will serve to
il-
lustrate:— All great teachers have taught “ resist not evil ” is
—
the highest ideal.
that non-resisting evil
We
all
know
that
if
a certain number of us attempted to put fabric that into practice the whole social
32
“
Each
would
fall
is
Great
Place
”
would be de-
to pieces, society
would have possession
stroyed, the wicked of
Own
in his
our properties and our
lives
do whatever they liked with
and would
us.
Even
if
only one day of such non-resistance were practised
it
would lead
Yet, intuitively, in our
lution of society.
we
heart of hearts
to the utter disso-
feel
the truth of the
teaching, “ resist not evil.”
This seems to
us to be the great ideal; yet to teach this doctrine only would be equivalent to con-
demning
a vast
Not only
so,
that they
were always doing wrong, cause
it
proportion of mankind.
would be making men
scruples of conscience in it
all
feel
their actions;
would weaken them, and that constant
self-disapproval
would breed
than any other weakness.
To
more
the
vice
man who
has begun to hate himself the gate to degeneration has been opened, and so with a nation.
Our
first
duty 33
is
not to hate our-
“Each selves;
to
ourselves
is
God.
in his
Own
Place�
advance we must have
and then
first
has no faith in
Great
in
God.
faith in
He who
himself can never have faith
in
Therefore, the only alternative re-
maining morality
to us
is
to recognize that duty
under
vary
stances; not that the
circum-
different
man who
it
may become
his
which he
duty to
in
is
dif-
placed
resist.
In reading the Bhagavad Gita
you
do-
resists is
ing something wrong, but that in the ferent circumstances in
and
many
Western countries may have
of felt
second chapter, when
astonished at
the
Krishna
Arjuna a hypocrite and a
calls
coward because
of his refusal to fight or
offer resistance
on account
saries
being
his friends
and
of his adverrelatives,
mak-
ing the plea that non-resistance was the highest ideal of love. learn
is
that the
The
great lesson to
two extremes are
alike;
the extreme positive and the negative are
34
“
Each
is
Great in his
always similar;
with sound;
when
very low
One man
because he
is
weak,
and not because he the
an
hear.
hear,
In like
the difference between resistance
is
and non-resistance. sist
So
rapid.
we do not
when very high we do not manner
irresistible
blow
if
does not re-
and cannot,
lazy,
the other
will not;
man who, knowing he
mits a
resists
sin,
and
is
that he can strike likes,
not only does
not strike, but blesses his enemies.
one who
do
see them, nor
them when they are too
see
�
Place
the vibrations of light
we do not
are too slow
we
when
Own
The
not from weakness com-
as such will not receive
any
benefit from his non-resistance, while the
other would commit a sin by offering resistance.
renounced
Buddha gave up his position;
his
that
throne and
was true
re-
nunciation; but there cannot be any question of renunciation in the case of a
who
has nothing to renounce. 35
beggar
So we must
“
Each
Great
is
in his
Own
Place
”
always take care, when we speak of
and
non-resistance
We
mean.
really
ideal
must
this
what we
love,
take care to
first
understand whether we have the power of
Then, having the power,
resistance or not. if
we renounce and do not
ing a grand
we
if
we cannot
are do-
resist
sight of the “ love ”
we
are doing the exact oppo-
that he
That
is
that
—
“
Thou
therefore, stand
”
the idea of the
The Karma Yogi stands
why Krishna
man, but thy actions be-
tray thee to be a coward;
Such
is
was a hypocrite:
talkest like a wise
fight!
his
forget his duty towards
country and king.
up and
at the
mighty array against him;
made him
him
and
try to deceive ourselves
So Arjuna became a coward
site.
told
we
are actuated by motives of the
highest love
his
but
same time
at the
that
act,
resist,
the
is
the
highest
36
Karma
man who ideal
is
Yogi. under-
non-re-
“Each
Great
is
who
sistance, but
Own
in his
knows
also
Place” that this
and
the highest manifestation of power, that
what
called “ resisting evil ”
is
is
but
on the way towards the manifesta-
a step
which
tion of the highest power,
est ideal his
him
is
non-re-
Before having attained the high-
sistance.
let
is
duty
is
fight, let
to resist; let
him
strike straight
Then
the shoulder.
him work,
when he has
only,
gained the power to
from
resist,
will
non-re-
sistance be a virtue.
should
Inactivity
means. Resist
be
Activity always all
evils,
calmness come.
“ hate not
means
by
all
resistance.
mental and physical, and
when you have succeeded will
avoided
It is
anybody,
we know what
in resisting,
then
very easy to say,
resist
not any
evil,”
When
the
eyes of society are turned towards us
we
but
may make our hearts
a
show
it
is
that means.
of non-resistance, but in
canker 37
all
the time.
We
“ Each feel
Great in
is
the want of
be better to
we
it;
resist.
Own
his
If
Place
would
feel that it
you
�
desire wealth
and you know that the whole world
you
tell
that he
who aims
at wealth
will is
a
very wicked man, you, perhaps, do not dare to plunge into the struggle for wealth, yet at the same time the mind
day and night risy
and
money.
after
running
is
This
is
serve no purpose.
will
into the world,
and then,
you have enjoyed
all
hypoc-
Plunge
after a time,
that
is in
it,
when
will re-
nunciation come; then will calmness come.
So
fulfil
thing
your desire
else,
and
desire will
know til
after
for
power and every-
you have
will
things;
un-
fulfilled this desire, until
you
the time
that these are very
have passed through that possible for
the
when you
come
you have
fulfilled
you
calmness and
to
come
serenity.
little
activity,
it is
im-
to that state of
These ideas
of
serenity have been preached for thousands
38
“
Each
is
Great
in his
Own
�
Place
everybody born has heard them
of years;
from childhood, and yet we see very few in the world that have really reached that stage.
I
do not know
persons in
my
non-resisting,
life
and
if
I
have seen twenty
who were I
really
calm and
have travelled over
half
the world.
Every man should take up
his
to accomplish
it;
and endeavor
own
ideal
that
is
a
surer
way than taking up other men’s
ideals,
which he can never hope to accom-
plish.
at
For
instance,
we
once give him the
twenty miles; either the
one
in
a thousand
miles, to reach the
dead.
That
is
of
little
one dies or
crawl the twenty
end exhausted and half
All
to
do
men and women,
in
society, are not of the
capacity,
walking
task
what we generally try
with the world.
any
may
take a child and
same mind, or
and have not the same power to
understand things; they must have differ39
“
Each
Great
is
ent ideals, and
any
Own
in his
we have no
Place
�
right to sneer at
Let every one do the best he
ideal.
can for his
own
ideal.
should not be
I
judged by yours or you by mine.
The
ap-
ple tree should not be judged by the stand-
ard of the oak nor the oak by that of the
To judge
apple.
oak
apple
the
take
its
own
the apple tree
standard
you must
and
for
the
and so with
standard,
all
of us.
Unity
in variety is the plan of creation.
However men and women may vary vidually, there
The
different
classes
of
is
unity in the background.
individual
characters
men and women
are
variations in the law of creation.
we ought not
to
indi-
and
natural
Hence,
judge them by the same
standard or put the same ideal before them.
Such a course
creates only an unnatural
man
begins
struggle, and the result
is
to hate himself and
hindered from be-
is
40
that
“ Each
coming
Great
is
religious
one
up to
to
make
this ideal as
In the
truth.
times,
books on
down
struggle to
in his
near as possible to the
Hindu morality we
find that
and
ethics
their
in
different
Scriptures and are
rules
for the different classes of
laid
men, for
the householder, the Sannyasin (the
who
is
been recognized from very an-
this fact has
cient
�
highest ideal and strive
own
his
Place
Our duty
and good.
to encourage every live
Own
in his
man
has renounced the world) and the stu-
dent.
The
of every individual, according to
life
the
Hindu
ties
apart from what belongs to universal
Scriptures, has
humanity; to
each stage
duties are attached
by
one of these stages of other; the
life
its
but
who
peculiar du-
of
own
life is
life
certain
nature.
No
superior to the
of the married
as great as that of the ried,
its
man
man who
is
is
quite
not mar-
has devoted himself to re41
“
Each
is
Great in his
The king on
ligious work.
and glorious
as great
Take him
the street.
him do the work
„how he see
will fare.
how
he
Own
Place ”
his
throne
as the scavenger in off his throne,
make
of the scavenger and see
Take
will rule.
the scavenger and
It is useless to
man who lives out of greater man than he who
say
that the
the world
a
lives in
world;
it
is
much more
the world and worship
up and
live a free
is
is
the
difficult to live in
God
and easy
than to give
life.
it
The house-
holder marries and carries on his duties as a citizen, while the duties of the
man who
gives up the world are to devote his energies only to religion.
of the world to worship
think that those
work
for the
who
good
man goes
out
God he must
not
If
a
live in
of the
the world and
world are not
worshipping God; neither must those who live in
the world, for wife and children,
think that those
who
give up the world are
42
“
Each
Own
Great in his
is
Each
low vagabonds.
Place
great in his
is
”
own
place.
This thought
A
by a
story.
certain king used to inquire of all the
Sannyasins “
I will illustrate
Which
is
came
that
to
man
the greater
his
country,
—he who gives
up the world and becomes a Sannyasjn, or he
who
lives in the
world and performs his
duties as a householder? ”
Many
sought to solve the problem. serted that the Sannyasin
wise
men
Some
as-
was greater, upon
which the king demanded that they prove their assertion.
When
they could not he
ordered them to marry and become house-
Then others came and
holders.
householder
who performs
greater man.”
manded
proofs.
Of them,
When
them he made them
said, “
The
his duties is the
too, the king de-
they could not give
also settle
down
as
householders.
At
last
there
came 43
a
-
young Sannyasin,
VT
JaWj
“
Each
Great in his
is
Own
Place
He
and the king inquired of him.
O
swered, “ Each, in his place.”
the king.
“
king,
is
do
an-
equally great
“ Prove this to me,” replied
I will
prove
it
to you,” said the
Sannyasin, “ but you must live as I
”
for a
able to prove to
come and
first
few days, that
you what
I
I
may
say.”
be
The
king consented and followed the Sannyasin out of
many
his
own
territory
territories, until
and passed through
they came to another
In the capital of that kingdom
kingdom.
a great ceremony was going on.
The king
and
noise
the
Sannyasin
heard
drums, and music, and
were assembled ray,
and
made.
the
criers;
the people
in the streets in gala ar-
a great proclamation
The king and
was being
the Sannyasin stood
there to see what was going on.
was saying
of
The
crier
that the princess, daughter of
the king of that country, was about to
44
“ Each
is
Great
in his
choose a husband from
sembled before
Place
among
�
those as-
her.
custom
was an old
It
Own
in
India for
princesses to choose husbands in this way,
and each one had certain ideas of
sort
man
of
the
she wanted for a husband;
some would have the handsomest man; others would have only the most learned; others would have the richest and so on.
The was
princess, in the
carried
most splendid array,
on a throne, and the announce-
ment was made by
criers that the princess
so-and-so was about to choose her hus-
band.
Then
all
borhood put on
the princes of the neightheir
bravest attire and
presented themselves before her.
Some-
times they, too, had criers to enumerate
advantages and the reasons
their
why
they
hoped the princess would choose them.
The at
princess
was carried around and looked
them and heard what they had 45
to offer,
“
and
Each
is
Great
in his
Own
she was not pleased she said to her
if
bearers, “
Move
was taken
of the rejected suitors.
on,” and no
more
notice
how-
If,
was pleased with any one
ever, the princess
of
”
Place
them she threw
a
garland upon him, and
he became her husband.
The
princess of the country to which the
king and the Sannyasin had come was having one of these ceremonies.
most
She was the
beautiful princess in the world,
and
the husband of the princess would be ruler of the
The
kingdom
after her father’s
idea of this princess
was
to
death.
marry the
handsomest man, but she could not the right one to please her.
find
Several times
these meetings had taken place, and yet the princess
had not selected any one. This
meeting was the most splendid of
come
people than ever had
was a most gorgeous comes
in
on
a throne,
scene.
to
all; it,
The
more
and
it
princess
and the bearers carry
46
“
Each
is
Great
in his
her from place to place.
Own
Place
”
She does not care
any one, and every one becomes disap-
for
pointed that this meeting also
is
to
be
broken up without any one being chosen. Just then
comes a young man, a Sannya-
handsome
sin,
as
if
the sun had
come down
to the earth, and he stands in one corner of the assembly, watching
The throne with
what
the princess
is
going on.
comes near
him, and as soon as she sees the beautiful
Sannyasin she stops and throws the garland
The young Sannyasin
him.
over
and throws
seizes the garland
it
off,
ex-
claiming, “ that; I
to
me?
What nonsense you mean by am a Sannyasin. What is marriage
”
The king
that perhaps this
of that country thinks
man
is
poor, so does not
dare to marry the princess, so he said to
him, “
With my daughter goes
kingdom now and
my
death! ”
the whole
half
kingdom
my after
and he puts the garland again 47
“
Each
is
Great
Own
in his
Place
on the Sannyasin. The young man threw
it
saying, “
is
off
once more,
this?
I
quickly
Now
do not want
away from
to marry,”
and walked
the assembly.
the princess had fallen so
love with this
must marry
young man
this
man
she went after him
Then
What nonsense
the
other
or to
much
in
that she said, “ shall die,”
I
I
and
bring him back.
who
Sannyasin,
had
brought the king there, said to the king, “ King, let us follow this pair,” so they
walked hind.
after them, but a
good
distance be-
The young Sannyasin who had
re-
fused to marry the princess walked out into
the country for several miles, to
when he came
a forest and struck into
it,
and the
princess followed him, and the other
followed them. sin
Now
the
young Sannya-
was well acquainted with
knew
all
two
that forest
the intricate passages in
it,
and and
suddenly he jumped into one of these and
48
“
Each
Great
is
in his
Own
”
Place
disappeared, and the princess could not dis-
After trying for a long time to
cover him. find
him she
began
way
to
sat
down under
a tree and
know
weep, for she did not
to her
said, “
and
show you is
Then
to get out of the forest again.
the king and the other Sannyasin
Do
way out
the
not weep;
morning we
will
go
we
will it
Here
is
it
now.
us rest under
let
came up
of this forest, but
too dark for us to find
a big tree;
the
early
it,
and
in the
and show you the
road to get out.”
Now little
nest.
a
little
bird and his wife and three
baby birds This
little
on that
lived
bird looked
tree,
in
a
down and saw
the three people under the tree and said to his wife, “
My
dear,
what
shall
be done;
here are some guests in the house, and is
winter,
and we have no
away and got his
a bit of
beak and dropped 49
fire? ”
So he flew
burning firewood it
it
in
before the guests,
“
Each
and they added ing
fuel to
But the
fire.
fied.
He
what
shall
and made a
it
little
Place ”
Own
Great in his
is
bird
was not
said again to his wife, “
we
do; there
is
blazsatis-
My
dear,
nothing to give
these people to eat, and they are hungry,
and we are householders;
who comes
feed any one
must do what body.”
falling
and
and was
The band
I will
and perished.
was too quick fire
can.
little
did,
bird’s wife
let
said, “
my
he
into the
down
burned to death.
Here
little
are three
bird for
it is
my
them
duty as
husband’s effort be in
them have
she plunged
guests saw
saw what her hus-
not enough;
a wife not to let
vain;
The
killed.
and she
It is
into the midst
them and dashed
for
I
my
give them
tried to save him, but
persons and only one to eat.
our duty to
to the house.
So he plunged down
of the fire
him
I
it is
my body
also,”
into the fire
Then 50
and
and was
the three baby
“
Each
is
Great
Own
in his
”
Place
when they saw what was done, and there was still not enough food for the
birds,
that
three guests, said, “
Our
what they could and It is
parents have done
still it is
our duty to carry on the work of our
parents;
let
and they
too,”
our bodies g
dashed down into the
all
not enough.
fire
The
also.
three people could not eat these birds,
they were amazed at what they saw.
how
and
Some-
or other they passed the night without
food, and in the
morning the king and the
Sannyasin showed the princess the way,
and she went back to her
Then
father.
the Sannyasin said to the king,
“ King, you have seen that each in his
own
place.
If
you want
is
great
to live in
the world live like those birds, ready at any
moment If
you want
that ful
to
sacrifice
to
renounce the world be
young man
woman and
yourself for others.
a
to
whom
the most beauti-
kingdom were 5i
like
as nothing.
“
If
is
you want
life if
Each
Great
Own
Place
”
to be a householder hold your
a sacrifice for the welfare of others,
you choose the
not
in his
even
power.
beauty,
see
Each
life
is
the duty of the
of renunciation
and money,
great in his
ne
is
other.”
\
52
own
and do and
place, but
not the duty of the
Ill
THE SECRET OF WORK Helping others physically, by relieving their physical needs,
the
help
greater and the help If
when
greater
is
indeed great, but
is
is
need
the
more
is
far-reaching.
a man’s wants for an hour can be re-
moved
it
is
helping him indeed, but
wants can be removed for a year
more help
to him,
removed forever can be given.
and
it is
his
if
if
will
it
his
be
wants can be
the greatest help that
Spiritual
knowledge
is
the
only thing that can remove our miseries forever;
any
knowledge
other
wants only for a time. the
man be
wants
will
If
satisfies
the nature of
changed, then alone
vanish forever. 53
It is
all
his
only with
The knowledge
the of
want
man
is
of the spirit that the laculty
annihilated forever, so helping
spiritually
is
the highest help that can
be given to him; he
knowledge
ual
Work
Secret of
who
gives
man
spirit-
the greatest benefactor of
is
mankind, and as such we always
find that
they were the most powerful of
men who
man
have helped cause
A
life.
will
it
is
in his spiritual needs, be-
the basis of
spiritually strong
be strong
in
is
mankind even the
not be
and sound man he
if
spiritual strength
physical needs can-
Next
satisfied.
intellectual help;
other works in
every other respect,
wishes, and until there in
all
to spiritual
comes
the gift of knowledge
is
a far higher gift than that of food and clothes;
it is
higher, even, than giving
to a
man, because the
sists
of knowledge; ignorance
knowledge value
if
it
is is
life.
a
life
real life of
Life in
54
is
is
man
life
con-
death, and
of very
little
the dark, groping
The
Secret
ofWork Next
through ignorance and misery.
in
phyorder comes, of course, helping a man So, in considering the helping of sically. others,
we must always
strive
not to com-
mit the mistake of thinking that physical help
is
the only help that can be given; the last and the least, be-
physical help
is
cause there
no permanent
is
misery that isfied
I feel
when
I
satiation.
am hungry
1 is
he
sat-
by eating, but hunger returns again;
misery can only cease
beyond
want.
all
make me
when
I
am
Then hunger
satisfied will
not
miserable; no distress, no misery,
no sorrow
will
be able to
help which tends to
make us strong
ually is the highest help; intellectual
move me. So next to
help and after that
it
that
spirit-
comes
physical
help.
The
miseries of the world
cannot be
cured by simply physical help; until man’s nature changes these physical needs will 55
al-
The ways
arise,
Work
Secret of
and miseries
and no amount
be always
will
of physical help given to
The only
the world will cure that misery. solution of the problem of in the
world
norance
is
the misery
them be
is
to
all
Let
see.
all
accomplish
this,
if
and
the evil
and
Ig-
pure.
men have
spiritually strong,
misery
this
make mankind
the mother of
we
felt,
if
all
light, let
we can
mankind becomes
all
pure and spiritually strong and educated, then alone will misery cease in the world
We
and not before then.
may
convert
every house in the country into a charity
asylum; we
may
but the misery
fill
the lands with hospitals,
will still exist until
man’s
character changes.
We that
read in the Gita again and again
we must
all
work
incessantly, but
work must be composed
of
good and
we cannot do any work which part of
good somewhere; 56
has not
all
evil;
some
there cannot be
Secret of
The
any work which
somewhere.
will
Work
not injure some one
Every work must necessarily
be a mixture of good and
work
told to
Karma; us
incessantly; the
both have their
will
the
good
are
good and
evil
yet
make
their
will entail
upon
results,
good action
effect;
we
evil;
the bad action bad effect,
but good and bad are both bondages of the The solution reached in the Gita is soul. that
we do
if
work
it
will
will try to
not attach ourselves to the
not take any effect on
understand what
is
We
us.
meant by
this
“ non-attachment ” to work. It is
work
the one central idea in the Gita;
incessantly, but be not attached to
it.
“ Samskara ” can be translated very nearly
by the word tendency. of a lake for the
wave
Using the
simile
mind, every ripple, every
that rises in the
mind when
it
sub-
sides does not die out entirely, but leaves
a
mark and a
future 57
possibility
of
that
The
Secret of
wave coining out
again.
we
called
is
thought i
;
‘
i
in the
ion ire
This mark, with
Samskara.
movement
do, each
•
wave reappearing,
the possibility of the
what
W
Work
mind,
of the body, each
and even when
stuff,
not obvious on the surface, these
are sufficiently strong to
work
are each
sum mind.
moment
What
I
the effect of the of
my past
life.
am
determined by the
just at this
sum This
on the
impressions
these
of
total
is
moment
total of these is
really
what
is
by character; each man’s character termined by the sum sions.
If
acter
becomes bad.
is
marks,
meant is
de-
total of these impres-
good impressions
character becomes
be-
What
.a.h the surface, sub-consciously.
we
that
leaving such an im-
is
on the mind
Each work
is
good If a
if
;
prevail,
that
bad, that char-
man
continuously
hears bad words, thinks bad thoughts, does
bad actions,
his
mind 58
will
be
full
of these
The
Secret of
Work
impressions, or marks, and they, uncon-
govern the tendency of
sciously, will
In
work.
these impressions are al-
fact,
ways working, and the expression that
evil;
not help
man
will
total of these
sions will create the strong for
doing bad actions; he
in the
hands of
him
will force
man
thinks
do
impres-
will
be a machine
and they
Similarly,
evil.
if
a
good thoughts and does good
works the sum will
be
motive power
his impressions,
to
will
be a bad man; he can-
sum
the
it;
his
total of these impressions
be good, and they, in a similar manner,
will force self.
him
When
a
to
do good
man
work and thought that there
is
nature to do
even
if
an
in spite of
has done so so
much good
many good thoughts
irresistible
good
him-
tendency
in his
in spite of himself, then,
he thinks he
will
do
evil,
the mind,
in the
sum
total of its tendencies, will not
allow
him
to
do so; the tendencies 59
will
The turn him back;
good
Work
Secret of
he
is
at the
When
tendencies.
that man’s character
is
mercy
that
is
of his
the case
said to be estab-
lished.
As
the tortoise tucks his feet and head
inside of his shell,
and break him
come
and you may
him
kill
in pieces, yet they will not
out, even so the character of that
man who
has control over his centres and
organs
established.
is
reflex of
By
continuous
this
good thoughts, good impressions
moving over
the surface of the mind, the
tendency becomes strong for good, and the result
(the
is
that
we
� control the “ Indriyas
Then
sensory and motor organs).
alone will
the
be
character
then alone you get to truth; safe forever;
established; that
he cannot do any
man
evil;
may throw him anywhere; you may him
in
any company; there
ger for him.
There
is
60
a
will
still
is
you put
be no dan-
higher stage
Secret of
The
Work
the desire than having this good tendency,
You must remember
for liberation.
freedom of the soul
the goal of
is
that
these
all
the Yogas, and each one equally leads to same result. Just by work, men can get
Christ
Buddha got by meditation and^ by prayer. Buddha was a Jnani;
Christ
was a Bhakta but the same goal
where
,
was reached.
The
means
eration
freedom
entire
from the bondages
of
is
much
A
a thorn in
have taken
aside;
I
golden chain
my it
finger, first
out
and
I
all.
use another
thorn out, and when
throw both thorns
I
have no necessity for keeping the
second thorn, because both after
is
There
a chain as an iron chain.
thorn to take the I
—freedom
good, as well as from
the bondages of evil. as
Lib-
difficulty is here.
are
thorns,
So the bad tendencies are
to be
counteracted by the good tendencies, and the bad marks of the
mind should be con-
61
^^ ^
/
,
The
Secret of
Work
quered by fresh waves of good marks, until
those that are
evil
almost disappear, or
are subdued and held in control in one
corner of the mind; but after that, the
good tendencies have
also
be
to
con-
quered; the “attached” must become “un-
Work, but
attached.”
let
not the action or
the thought produce a deep impression on the mind;
the ripple come;
let
let
huge
actions proceed from the muscles and the brain, but let
them not make any deep im-
How
pression on the soul.
done?
We
see that the impression of any
action to which I
we
join ourselves remains.
may meet hundreds
the day, but I retire at
can that be
I
meet one
night
I
may
the faces, but that face
of persons during I
love,
and when
try to think of
comes which
only for one minute, and which
and
all
the others have vanished.
tachment to
this particular
6a
I
I
all
met
loved,
My
at-
person caused
a deeper impression on
pressions have
ture
I
saw pictured
But
the mind.
man, of
all
itself
and the brain took the
and yet there was no similar
in,
upon
than
been the same; every
all
one of these faces that retina,
my mind
Physiologically, the im-
the other faces.
on the
Work
Secret of
The
whom
I
pic-
effect
in the case of that
caught, perhaps, only a
beglimpse, a deeper impression was made,
cause the other faces found no association in
my
mind; most of them, perhaps, were
entirely new,
faces
about which
thought before, but that one I
never
I
which
face, of
got only a glimpse, found associations
side.
Perhaps
I
knew hundreds this
had pictured him of things
about him, and
my
mind, and
associations were aroused;
on
for years,
one new thing found hundreds
dred things inside
my
in-
of kin-
all
these
the impression
mental vision was a hundred times
more than
the seeing of
63
all
those different
The
Secret of
Work
faces together, and, such being the case, a
deep impression
upon
will
be immediately made
the mind.
Therefore, be “unattached;”
work;
let
santly,
but
mind.
Work
this land,
brain centres work, let
it
is
things
work
inces-
not a ripple conquer the
as
you were
if
This world
only one of the
a stranger in
work
a sojourner;
but do not bind yourselves; terrible.
let
incessantly,
bondage
is
not our habitation,
is
many
stages through
Remember
which we are passing.
that
great saying of the Sankhya Philosophy, “
The whole
of nature
is
The very reason
the soul for nature.” nature’s existence
the soul;
it
for the soul, not of
for the education of
is
has no other meaning;
it
is
there because the soul must have knowl-
edge, and through knowledge will free self.
never
If
we remember
be
attached
this
to
64
it-
always we shall
nature;
we
shall
The know
Secret of
that nature
a
is
Work
book
which we
in
when we have gained
are to read, and
knowledge the book
that
ceases to be of
itself
we
Instead of that, however,
value to us.
we
are identifying ourselves with nature;
are thinking that the soul as the
common
saying
is
for nature, just
that
is
one man
“ lives to eat ” and another “ eats to live; ”
we
making
are continually
this
mistake;
we
are regarding nature as ourselves and are
becoming attached
to
it,
and
attachment comes there
is
as
soon as
this
deep im-
pression on the soul, which binds us
and makes us work
The whole
down
like slaves.
gist of this
you should work
this
like a
teaching
is
that
master and not as
a slave; work incessantly, but not slave’s
work.
works?
Do
you not see how everybody
Nobody
can rest; ninety-nine per
cent of
mankind work
sult
misery;
is
it
is
as slaves,
selfish
65
and the
work.
re-
Work
The
Secret of
Work
through freedom!
The word stand;
dom.
it
love
very
is
through love!
There
no love
is
slave
and
and make him work
you he
for
drudge, but there
will
So when we ourselves work as slaves, there
no
The same
true work. for
is
our relatives and
own
selves.
work
will
world is
it
applies to our
not
work
even for our
Suppose a man loves a woman; all
to himself
and
extremely jealous about her every
moment; he wants her
to
sit
stand near him and eat and bidding. love;
in chains
for the
friends,
If
be no love.
and
love,
he wishes to have her feels
free-
is
in the slave.
him down
tie
under-
difficult to
never comes until there
you buy a
like a
Work
it is
He
is
near him, to
move
a slave to her.
at his
That
is
not
a sort of morbid affection of the
slave, insinuating itself as love.
be love, because
it
painful;
is
not do what he wants
it
66
It if
cannot
she does
brings pain.
With
The love there
Work
Secret of
no painful reaction; love only
is
brings a reaction of bliss; is
When you
else for love.
children, the
pain, or jealousy,
a
I
fit
no
Look
work
stop from
whole universe
for
will die.
feeling,
but
why do
love the world.�
He
loves;
unattached.
ment,
this
know
it
traction
then
at
me, Arjuna!
If
one moment the
Yet
I
have nothI
am one
have nothing to gain from the
I
universe;
cause
in
be unattached.
ing to gain from the universe,
Lord.
your
no reaction of
is
selfish
state to
says, “
Krishna
wife,
whole world, the universe,
such a manner that there
in
it
have succeeded
your husband, your
in loving
you are
does not
are mistaking something
we
not love;
if it
is
I
God
work? is
Because
unattached be-
that real love
Wherever
I
there
is
makes us
this attach-
tremendous clinging, you must physical, a sort of physical at-
between
particles of matter
67
and
The
Secret of
Work
other particles of matter, something that
two bodies nearer and nearer
attracts
the time, and
comes it
they cannot get near
painful; but
where there
it
be-
real love
is
does not count on physical attachment
all.
die;
To life
the same;
does not
it
almost
is
work, but as soon as we have reached
we have
free.
us,
forges no
attained the goal and
The bondage
and we see nature
more chains
entirely free
may
all
attain this non-attachment
become
work
is
there will never be a painful reaction.
this point,
from
at
That body may be a thousand miles
distant, love
a
if
all
of nature as
for us.
it
is;
We
falls
she
stand
and take not the
results of
Why
care what
into consideration.
be the results, either good or bad?
The man who works through freedom does not care for the
results.
thing from your children
you have given them? 68
Do you
ask any-
in return for It is
what
your duty to
The work
for them,
Secret of
and there
Work it
What-
stops.
person, a city, ever you do for a particular
or a State, do
but assume the same
it,
atti-
children tude as you have towards your If you can incessantly expect nothing. giver, that take that position that you are a offering everything given by you is a free
thought of reto the world, without any turn, that will be
will
not bring
Attachment only comes when
attachment.
we
work which
expect something.
This idea of complete
self-sacrifice is
lustrated in the following story: battle
Kurukshetra
of
the
—After the
five
brothers held a great sacrifice and
very large
gifts to
amazement
ple expressed
and richness
the poor.
il-
Pandu
made
All the peo-
at the greatness
of the sacrifice
and said that
seen such a sacrifice the world had never before.
came a
But, little
after
the
mongoose; 69
ceremony, there half his
body was
The
Secret of
Work
golden, and the other half was brown, and
he began to sacrificial
himself on the floor of the
roll
Then he
hall.
around, “
You are “What!”
rifice.”
say this
is
no
all liars;
to
this is
those
no
“you
Do you
know
not
jewels were poured out
upon the poor and every one became and happy? sacrifice
village,
said, “
and
rich
This was the most wonderful
any man ever made.”
mongoose
sac-
they exclaimed,
sacrifice!
how money and
said
in
it
But the
There was once a
little
there dwelt a poor Brah-
min, with his wife, his son and his son’s wife.
They were very poor and
alms gained
in
There came
famine,
on
preaching and teaching, for
which men made “
lived
little gifts
to them.
in that land a three years’
and the poor Brahmin suffered
more than
ever.
At
last for five
family starved, but on the father brought
home 70
a
little
fifth
days the
day the
barley flour,
The
Work
Secret of
which he had been fortunate enough to one find, and he divided it into four parts,
They prepared
for each of them. their meal,
eat
it
father
just as they
and
came
a knock
opened
is
sacred; he
So the poor Brahmin
in, sir;
you
you have
it
my
killed
me;
I
‘
the husband said,
it
that he
is is
Come
set before
‘
Not *
said,
little bit
Give him
ever, insisted, saying,
and
‘
‘
Oh,
have been starv-
Then
hunger.’
to her husband,
said,
up and then
ing for ten days, and this increased
god
as a
portion of food, and the
own
latter quickly ate
is
He
are welcome.’
the guest his
The
the door.
at
and must be treated as
for the time being,
sir,
were about to
and there stood a guest.
it,
In India a guest
such.
for
it
so.’
Here
has but
the wife said
my
share,’
The
wife,
is
a
but
how-
poor man,
our duty as householders to see fed,
to give him
and
my
it
is
my
duty as a wife
portion, seeing that 71
you
The
Secret of
Work
have no more to offer him.’
Then she gave
her share to the guest, and he ate
was
said he
still
the son said,
up and
burning with hunger.
Take my portion
‘
it
So
also;
it is
the duty of a son to help his father to
fulfil
his obligations.’
remained
The guest
unsatisfied; so the son’s wife
still
gave him her portion cient,
ate that, but
also.
That was
suffi-
and the guest departed, blessing
them. “
That night those four people died
starvation. fallen
A
on the
body on them
you
see
it.
of
few grains of that flour had
floor,
and when
half of
rolled
my
became golden,
it
Since then
I
I
have been
all
as
over
the world, hoping to find another sacrifice like that,
where
but never have
found one; no-
else has the other half of
been turned into gold. this is
I
no
sacrifice.”
72
That
is
my body why
I
say
IV WHAT It is
DUTY
IS
necessary to
?
know what work
is,
the quesand with that comes, naturally, “What is duty?” If I have to do tion,
something then is
I
I
must
can do
first
know my
The
idea of duty, again,
it.
duty, and
very different in different nations.
Mohammedan
says what
book, the Qur’an, says
what
is
in his
written in his
is
is
his duty.
Hindu
book, the Vedas,
duty, and the Christian says
Bible
the
his duty;
is
So we
must be varied ideas
The
what
is
is
his
in his
find that there
of duty, differing ac-
cording to different states in
life,
periods and different nations.
different
The term
“ duty,” like every other universal abstract
73
What term,
is
Duty
*?
impossible to define;
is
get an idea of
by describing the sur-
it
roundings and by knowing its results.
we can only
To make an
actions and
its
objective definition
of
duty would be entirely impossible; there
is
no such thing as objective duty.
Yet
from the subjective
side.
there
Any a
is
makes us go godward
action that
good
that
duty
action,
and
is
our duty; any action
makes us go downward
action.
There
universal for
all
is
virtue;
One
aphorism:
—
“
we ought
we should always
to
is
is
sect
summed
Do
not in-
non-injuring any being
injuring any being
point
evil
only one idea which
mankind, of any age,
in the Sanskrit
jure any being;
an
is
or country, and that has been
up
is
is
vice.”
remember
try to see the
is
that
duty of
others through their eyes, and never judge the customs of other races or other peoples
by our own standard. 74
This
is
the
What
Duty
is
great lesson to learn.
“ I
ard of the universe.
I
?
am
not the stand-
have to accommo-
date myself to the world, and not the world to
Therefore we see that environ-
me.�
ments
change our
will
the best
way
and doing
duties,
that duty
which
is
in
ours at a
certain time
is
we can do
in
this world.
Let us do that duty which
is
the best thing
when we have done
ours by birth, and
do the duty which
Each man
ours by our position.
is
placed in
is
that
some
position in
life,
and must do the duties of that position
There
first.
man
is
one great
nature, that
self.
He
man
thinks he
is
of his that,
first
show
own
quite as
higher duty
Later on
we
Even
that he has
position,
hu-
never looks at him-
the throne as the king.
must
difficulty in
fit if
to be
on
he
he
is,
done the duty
and when he has done
will
come
will find that
to him.
even the idea
of duty will have to be changed,
75
and that
What the greatest is
is
when
only done
there
the least motive urging us from behind.
Yet to
work
Duty?
is
is
it
work through duty
work without any will
become worship
work
will
stand alone for
that
the
is
through duty. behind
Yoga
is
—nay,
sake.
and the way
either in
the
higher,
own
its
shall find the
duties,
all
ethics or love,
other
ideal,
We
when
idea of duty;
work
But
that leads us
same
lies
philosophy
the
form
of
as that in every
— attenuating the lower
self,
so
that the real Self
may
shine; to circum-
scribe the frittering
away
of energies
on the
lower planes of existence, so that the soul
may
manifest
This
is
nial
of
itself
on the higher
planes.
accomplished by the continuous de-
low
desires, a denial
rigorously requires.
which duty
The whole
organiza-
tion of society has thus been developed,
consciously or unconsciously, as the land of actions, the field of experience, where,
76
by
What
Duty?
is
we open
limiting the desires of selfishness,
the
way
to an unlimited expansion of the
man.
real nature of
Duty
is
seldom sweet. wheels that
It is
its
else
a continuous friction.
it is
ents can
What
do
husband?
What
par-
their duties to their children?
children
husband to
when
runs smoothly;
love oils
it
only
their
to
What
his wife?
Do we day
friction every
What
parents?
wife to her
not meet with cases of
our
in
lives?
Duty
is
sweet only through love, love shines alone in
freedom; yet
is it
freedom to be
a slave
to the senses, to anger, to jealousies
and a
hundred other petty things that must occur every day in tle
human
life?
roughnesses that
In
all
we meet with
the highest expression of freedom bear.
Women,
these
slaves to their
own
is
lit-
in life
to for-
irritable,
jealous tempers, are apt to attribute the
blame to
their husbands,
77
and
assert their
What
is
Duty
?
freedom, as they think, not knowing that they are only proving that they are slaves.
So with husbands who
are continually find-
ing fault with their wives. Chastity
woman, and
the
is
the
first
man
virtue in
man who, however
he
or
may
have strayed away, cannot be brought to the right path by a gentle and loving and
chaste wife, is
is
indeed very rare. This world
not yet as bad as that.
about brutal husbands
all
We
hear
much
over the world
and the impurity of men, but
it is
true that
there are quite as
many
women
women were as good own constant assertions to believe, I am perfectly
as men.
and pure
If all
as their
would lead people
satisfied that there
pure
man
brutal and impure
would not be one im-
in the world.
men become impure?
With whom could
What
brutality
is
there which purity and chastity cannot con-
quer?
A
good, chaste wife, 78
who
thinks of
What every other
man
is
Duty?
her child and has
as
mother toward
power
in the
own husband
except her
all
men,
the
attitude
will
grow
so great
who
will
an atmosphere of holiness in her
feel
Similarly every
presence.
look upon
all
sister.
husband must
women, except
in the light of his
or
a
of purity that there will not
be a single man, however brutal, not
of
his
own
wife,
own mother or daughter
That man, again, who wants to
be a teacher of religion must look upon
woman
every
as his mother,
and always be-
have toward her as such.
The
position of the
in the world, as
to learn
that
is
the highest
the one place in which
it is
God
love of
is
the only love
higher than mother’s love;
are lower.
It is
the duty of the
think of her children self.
is
and exercise the greatest unselfish-
The
ness.
mother
first
But, instead of that,
79
all
others
mother
to
and then of herif
the parents are
What
is
Duty?
always thinking of themselves sult is that the relation
first,
the re-
between parents and
children becomes as the relation between the birds and their offspring, who, as soon as they are fledged, cease to recognize any
parents. is
Blessed, indeed,
able to look
sentative
of
upon woman
the
is
woman
the
man who
as the repre-
Motherhood
the
Blessed, indeed,
man
is
of
to
God.
whom
represents the Fatherhood of God.
who
Blessed are the children parents
their
as
Divinty
look upon
manifested
on
earth.
The only way
to rise spiritually
doing the duty that
is
in
is
by
our hands now,
and making ourselves stronger and going higher, until
Nor
is
we
reach the highest state.
duty to be slighted.
does the lower work
is
man than he who work. A man should not lower
80
A man who
not, therefore, a
does the higher be judged by the
What
Duty?
is
nature of his duties, but by the manner in
His manner of doing
which he does them.
them and power
do them
to
the test of
is
a man.
A
strong,
well-made pair of shoes
shoemaker who can turn out a
shortest time his
is
a better
the
in
man according
to
works than a would-be professor who day of
talks nonsense every
A
certain
forest
his
life.
young Sannyasin went
to a
and there meditated and worshipped
and practised Yoga
for a
work and
twelve years of hard
was one day
some dry
under a
sitting
leaves
long time.
fell
upon
After
practice, he tree,
when
his head.
He
looked up and saw a crow and a crane fighting
on the top of the
tree,
He
said:
made him very angry.
You
and they
— “What!
dare throw those dry leaves upon
my
head! ” and as he looked upon them with anger, a flash of
—the
fire
burst from his head
—and burnt
Yogi’s power
81
the birds
What He was
to ashes.
most overjoyed
is
town
into the
and stood
me
give
at
this
he was
al-
development
of
at a glance, the
to
at a
beg
A
voice
said:
my
little,
— thought: “You
know my power
thinking
the
this
Here
is
neither
was astonished; last
a
woman
The
wretched
You do
While he was
yet.”
voice
inside
son.”
wait!
came again:
“ Boy, don’t be thinking too self.
—“Mother,
came from
woman, dare you make me not
He came
his bread.
door and
food.”
man
crow
After a time he had to go
—“Wait a the house: young
?
very glad;
power; he could burn,
and the crane.
Duty
much
of your-
crow nor crane.”
He
he had to wait.
At
still
came, and he
fell
at
her feet
—“Mother, how did you know —“My boy, do not She )
and
said:
that?”
said:
know your Yoga a
I
or your practices.
common, everyday woman, but
you wait because
my 82
husband
is
I
ill,
I
am
made and
I
What
Duty
is
'?
my duty. was nursing him, and that was do my duty. All my life I have struggled to As
a daughter,
did
my
I still
duty,
do
practise,
come
when
I
was unmarried,
and now, when
my
duty;
that
and by doing
illumined;
I
is all
my
am the
duty
I
I
married,
Yoga
I
have be-
thus, I could read
your
know what you had done in But if you want to know some-
thoughts and the forest.
thing higher than this go to such and such
a town and to the market, and there you will find a butcher,
and he
something that you
will
learn.”
go
will
town and
ers are the lowest
you
be very glad to
The Sannyasin thought:
to that
tell
—
“
Why
to a butcher.” (Butchclass
in
our country
they are called Chandalas; they are not
touched because they are butchers;
do the duty
But
after
opened a
of scavengers,
and so
what he had seen
little,
his
so he went, and
83
they
forth.)
mind was
when he
What came
Duty?
is
found the market, and
to the city he
there saw, at a distance, a big, fat butcher slashing
away
at animals, with big knives,
and bargaining with
young man
said, “
Lord, help me,
the
man from whom
He
is
am going
I
In
said, “
looked up and
my
thought, “
What comes
ing,
had finished
all his
is
man
I
have
me here?” selling
on,
but
and
and buy-
took his money and said to the Sann-
yasin, “
Come
here, sir;
So they went
Then he went his father
them and
fed
come
there
gave him a seat and
were
to
he
Sannyasin
man went
he took a seat and the after he
The
this
that lady
a seat until
business.”
if
this
Swami, did
Take
send you here? finished
meantime
the
is
to learn?
demon,
the incarnation of a
anything.”
The
different people.
to
and the butcher
said, “
Wait
into the house
and mother.
them and did 84
my home.”
all
there.”
and there
He washed he could to
What please them,
is
Duty‘S
and then came and took a seat
before the Sannyasin and said, “
you do
come here
are
this
sir,
me; what can
to see
Then
you?”
for
Now,
I
great Sannyasin
asked him a few questions about the soul
and God, and ture which
is
India, the “
found
in
butcher gave him a
a very celebrated
Vyadha
It is on,.
book is
in
to be
of the highest flights
Vedanta, the highest
You
physics.
and
Gita,”
lec-
the Mahabharata, the great In-
dian epic. in the
this
flight of
meta-
have heard of the Bhagavad
Gita, Krishna’s sermon.
When you
have
finished that
you should read the “ Vyadha
Gita,”
an epitome of Vedanta phil-
it
osophy.
is
When
the butcher had finished
the Sannyasin was astonished. “
Why
are
knowledge
you
in that
as yours?
He
said,
body, with such
Why
are
you
in a
butcher’s body, and doing such filthy, ugly son,” replied the Chandala, work? ” “
My
85
What “ no duty
My
is
ugly, and
birth placed
and
Duty?
is
me
in these
environments.
learned the trade;
my
do
try to
In I
duty
no duty
am
make my
can to
I
unattached, and
I
well.
I try to
come
try to
I
do
all
and mother happy. be-
Sannyasin; never went out of the
a
world, nor into a forest, but
come
my
do
know your Yoga, nor have
neither
I
father
circumstances
my boyhood
duty as a householder, and I
impure.
is
to
me
through doing
all
my
this has
duty
in
my
position.�
There
is
a sage in India, a great Yogi,
one of the most wonderful men in
my
life.
He
is
not teach any one;
a peculiar
him
he
will
and
if
have seen
man; he
will
you ask him a ques-
if
tion he will not answer. for
I
It
is
too
much
to take the position of a teacher;
not take
you wait
it.
for
If
you ask a question,
some
days, in the course
of conversation, he will bring the subject
86
What
is
Duty ?
wonderful light he will out himself, and
throw on of work,
He
it.
me
told
once the secret
“ Let the and what he said was, means be joined into one, and
end and the that
is
When you
the secret of work.�
are
anything be doing work, do not think of yond.
Do
it
as worship,
and the highest
worship, and devote your whole for the time being.
butcher and the cheerfulness, willingness,
Thus,
woman
life
to
it
in this story, the
did their duty with
and wholeheartedness, and and the result was that they
became illuminated,
clearly
showing that
of any the right performance of the duties and being non-attached, lead to the station,
highest realization. 87
WE HELP
Our duty
others
to
others, doing
should
WORLD
OURSELVES, NOT THE
good
we do good
to
means
helping
Why
the world.
to the
Appar-
world?
ently to help the world, but really to help
We
ourselves.
should always try to help
the world; that should be the highest tive
power
properly,
but,
in us;
we
shall find that this
not require our help.
made I
it.
said:
that
you or
I
this it
analyze
it
world does
This world was not
should come and help
once read a sermon
— “All
good because
beautiful
in
which was
world
very
is
gives us time and oppor-
tunity to help others.” a
when we
mo-
Apparently,
it
was
very beautiful sentiment, but, in one 88
We
Help Ourselves, not
sense,
it
was a
curse, for
to say that the
phemy
is
World
the it
not a blas-
world needs our
cannot deny that there is much help others is, it; to go out and
We
help?
misery in therefore,
the highest
motive power we
run, we shall have, although, in the long helping ourselves. As find that it is only a boy I had
kept in a
little
for them,
made
They were
some white mice. box and had
little
and when the mice
wheels tried to
turned and cross the wheels, the wheels got anywhere. turned, and the mice never helping it. The So with the world and our This exercise. only help is, that you get
world
is
neither
good nor
evil;
each
If
manufactures a world for himself. blind
man
begins to think of
it,
hot. as soft or hard, or cold or
mass that
of happiness or misery;
hundreds
rule, the
of times in
young
is
our
We lives.
a
either
we have
are optimistic
89
it
man
are a
seen
As
a
and the old
We
Help Ourselves, not
The young have
pessimistic.
World
the
all life
before
them, and the old are complaining that
day
their
Hundreds
gone.
is
which they cannot
Both are nor
evil.
It is
states of
mind
neither
is
neither
warm we
When fire.
we
it
—
it, it
When
evil.
How
“
Fire, it
beautiful
by
the
itself,
keeps us is
fire!
was neither good nor bad.
�
As
produces that feeling of good
perfection
fitted to
evil.
at
burns our fingers we blame the
or bad, and so
By
good
man would
intelligent
good nor
Still, it
use
neither
life is
which we look
in
good nor
say:
an end for them.
at
according to the different
The most
world. call it
is
This
foolish.
are struggling in
fulfill,
Life
their brains.
of desires,
meet
is is
its
fectly sure that
this
world.
meant
that
ends.
We
it
will
it
is
can
perfectly
all
be per-
go on, and that
does not need any help from
Yet we must do good. 90
It is perfect.
it
us.
It is the highest
We
Help Ourselves, not
the
World
motive power we have, knowing all the time it is a privilege to help. Do not stand
on a pedestal and take
five cents
my poor man,� but poor man is there, so
“ Here,
the to is
not the receiver that
Be thankful
to exercise
mercy and
say,
be grateful that
by giving
that
are able to help yourself.
him you
giver.
and
blessed, but the
is
that
It
you are allowed
your power of benevolence and
in the world,
perfect.
All
and thus become pure
good
acts tend to
make
What can we do at a hospital, make roads, or asylums! We may organize
us pure and perfect. best?
Build
erect charity
a charity
and
collect
two or three millions
of dollars, build a hospital with
one million,
with the second give balls and drink champagne, and of the third half,
and the
rest
let
may
the officers steal
finally
poor, but what are these?
One mighty
wind, in five minutes, can break 9i
reach the
it
all
up.
We What
Help
eruption can sweep away hospitals,
give up
and
It is
come
That
No
gle cent to us,
it
is
good
constantly
a blessing to our-
way we can
be-
beggar ever owed a
sin-
the only
is
perfect.
Let us
not waiting for your or
we must work and
do good, because selves.
our roads, and
all
foolish talk of doing
all this
help, yet
volcanic
and buildings.
cities
to the world.
my
One
we do then?
shall
World
Ourselves, not the
we owe everything
to him,
because he has allowed us to exercise our
powers
of pity
entirely
wrong
and charity on him. to think that
It is
we have done,
or can do good to the world, or have
helped such and such people. thought, and misery.
We
all
foolish
think
one and expect him
It is
a foolish
thoughts bring
we have helped some to thank us, and, be-
cause he does not, unhappiness comes to us.
Why
expect anything?
really uattached,
we should 9*
If
we were
escape
all
this
We
Help Ourselves, not
World
the
good
pain of vain expectation, and could do
work
Never
the world.
in
unhappi-
come through work done
ness or misery
This world
without attachment. with
will
will
go on
happiness and misery through eter-
its
nity.
There was a poor man who wanted some
money, and, somehow, he had heard that if
some
he could get hold of a ghost or
command him
bring
spirit,
he could
money
or anything he liked; so he was very
He went
anxious to get hold of a ghost.
about searching for a
him a ghost, and
to
man who would
at last
give
he found a sage,
with great powers, and besought this sage
The sage asked him what he
to help him.
would do with to
work
of one,
for sir,
the man.
a ghost.
“
I
want a ghost
me; teach me how I
desire
it
very much,” replied
But the sage
said, “
turb yourself, go home.”
93
to get hold
Don’t
dis-
The next day
We
man went
the to
Help Ourselves, not
weep and
must have last
this
this
will
to help
sir,
this
ghost he
I
At
me.”
“Take
said,
magic word, and
a
But beware; they are
will do.
and must be kept contin-
you
If
will take
your
That’s easy;
I
to give
fail
The man
life.”
him work replied:
can give him work for
Then he went
his life.”
a ghost;
come, and whatever you say to
ually busy.
“
me
was disgusted, and
terrible beings,
he
“ Give
pray.
charm, repeat
ghost
World
again to the sage and began
a ghost,
the sage
the
and
to a forest,
after long repetition of the
all
magic word, a
huge ghost appeared before him, with big teeth,
and
said:
— “I
am
a ghost.
been conquered by your magic.
I
have
But you
must keep me constantly employed.
The
moment you
The
man
said:
ghost “
stop
said, “ It
Bring
I
will
kill
you.”
—“Build me a palace,” and is
done; the palace
me money,”
said the
94
man.
is
the
built.”
“
Here
We is
the
down, and build
That
is
”
more?
ened and
more
Cut
this
a city in its place.”
done,” said the ghost; “ anything
Now said:
the
—
The ghost
“ I can give
—
said:
I will
man began
to be fright-
him nothing
does everything in a
to do; he
do or
World “
your money,” said the ghost.
forest
“
Help Ourselves, not
eat
trice.”
me something to you up.” The poor man “ Give
could find no further occupation for him,
So he ran and ran and
and was frightened. at last sir,
reached the sage, and said:
protect
my
life!
”
—
“
Oh.
The sage asked him
what was the matter, and the man replied:
—“
I
have nothing to give the ghost to do.
Everything
I tell
him
to
do he does
moment, and he threatens I
to eat
do not give him work.”
ghost arrived, saying, “ eat
I’ll
in a
me up
if
Just then the eat
you up;
I’ll
you up,” and he would have swallowed
the man.
The man began
begged the sage
to save his
95
to shake, life.
and
The sage
We said:
Help Ourselves, not
—“
at that
I will find
dog with
you a way
a curly
it
Look
out.
Draw your
tail.
sword quickly and cut the
World
the
and give
tail off
The
to the ghost to straighten out.”
man
cut off the dog’s saying,
ghost,
“ Straighten
The ghost took
me.”
carefully straightened
he
let
go,
it
Once more he
it
it
go,
to the
out for
that
and slowly and
out, but as
soon as
up again.
curled
it
it
again curled up as soon let
patiently straightened it
it
laboriously straightened
attempted to
as he let
it
instantly
out, only to find as he
and gave
tail
go it
of
Again he
it.
out, but as soon
So
curled up once more.
he went on for days and days, until he was exhausted, and said, “ trouble before in
my
I
life.
was never I
am
I
will
I will let
I in
such
make compromise with
you,” he said to the man.
and
such
an old vet-
eran ghost, but never before was trouble.
in
you keep 96
“
all I
You
let
me
off
have given you
We and
World
the
Help Ourselves, not
The
promise not to harm you.�
will
man was much
and accepted the
pleased,
offer gladly.
This world
is
that dog’s curly
and
tail,
people have been striving to straighten
out for hundreds of years, but let
go,
it
curls
One must
otherwise?
when they
How
up again.
first
it
be
know how
to
can
work without attachment, then he
When we know
be a fanatic.
world
is
like a
dog’s curly
we
straighten,
shall
They can never do no fanaticism
much more is all silly
makes
and
will
that
not this
never
will
not become fanatics.
real
in the
tail
it
work.
world
progress than
it
If
it
there were
would make
does now.
It
nonsense to think that fanaticism
for the progress of
the contrary,
it is
mankind.
On
a retarding element, cre-
ating hatred and anger, causing people to fight each other,
pathetic.
and making them unsym-
Whatever we think and 97
believe
We we
Help Ourselves, not
the
World
consider the best in the world, and
what we do not value. of the
So, always
we regard
remember
as of
no
this curly tail
dog whenever you have
a tendency
You
need not worry
yourself sleepless;
the world will
to
become a
or
make
go on.
believe,
fanatic.
When you
then alone
will
have avoided fanaticism
you work
well.
of
good
of great
sym-
does good work.
The
level-headed man, the calm
judgment and cool nerves, pathy and love, fanatic has
who
man
It is the
no sympathy. 98
VI NON-ATTACHMENT
IS
COMPLETE SELF-
ABNEGATION Just as every action that emanates from
us comes back to us, even so our actions
may
act
on other people and
you have observed
Perhaps
all
fact that
when persons do
of
become more and more
on
theirs
as a
it
they
evil actions
evil,
us.
and when they
begin to do good they become stronger
and stronger and do good
all
the time.
This multiplication of action cannot be explained on any other ground, except that
we can
act
take a simile from physical science, I
To
and react upon each other.
am doing
a certain action
a certain form of vibration;
99
my mind all
when is
in
minds un-
Non-Attachment
is
Self-Abnegation
der similar circumstances would have the
tendency to be affected by
my
mind.
If
there are different musical instruments in
one room
one
all
that
if
struck the others have a tendency to
is
vibrate the
an
you have noticed
of
same
illustration,
it
So, taking this as
note.
shows
that
the instru-
ments had each the same tension and would be affected alike by the same impulse.
So
minds that have the same tension
will
all
be equally affected by the same thought.
Of
course,
it
will vary,
it
Suppose
am doing
is
minds
by
evil act,
my mind all
in the universe, in the similar state,
have the possibility of being affected
my
action, sion,
an
a certain state of vibration, and
in
will
I
dis-
be open to be affected.
tance, but
will
according to the
mind.
So,
my mind
and
all
when
I
am
doing a good
has another state of ten-
minds similarly attuned
will
have the possibility of being affected, and ioo
Non-Attachment this
power
is
Self-Abnegation
more or
of affection will be
less
according to the tension.
Following
this simile further,
possible that, just as light
it
quite
is
waves may travel
for millions of years before they reach their
object, so these
thought waves until they
hundreds of years,
may
travel
meet with an
object with which they vibrate in unison. It is quite possible, therefore, that this at-
mosphere pulsations,
of ours
of such
full
is
both good and
thought
Every
evil.
thought projected from every brain goes
on pulsating, object.
as
it
were, until
some
immediately. action, he has
meets an
opening
itself
of these will receive
them
Any mind which
to receive
it
So,
when
brought
tain state of tension,
a
is
man
his
and
all
is
mind
doing
evil
to a cer-
the waves cor-
responding to that state of tension, which are already in the atmosphere, will struggle to enter his mind.
IOI
That
is
why an
evil-
Non-Attachment
Self-Abnegation
is
doer generally goes on doing more and
more
evil.
also, will
he
will
His action
is
be the case with the doer of good;
open himself
to
all
the
that are in the atmosphere,
and
twofold danger in doing
we open
ourselves to
surrounding us;
which
good waves
We
actions will be intensified. fore, a
Such,
intensified.
all
run, thereevil;
first,
the evil influences
we
create evil
may
be possible
secondly,
will affect others.
good
his
It
that our evil actions will affect others hun-
dreds of years hence.
In doing
jure ourselves and others also.
we
evil
in-
In doing
ourselves and
good we do good
to
others, and, like
other forces in man,
these
good and
all
evil forces
to
gather strength
from outside.
According to Karma Yoga, the action one has done cannot be destroyed has borne stop
it
fruit;
no power
from bearing
in
its results.
102
until
it
nature can If I
do an
Non-Attachment
power So,
in this
no
universe to stop or stay
it.
suffer for
universe which can stop
in the
results.
fect;
nothing can restrain
very
—
is
Now
it.
We
demarcation and say
good and
the
example:
its ef-
comes
con-
cannot put a this action is
this entirely evil.
same I
am
To
time.
There
and
at the
same time
I
thousands of microbes
am doing is
take the nearest
talking to you, and
of you, perhaps, think I
it
bearing
no action which does not bear good and
evil at
I
its
intimately
are
evil,
nected with each other.
entirely
no power
that these actions of ours,
good or
line of
is
and serious question about
fine
Karma Yoga either
there
The cause must have
good
a
it;
do a good action there
I
if
is
must
evil action, I
Self-Abnegation
is
evil to
am doing
some good,
am, perhaps, killing in
the atmosphere;
something
else.
When
very near to us and affects those
know we
say
it
is
very good action, 103
we if
it
Non-Attachment affects
them
stance,
you may
Self-Abnegation
is
good manner.
in a
my
call
you do
The
see.
will not;
on you
is
obvious,
but that on the microbes
is
And
evil actions,
so,
we analyze our
if
“
there
is
in
it
He who
in
something
midst of
not obvious.
we
some good was done some-
will find that
where.
the
but yourselves
see,
effect
in-
speaking to you
very good, but the microbes
microbes you do not
For
good
evil in
action sees that
and who
it
evil sees that there is
in the
some good
somewhere has known the
secret of
work.”
But what follows from ever
we may
action which is
is
try,
there
it?
That, how-
cannot be any
perfectly pure, or any which
perfectly impure, taking purity or im-
purity in the sense of injury or non-injury.
We cannot others,
breathe or
and every
live
bit of
without injuring
food
we
eat
from another’s mouth; our very 104
is
taken
lives are
Non-Attachment
is
Self-Abnegation
crowding out some other
lives.
may be
It
men, or animals, or small microbes, but some one we have to crowd out. That being the case,
it
naturally follows that per-
We
fection can never be attained by work.
may work through will be no way out you may work will
on,
eternity, but there
all
of this intricate
maze;
and on, and on; there
be no end. to consider
The second point
We
work?
the end of
disease,
perfect,
is
ma-
country believing
that there will be a time
become
What
find the vast
jority of people in every
will
is,
when
when
world
this
there will be no
nor death, nor unhappiness, nor
wickedness.
That
is
a very
good
idea, a
very good motive power for the ignorant, but that
if
we
think for a
moment we
on the very face of
How
can
it
it it
be, seeing that
will find
cannot be
good and bad
are the obverse and reverse of the 105
so.
same
Non-Attachment
How
coin?
can you have good without
What
same time?
evil at the
A
perfection?
perfect
life
Life itself
tion in terms.
meant by
is
a contradic-
is
a state of con-
is
between ourselves and
struggle
tinuous
Self-Abnegation
it
Every moment we are
everything outside.
i
fighting with external nature, and
defeated our
have to go.
will
life
continuous struggle for food.
we
Life
die.
compound gle
If
not a simple
effect.
are
It is a
food
effect,
fails
but a
This compound strug-
between something inside and the ex-
ternal world
the
is
we
if
is
what we
very face of
call life.
when
it,
end
ceases, there will be an
this
of
So, on
struggle
what we
call
life.
What that
this
But then
meant by
is
struggle life
only cease
this ideal will
cease
happiness
altogether.
will cease, for the struggle
when
again, before
life
106
attained
can
Then,
has ceased.
we have
is
to
one-
Non-Attachment thousandth part of
millennium cannot be be anywhere
not be.
will
in this world,
Every
else.
have
this earth will
it,
we
cooled down, and
Self-Abnegation
is
So
this
if it
can
act of charity,
action every thought of sympathy, every
good deed,
of help, every
away from our
is
selves
little
taking so
much
and making us
think of ourselves the least and, therefore, is
He r e we
good.
Bhakta, or Karmi,
The
highest ideal
find that the Jnani, or all
is
come
eternal
abnegation, where there all
and entire
no “
I,�
self-
but
is
thou; and consciously, or unconsciously,
Karma Yoga of
is
to one point.
all
leads to that.
morality; you
may extend
or animals, or angels, but idea,
it is
the basis
It is
it
to
men,
the one basic
the one fundamental principle run-
ning through
You
all
will find
this
world.
who
are
ethical systems.
various classes of
First, there are the
in
God-men,
abnegating themselves 107
men
entirely
Non- Attachment and
do good
will
of their
rifice
Self-Abnegation
even
to others,
own
highest of men.
such
is
These are the
lives.
there are a hundred of
If
any country, that country need not
in
Then
despair.
do good
good men, who
there are
to others so long as
jure themselves; and there
who, to do good others.
who
there
in-
a third class,
would injure
a fourth class of
is
will injure others for injury’s
good men, who
good’s sake,
who
thereby, but that the
will
do good
for
so, at the other pole, there are will injure others, just for the
sake of injury.
good
is
does not
Just as there are at one pole of ex-
istence the
others
it
to themselves,
It is said
people, sake.
at the sac-
it
They do not gain anything is
their nature.
man who
is
see
do
sacrifices himself to
to others, the
self-abnegation,
So we
man
with the highest
the greatest man.
Here are two Sanskrit words.
One
called “ Pravritti,” revolving towards,
108
is
and
Non-Attachment the other
The
Self-Abnegation revolving away.
“ Nivritti,”
is
“ revolving
the world, “
is
towards ”
is
what we
call
and mine,” those who are
I
ways enriching that
“
me
”
al-
by wealth, and
property, by power, and name, and fame,
always wanting to accumulate everything “ mytowards one centre, and that centre
That
self.”
is
the “ pravritti,” the natural
tendency of every
human
being; taking
everything from everywhere and heaping
around one centre, and that centre sweet
when
When
self. it
this
“ nivritti,” “
is
his
one
is
work.
evil
and
going away from,”
morality and fection of
“ nivritti ” are
nivritti ” is
all
it is
religion,
Both
work, but
work, and the other
This “
own
begins to break,
then begin morality and religion. “ pravritti ”
it
is
good
the basis of
all
and the very per-
entire self-abnegation, readi-
ness to sacrifice mind,
thing for another being. 109
body and every-
When
a
man
has
Non-Attachment
is
Self-Abnegation
reached that state he has attained to the
Karma Yoga.
perfection of
highest result of
good works.
This a
If
not studied a single philosophy,
is
man
if
the
has
he does
not believe in any God, and never has, he has never prayed even once but,
life,
if
is
power
of
brought him to that
tions has
he
the simple
in his
ready to give up his
life
for others, he has arrived at the
to
which
the
religious
through
his prayers
through
his
man
whole
good
state
and
if
ac-
where all else
same point will
come
and the philosopher
knowledge, and so you
find
that the philosopher, the worker, and the
devotee,
point
is
all
meet
at
However
self-abnegation.
tems of philosophy all
one point, and that one
mankind stands
before the
may
is
ready to sacrifice
No more
himself for others. icreed, or
differ in opinion,
reverence and awe
in
man who
the sys-
question of
doctrine— even men who are very i
io
Non-Attachment
much opposed
to
Self-Abnegation
is
religious ideas,
all
when
of complete they see one of these acts sacrifice,
Have you not most bigoted Christian, when
must revere
seen even a
self-
it.
“ Light of he reads Sir Edwin Arnold’s
Buddha, Asia,” stand in reverence for
who
but preached no God, preached nothing self-sacrifice?
The only thing
bigot does not
know
end
is
that the
own aim and same. The wor-
that his
in life is exactly the
idea of shipper, by keeping constant the
God and the
comes
a surrounding of good,
same point
at last, “
be done,”
will
That
for himself.
and keeps nothing self-abnegation.
Thy
The philosopher, with
knowledge, sees that the seeming delusion and easily gives self-abnegation.
all
what was meant by
of ancient times,
it
up;
So the paths
Bhakti and Jnana is
to
of
his
self is
yet
it
a is
Karma,
meet here, and
this
the great preachers
all
when
hi
is
they taught that
Non-Attachment
God and
not the world.
is
which
Self-Abnegation
There
the world
very true; what they selfishness.
is
One may
and wear
rags,
world, yet,
merged
in the
some
A
and
he
is
in the
intensely
one of our points, we
to
we cannot do good without doing
Knowing
solution
without doing some
or evil
evil,
good.
a gol-
world.
To come back say that
selfish,
is
is
live in a hut,
and have nothing
he
if
in
unselfish,
Another may
God.
in
is
God,
mean by
on a throne,
live
is
Unselfishness
den palace, and be perfectly he
one thing
is
world and another which
is
this is
God.
is
is
this,
found
how
we work?
can
in the Gita, the
theory
of non-attachment, to be attached to nothing.
Know
from
this
that
you are separated
entirely
world; that you are in the world,
but whatever you are doing, you are not
doing for your own sake.
you do
Any
for yourself will bring 1
12
action that
an
effect
on
Non-Attachment you.
good
to take the will
good
a
If it is
Self-Abnegation
is
action
and,
effect,
have to take the bad
action that
whatever
Even
if
a
man
will
have
bad,
you
but any
effect;
own
sake,
have no effect on you.
be, will
the whole world, he
kill
neither killed nor that he
if
not done for your
is
it
you
killing,
is
when he knows
not acting for himself at
is
Karma Yoga
Therefore,
is
teaches,
all.
do not
give up the world; live in the world, take it
in as
much
as
you
Enjoyment should not
sake of enjoyment.
be the goal.
can, but not for the
First kill yourself
and then
take the whole world as yourself. old
man must
selfish idea that the
our enjoyment. teach us that for us to kill is
for the
all
and
whole world
A
is
The
is
this
made
for
There are people who the animals eat,
and
tiger
might
ii3
were created
that this universe
enjoyment of man.
foolishness.
man
This old
die.�
“
That as
well
is
all
say,
Non- Attachment “
not
Self-Abnegation
created for me,” and cry, “
Man was
how wicked
Lord,
is
are these men,
come and put themselves
who do
before us to
be eaten; they are breaking your law.” the world
is
created for us
we
That
ated for the world.
created for our enjoyment
holds us down.
millions pass out of
sake;
the world does not feel
To
we
world
is
the idea that is
not for our
it
every year;
millions of others
Just as the world
have been supplied. for us,
it;
If
are also cre-
this
is
This world
O
is
are for the world.
work, therefore,
of attachment.
first
give up the idea
Secondly, do not mix in
and the fray; hold yourself as a witness
on working.
A
sage has
said,
go
Look upon The does.
your children as your nurse nurse will take your baby and fondle
it
and
and behave as gently as if it as you were her own child, but as soon play with
it
give her notice she
is 1
ready to start off with 14
Non-Attachment
is
Self-Abnegation
Everything
her baggage from the house. is
forgotten;
it
would not give the ordinary
nurse the least pang to leave your children
Even so be
and take up other children.
You
with your own.
you believe all
i
in
The
His.
are the nurse, and,
God, believe that these are greatest weakness generally
insinuates
itself
as the greatest
strength.
This
is
good and
weakness to think that
some one depends on me, and good
to
mother this
somebody.
of all
if
This
can do
I
pride
is
the
our attachment, and through
attachment comes
all
We
our pain.
must inform our minds that no one
in this
universe depends upon us; not one beggar
depends on our charity; not one soul on our kindness; not one on our help. are
all
of us will
helped and will be helped
were not here.
The course
not stop for you and me;
blessed privilege to
if
it
you and me
"5
They
millions
of nature is
only a
that
we
Non-Attachment
Self-Abnegation
is
are allowed in the shape of help to others, to educate ourselves. learn,
This
one lesson to
is
through the whole of our
when we have
learned
it
fully
we
never
shall
we can go and mix anywhere
be unhappy;
This very year some of
and everywhere.
our friends may have died. waiting for them? It
and
lives,
Is the
Is its current
world
stopped?
goes on. So drive out, thrash out of your
mind,
this idea that
you have to do some-
thing for the world; the world does not require any help from you.
When you
have
trained your nerves and your muscles to this idea there will
When you
form of pain. to a
man and
pect the
man
be no reaction in the give something
expect nothing to be grateful
—
—do not
ex-
not
tell
it
will
upon you, because you never expected anything, never thought
you had a right
to
anything; you gave what he deserved; his
own Karma
got
it
for
116
him;
your Karma
Non-Attachment
made you
porter
who
world
deserved
Where
is
something?
by
it
When you
that
evil
you
work
in
are the
its
own Karma. There
what you give
is
to the
have got the feeling of will
for you.
makes the
It is a
You
the reason for pride?
non-attachment there
nor
should you be
money, and the
the
carried
nothing very great world.
Why
the carrier.
of giving
proud
Self-Abnegation
is
be neither good
It is
difference of
only selfishness
good and
evil.
very hard thing to understand, but
will
come
to learn in time that noth-
ing in the universe has power over you until
you admit
the Self of fool
it.
man
Nothing has power over until the self
and obeys the power.
becomes a
So, by non-at-
tachment, you deny the power of anything to act
upon you.
It is
very easy to say that
nothing has the right to act upon you until
you allow
who
it,
really
but what
is
the sign of the
man
does not allow anything to work ii 7
Non-Attachment upon him, who happy, when he ternal world?
change ill
in his
is is
The
Self-Abnegation
is
happy nor un-
neither
acted upon by the exsign
mind;
in
is
that
it
makes no
good fortune or
in
he remains the same.
There was
a great sage called Vyasa.
This Vyasa was the writer of the Vedanta
His father had
philosophy, a holy man. tried
to
failed;
become
his
a very perfect
grandfather
great-grandfather tried, did
tried,
failed.
failed.
He
not succeed perfectly, but
Shuka, was born perfect.
He
son, and, after teaching
him
sent
man and
him
to
the
court of
There was a great king
His
himself
his
son,
taught this himself,
he
King Janaka. called
Janaka
Videha. Videha means “outside the body.”
Although
a king, he
had entirely forgot-
ten that he was a body; he was a spirit the time.
by him.
all
This boy was sent to be taught
The King knew 1 1
that Vyasa’s son
Non-Attachment was coming certain this
to
is
Self-Abnegation
arrangements beforehand, and when
boy presented himself
the palace the guards took
sit,
and he
nobody speaking
asking
who he was
father
no notice
sat there for three
nights,
He was
at the gates of
They only gave him
whatsoever. to
made
to learn, so he
him
of
him
a place
days and
to him,
nobody
or whence he was.
the son of this great sage; his
was honored by the whole country,
and he himself was
a
most respected per-
son, yet the low, vulgar guards of the pal-
ace would take no notice of him.
After
that, suddenly, the ministers of the
King
and
all
received
the high officials
came there and
him with the greatest honors.
They took him
in
and showed him into
splendid rooms, gave him the most fra-
grant baths and wonderful dresses, and for eight days they kept of luxury.
That
him there
in all
kinds
face did not change;
119
he
Non-Attachment
is
Self-Abnegation
was the same
in the
at the door.
Then he was brought before
the King.
midst of this luxury as
The King was on
his throne,
music was playing, and dancing and other
amusements going
The King gave
on.
him a cup of milk,
full
to the brim,
and
asked him to go seven times round the hall
The boy took
without spilling a drop.
the cup and proceeded in the midst of this
music and the beautiful
faces.
Seven times
he went round, and not a drop of milk was spilled.
The
boy’s
mind could not be
at-
tracted by anything in the world, unless he
allowed
it.
And when
to the King, the
King
he brought the cup said to him, “
What
your father has taught you and what you have learned yourself
you have known the Thus, the
man
I
can only repeat;
truth;
go home.�
that has practised control
over himself cannot be acted upon by anything outside; there
is
120
no more slavery
for
Non-Attachment
alone
men
minds
world
this
is
mixture of good and
of
either full of evil or a
This very world
evil.
we
shall find
men who hell will
good or
as
everything harmonious.
evil;
Some
begin
a
we
Karma Yogis and want
to
heaven.
it is
we
shall
end
wherever we
in perfect self-ab-
negation, and as soon as this seeming
has gone this whole world, which at
appears to us to be
filled
pear to be heaven and Its
is
If
end by saying
train ourselves to this state,
may
minds.
begin by saying the world
genuine
are
work upon us
when we
own
have become masters of our will
To own
two opinions.
optimistic world
become an
Nothing
We
not controlled their
who have
those
such a
free;
to live in the world.
is fit
generally find
will
Self-Abnegation
The mind has become
him.
man
is
with
evil, will
self first
ap-
of blessedness.
full
very atmosphere will be blessed; every
human
face will
be good. 1
2
This
is
the goal
Non-Attachment
is
Self-Ahnegation
Karma Yoga, and
and end
of
fection.
So, you see, these various
do not
this is per-
conflict with each other;
Yogas
each one
goes to the same goal and makes us perfect,
but each one has to be practised.
whole secret
in practising.
is
First hear,
then think, and then practise.
You have
The
This
is
true
of every
Yoga.
about
it
and understand what
many
things you do not understand, by
constant hearing, will be
made
hear
to
first it
is,
clear.
and
It is
hard to understand everything
at
once.
The explanation
in
your-
self.
No
of everything
is
one was ever taught by another;
The
each one of us has to teach himself. external
teacher
only
is
the
suggestion
which rouses the internal teacher to understand things. clearer
Then
things will be
made
by the power of perception, and we
shall realize
that will
them
in
become an
our
own
intense
122
souls,
power
and
of will.
Non-Attachment First feeling, then
is
Self-Abnegation
becomes
it
out of that willingness will
mendous power
and
come
the tre-
that
will
work
of
willing,
go
through every vein, and nerve, and muscle, the
until
whole mass of your body
changed into that unselfish Yoga and the
result will
It
does not de-
pend on any dogma, or doctrine, or either Christian, or Jew, or Gentile,
not matter. the question. fect
without
Are you If
work,
be perfect self-abnega-
utter unselfishness.
tion;
of
is
you
reading
a
you
it
does
That
unselfish? are,
belief;
will
is
be per-
religious
single
book, without going into a single church or temple.
“ Fools alone say that
work and
philosophy are different, not the learned.�
The learned know different
come
that,
though apparently
from each other, they
to the
same
goal,
fection.
123
and that
at
last
is
per-
VII
FREEDOM In addition to meaning work,
seen
the
that
word Karma
Any work, any
causation.
This law of
action,
effect
resisted,
must be produced; and that law
to our philosophy,
is
of
whatever action there universe,
is
it
is
any
called a
the law a cause,
cannot be
Karma, according
pervading the whole
Whatever we
universe.
is
Karma means
of causation; wheresoever there
an
means
also
thought, that produces an effect
Karma.
we have
see, or feel, or
is
anywhere
do;
in the
but the effect of past work on
the one hand, and, on the other hand, be-
comes the fect.
It is
cause,
and produces another
necessary, together with
124
this,
ef-
to
Freedom
We
see psycho-
consider the
word
law.
logically that
law
the tendency of a series
to repeat
is
When we
itself.
see one event
followed by another, or sometimes happen-
ing simultaneously,
A
we expect
series of
ways
follow.
come
associated in our
invariable order, so that
this will al-
phenomena
mind
be-
in a sort of
what we see
at
one
time immediately refers to other facts in the
One
mind.
idea,
according to our
or,
psychology, one wave,
mind
stuff,
always produces
This
ones.
causation
produced
is
is
many
the
in
similar
the law of association, and
only a part of this law of per-
vasive association.
In the external world
the idea of law
same
world
non
is
the
— the expectation that one phenome-
will
be followed by another, and that
the series will repeat see.
as in the internal
itself,
so far as
we can
Really speaking, therefore, law does
not exist
in
nature.
Practically,
125
it
is
an
Freedom error to say that gravitation exists in the earth, or that there
where
of
in
is
the method, the
which our mind grasps a
phenomena;
tain
Law
in nature.
manner
any law existing any-
is
it is
all
in the
phenomena happening
series
mind.
Cer-
together, fol-
lowed by the conviction with which our
mind grasps the whole
series, is
what we
be what
we mean
call law.
The next question
will
by law being universal.
Our
that portion of existence
which
universe
cut off
is
by what the Sanskrit psychologists “
Nama-Rupa
universe istence,
culiar
is
only one part of that infinite ex-
which has been thrown into a pe-
mould, or that
and form, and when part of the fills
the
verse.
call
This
(name and form).
�
is
sum
mould It
is
is
composed
it fills
total
what
that
of
mould
of existence is
name
called
that
which
our uni-
necessarily follows that law
126
is
Freedom beyond only possible within this universe; any law.
that there can not be
speak of
this
universe
we
portion of existence which
only is
W hen mean
we that
limited by our
mind; the universe of senses, which we can of, imagine; see, feel, touch, hear, think that portion of the universe alone
law, but
beyond that
it
under
is
cannot be under
belaw, because causation does not extend
yond
that.
Anything beyond the range
our mind and our senses
is
not bound by
the law of causation, as there tion
beyond the
senses,
is
it
gets
moulded
no associa-
and no causation
without association of ideas.
when
of
into
It
is
only
name and form
that existence obeys the law of causation,
and
is
said to be
under law, because law has Therefore,
its
essence in causation.
at
once that there cannot be any
we
see
free will;
the very words are a contradiction, because will is
what we know, and everything that 127
Freedom
we know
within our universe, and every-
is
thing within our universe has been moulded into
name and form, and everything
we know, or can
that
possibly know, must obey
causation, and that which obeys the law of
causation cannot be
free.
It is
by other agents, and becomes cause
But
and so on.
verted into the
but which,
that
will,
when
came converted
which was not the
it fell
human
into the
will, is free,
causation
it
this
it
will,
into this mould, be-
this will gets out of this
dom
in turn,
which became con-
and when
will
upon
acted
mould
From
be free again.
of
free-
comes, and becomes moulded into
bondage, and
it
gets out and goes back
to freedom.
The question was this
to
“
raised, “
whom
universe comes, in
whom From
it
goes? �
that
it
it
rests,
The answer was
Freedom
bondage, and
From whom
it
comes,
it
and
given,
rests in
goes back into that Free128
Freedom dom.�
who
that being
part
we
is
when we speak
So,
man;
see are only
as
manifesting, only one
is
this
man
of
this
mind which
of the
whole man,
body and
one part
only one spot of that infinite Being which is
man.
This whole universe
speck of the
infinite
Being, and
is
only one
all
our laws,
and our bondages, our joys and our sorrows, our happinesses, and our expectations, are only within this small universe, all
our progression
and
within this small space. childish
it
is
digression
Thus you
see
are
how
to expect a continuation of
this world, to
expect and hope to go to
heaven, which means a repetition of this
world that we have. it
see at
once that
an impossible and childish desire to
is
make
the whole infinite universe
to that existence
man
You
which we know.
conform
When
says he will have this thing again
again which he
is
having now, 129
or,
a
and as
I
Freedom sometimes
say,
fortable religion,
become
when he
asks for a com-
you may know that he has
so degenerate that he cannot think
of anything higher than he
present surroundings.
little
gotten his idea
is
He
just his
has for-
nature, and his whole
infinite
confined to these
is
now,
little
joys and sor-
rows, and jealousies of the moment.
the infinite, and not only so,
thinks this
is
he
let it
not
will
ately
to
He
He
go.
“ Trishna,�
There are millions
on desper-
clings
the thirst
after
of happinesses,
life.
and be-
ings,
and laws, and progresses, and causa-
tions
all
This
is
acting apart from what
but one section of our
we know.
infinite na-
ture.
To yond here.
acquire freedom this
universe;
we have
it
to get be-
cannot be found
Perfect equilibrium cannot be at-
tained in this universe, nor in heaven, nor earth, nor
anywhere where thoughts can 130
Freedom can go, or the mind, where the senses see, hear or touch, or
cause
it
which we can imag-
such place can give freedom, be-
No
ine.
feel,
would be
all
within our universe,
and that universe must be bound by causaIt
tion.
may be much
there are places that are this earth of ours,
be keener, but therefore
and
it
in
Where
where
these
little
than this;
much
finer
than
where enjoyments
will
be in the universe,
will
bondage,
have to go beyond, and gins there,
finer
so
we
will
real religion be-
this little universe ends.
joys,
and sorrows, and
knowledges end, there the Real begins.
we can
Until this
give up this thirst after
life,
strong attachment to this existence of
one moment, we have no hope of catching even a glimpse of that yond.
way
It
infinite
freedom be-
stands then that there
to attain to that
is
only one
freedom which
goal of mankind, and that I3 1
is
is
the
by giving up
Freedom this little
life,
giving up this
little
universe,
giving up this earth, giving up heaven, giving up the body, giving up the mind, giving
up everything. tle
we can
give up this
lit-
universe of the senses, or the mind, im-
mediately
we
come out
to
If
shall
of
be
The only way
free.
bondage
to
is
go beyond
law,
go beyond causation, and wherever
this
universe exists, there causation pre-
vails.
But
up
it is
the
most
this universe;
difficult
thing to give
few ever attain to that.
There are two ways
in
our books.
One
is
called the “ Neti Neti ” (not this, not this),
the negative; “
Iti Iti
and the other
is
called the
The
” (this, this), the positive way.
negative
way
is
the
most
difficult.
It
is
only possible to the very highest, exceptional
who have
minds, with gigantic will powers,
“ No, simply stand and say, this,”
I will
not
and the mind and body obey, 132
Freedom and they come
But such people are
out.
very rare, and the vast majority of man-
kind choose the positive way,
through
world, making use of
this
way
the all
the
bondages themselves to break those bon-
That
dages.
also giving up, only slowly
is
and gradually, by knowing things, enjoying things, and thus getting experience, until the
and knowing the nature of things,
mind
lets
The one
tached.
other
them go away and becomes unat-
is
by reasoning and the
is
through work.
The
first is
for the
and
is
by refusing to work, and
the second
is
Karma Yoga, by working.
Jnani,
Every one must work
in
the
“ Only those
who
with the
Self,
whose
yond the
Self,
whose mind never
are
perfectly satisfied
desires
of the Self, to
whom
do not work.�
The
current rushing
down stream
do not go be-
that Self
rest
133
universe.
must
strays out
is all
all
of
in all,
work.
A
own
na-
its
Freedom ture, falls into a hollow
and makes a whirl-
and, after running a
pool,
whirlpool,
emerges again
it
whirls round a
my
little,
name,
whole universe
is
my
like
life is
my
father,
my
fame, and at last its
doing
The
freedom. that,
Every one
or not.
it
form of
name and form,
crying,
emerges, and regains
knows
that
in
It gets into the whirl, gets
involved in this world of
brother,
in the
So each human
the free current. that current.
little
is
whether having
it
this
experience, consciously or unconsciously,
and
in the
long run getting out of
this
whirlpool.
But what
is
secret of work.
Karma Yoga? Knowing
We see that the whole
working.
verse
is
tion,
for
liberty,
highest being;
For what?
For
the
uni-
salva-
from the atom to the
working
for that
one end,
liberty for the mind, for the body, for the spirit, for
everything; always trying to get 134
F reedom freedom, flying away from bondage.
ing to tells
earth, the planets, are all try-
moon,
sun,
fly
Karma Yoga
from bondage.
us the secret, the
stead of being
method
of work.
long delay and thrashing,
after
getting to
know
things as they are,
method
of work, the organizing
work.
The
utilize
mass
vast
spent in vain,
if
you learn how
pose. this it
is
be, but
to utilize
Work
work
world
is
something we have
go beyond
may be
to
come
way out we
will
to
a science of
all
the work-
is
inevitable,
us admit that
a world of five minutes;
is
of
to the highest pur-
Karma Yoga makes
that real freedom
the
energy
Karma Yoga makes
it.
must
of
power
we do not know how
ings of this world. it
Karma
teaches us the secret of work, the
Yoga
it;
In-
in this uni-
knocked about
and
verse,
The
to pass
not here, but to freedom.
that
through;
we must
To
find
have to go through 135
it
Freedom There may be those ex-
slowly and surely.
whom
ceptional persons about
who
I
can stand aside and give
snake casts looks at
it;
off its skin
there are
it
up, as a
and stands aside and
some
of these excep-
but for the rest of mankind,
tional beings;
they have to slowly go through
ma Yoga
just spoke,
shows
the secret, the
it,
and Kar-
world the process,
to the
method
of doing
it
to the
best advantage.
What
does
santly, but give
Do
say?
it
up
all
“
Work
thou inces-
attachment to work.�
not identify yourself with anything.
Hold your mind
free.
All this that
you
see,
the pains and the miseries, are but conditions of this world; poverty
happiness, are but
momentary; they do not
belong to our nature far
and wealth, and
at all.
Our
nature
is
beyond misery, or happiness, beyond
everything of the senses, beyond the imagination;
and yet we must go on work136
Freedom ing
all
“
the time.
Misery comes through
attachment, not through work.” we identify ourselves with the
As soon work we
as
feel
miserable, but
selves with
it
if
we do not
identify our-
feel that
we do not
misery.
If
to another a beautiful picture belonging
is
burned, a but
able,
how
man
when
does not become miser-
his
miserable he
felt
original,
and not
one case he ture,
picture
burned were
perhaps copies of the
but in one case misery
in the other.
It is
identifies himself
and not
is
Why? Both
feels!
beautiful pictures,
same
own
in the other.
is
because in
with the pic-
This
mine ” causes the whole misery. session came selfishness, and
I
and
With posselfishness
Every
act of selfishness
or thought of selfishness
makes us attached
brought misery.
to something behind, are
made
slaves.
that says “ I
and immediately we
Each wave
in the Chitta
and mine,” immediately puts 137
Freedom a chain round us and
the
more we say
“ I and
slavery grows, the
us slaves, and ” the
mine
more misery
Karma Yoga
Therefore, all
makes
more
increases.
us to enjoy
tells
the pictures in the world, but not to
identify ourselves with them.
“ Mine.”
misery
Whenever we
will
even say “
Never say
say a thing
ours,
Do
immediately come.
My
is
child ” in your mind.
not
En-
joy the child, but do not say “ Mine.”
you
do, then will
say “
My
the misery.
house,” do not say “
The whole neither
come
difficulty
yours nor mine
not
body.”
The body
there.
is
My
Do
If
is
nor anybody’s.
These bodies are coming and going by the laws of nature, but witness.
we
This body
is
picture, or the wall.
are free, standing as
no more
Why
should
tach ourselves to a body? paints a picture, he does
Why
be attached to
it?
138
it
free
If
than a
we
at-
somebody
and passes away. Let
it
pass.
Do
Freedom “ not project that tentacle of selfishness,
As soon
will possess it.”
as that
is
I
pro-
jected misery will begin.
So the Karma Yogi
says, first destroy
the tendency to project this tentacle
and when you have the power
selfishness,
of checking that, hold
as
you
you
where
do not allow
in,
into the world
Then go out
much
it
to get into that sort of wave.
mind
the
can.
please;
and work
you
of
called “
leaf
Vairaghyam.”
Karma Yoga,
just told
all
the Yogas, and this
living
clothes,
you
It is the I
be.
law
have
you that without non-attachment
is
ing of non-attachment; the
up
will
be
water,
in
non-attachment.
there cannot be any Yoga. of
never
will
which the water cannot wet, so is
as
Mix everywhere; go
Like the lotus
touched.
This
of
in
houses,
and
It is
the basis
the real
mean-
man who wearing
gives fine
and eating good food, and goes 139
Freedom into the desert,
person.
may be
a most attached
His only possession,
may become
own
his
body,
everything to him, and he
is
Non-attachment
struggling for his body.
does not mean what we do in our external body, but
ing link of “ If
in the
is
it
�
and mine
I
we have not
mind;
in the
is
we
with things of the senses,
we
connect-
body.
with the body, and
this link
tached, wherever
this
are non-at-
A man may be
be.
an-
a throne and perfectly non-attached;
other
man may
much
attached.
be
in rags
we
First,
non-attachment, and then santly.
Karma Yoga
and
still
attain
it
The one in
God, or
left
to their
not believe
They
are
to
It is
up.
Here are the two ways attachment.
inces-
method
help us in giving up this attachment.
hard to give
very
to this
we work
gives a
on
is
in
140
of giving
for those
up
all
who do
any outside help.
own
devices;
they
Freedom their own will, have simply to work with mind, that “ I must be the power of the
and with the power of
non-attached crimination.
God,
is
it
fruits of
to
less
work
work and
dis-
For those who believe in They give up the difficult. go unto the Lord, and then
the reare never attached to
do, is Whatever they see, feel, hear, we do, let Him. Whatever good work
sults.
for
to ourselves. us not take any praise
give up the fruits unto
the Lord’s;
The grandest works never
let
that
us think that
we do
we
benefits thereof, or that
good work. peace,
whole
Let us be
in
our
It is
Him. lives,
shall receive the
we have done
a
at peace, perfect
our with ourselves, and give up as an body and mind and everything
eternal sacrifice.
Instead of the sacrifice of
pouring oblations into the
one great rifice of
sacrifice
the
fire,
day and night
little self.
make
this
—the
sac-
Day and
night re-
Freedom nounce the seeming habit,
until
self until
gets
it
into
becomes a
it
the
blood,
nerves, the brain, and the whole
every
moment
we can touch
Go
us.
war, and
Then
nothing
will
into the midst of the battle-
we
shall
Karma Yoga lower plane; This
duty.
Yet we see
is
be free and
teaches us duty as on the
my
duty, and that
that this duty It
duty
is
my
duty.
becomes a disease with It
and makes our whole
the bane of
is
the one great
is
drags us ever forward.
of us
at peace.
each one of us must do his
cause of misery.
It is
is
with roaring cannon and the din of
field,
us,
body
obedient to this idea.
get out anywhere,
the
human
the mid-day
life.
clutches hold
life
miserable.
“ This idea of
summer sun which
scorches the innermost soul of mankind.�
Look
at those
leaves else,
poor slaves to duty.
them no time
to think of
Duty
anything
no time to say prayers, no time 142
to
Freedom Duty
bathe.
Duty
out and work.
come home and Duty
day. life,
at last
it is
think of the
work
next
for
It is living a slave’s
on them!
dropping down
in the street
This
The only duty
understood.
They
on them.
is
in harness, like a horse.
dying as
is
They go
ever on them.
is
duty
is is
and
to be
unattached and to work as free beings. Blessed are
we
we
that
our time; whether we do
we do
knows?
If
reward.
If
it
we do
How
it ill
or well,
who
we do
not get the
neither
do we get
be
at rest,
free,
and
a very hard thing to attain.
it is
to interpret slavery as duty
—the morbid attachment of as duty!
serve
is
This easy
ill,
Be
the punishment.
work.
well,
it
We
are here.
Men go
flesh for flesh
out into the world and
struggle and fight for money.
Ask them
why
is
they do
it.
They
say:
—
“ It
a duty.”
It is
the absurd greed for gold, and they
want
to cover
it
with a few flowers. 143
Freedom
What
duty, after all?
is
impul-
It is this
sation of the flesh, our attachment; and
when an attachment
has been established,
we
instance, in countries
call it
For
duty.
where there
no marriage, there
is
no duty
is
between husband and wife; when marriage
comes and husband and they
live
wife live together,
together on account of flesh
at-
tachment, and that becomes settled after generations, and it
becomes
disease.
But
it is
acute
it is
it is
becomes
it
It is a sort of
a duty.
When
when
ease,
when
chronic
we
we
call
call
chronic it
it
a disease just the same.
settled
a dis-
nature.
So when
attachment becomes chronic we baptize with the high sounding strew
flowers
upon
name
it,
fights,
it,
and then the
and each one robs the
other for this duty’s sake. it
We
trumpets sound,
sacred texts are said over
whole world
of duty.
it
Duty
is
good;
checks brutality to a certain extent. 144
To
Freedom the lowest men, ideal,
to be
want
Karma Yogis must throw
idea of duty overboard.
There
is
this
no duty
Whatever you have
you and me.
for
other
some good, but those who
of
is
it
who cannot have any
to
give to the world, give, but not as a duty.
not take any thought of that.
Do
compelled.
Why
Be not
should you be compelled?
Everything that you do under compulsion is
duty? If
Why
attachment.
You
should you have any
have no duty under the sun.
you want reward you must
punishment;
the only
the punishment
The only way
is
way
to give
also
have
to get out of
up the reward.
of getting out of misery
is
by giving up the idea of happiness, because these
side happiness,
one
On
On
two are linked to each other.
one
side
life,
on the other death.
beyond death
only
way
life;
not to care for
to get
on the other misery.
it.
145
is
The
to give
up
Life and death are
Freedom the
same
thing, looked at
So
points.
misery, or for
without death
boys
and
thinker sees that
for
very hard task. action than it.
No
very good but
Seek no
anything you do.
No
the
a contradiction of
is
it
is
children,
terms and gives up both.
no reward,
different
the idea of happiness without
life
school
from
praise, It is a
sooner do we do a good
we begin
to desire credit for
sooner do we give
money
to
some
charity than
we want
the papers.
Misery must come as the
sult of
to see our
The
such desires.
the world have passed
greatest
Christs that
but second degree
men
Hundreds
of
in
find expression in
the latter
re-
in
you see are
comparison with
them have
every country, working they pass away, and
men
in
away unknown. The
Buddhas and the
them.
names
in
silently.
in
Silently
time their thoughts
Buddhas or
become known 146
lived
to us.
Christs,
The
and
highest
Freedom
men
did not seek to get any
from their knowledge. shrank from
They
Their whole nature are the pure Satt-
who can never make any
vikis,
melt
it.
name or fame
down
Next
stir,
but
in love.
in
come men with more
order
who
Rajas, or activity, combative natures,
take up the ideas of the perfect ones and
These highest
preach them to the world.
ones silently collect ideas and the others,
—the Buddhas and to
place
highest
They power if
Christs,
preaching and
men
—go from place The
working.
are calm, silent
and unknown.
men who
know
are the
of thought;
really
the
they are sure that even
they go into a cave and close up the door,
simply think
five
thoughts and pass away,
these five thoughts will live through eternity.
They
will
penetrate
through
the
mountains and cross oceans, and travel
through the world, and 147
will enter into
some
Freedom brain and raise up
some man who
These men
expression to these thoughts. are too near the
Lord
become
to
active
and
working, struggling, preaching, and
fight,
doing
good
The
humanity.
to
workers, however good, have
remnant has yet
impurities
The
still
When
of ignorance.
some
we work. “
will give
a
little
our nature
then alone can
left,
highest
active
men cannot work.
Those whose whole soul
gone
is
into the
Self,
those whose desires are confined in the
Self,
who have become
the Self, for
ever associated with
them there
is
no work.�
So
who
can-
these are the highest of mankind,
not work; but aside from these, every one
But never think
has to work.
that
you can
help the least thing in this universe.
can not.
You
gymnasium
only help yourself in this
of the world.
tude of work.
You
If
This
you work
you always remember
that
148
is
in this it
is
the
atti-
way;
if
a privilege
Freedom which has been given you, you be attached. like
will
This world goes on.
never
Millions
you and me think we are great people
in the
world, but
we
die,
and
in five
utes the world has forgotten us. all fruits
of
work; do good
then alone
will
come
Give up
for good’s sake;
perfect non-attach-
ment.
The bonds
and we
shall reap perfect
the secret of
min-
of the heart will break,
Karma. 149
freedom.
This
is
VIII
THE IDEAL OF KARMA YOGA The
idea
is
that
we
are to reach the same
goal by different means, and these means I
generalize into four
—work,
But you must,
ogy and knowledge. the
same
time,
love, psychol-
remember
at
that these divis-
ions are not very marked.
Each blends
into the other, but as the type prevails the divisions come. find
a
It is
man who
not that you cannot
has no other faculty ex-
cepting that of work, or that you cannot
men who are more than only, nor men who have more find
edge. These divisions are
worshippers than knowl-
made on account
of the type or tendency that predominates in a
man.
We
have found 150
that, in the end,
they
converge and become one, reach-
all
All religions and
ing one goal. of
Karma Yoga
Ideal of
The
work
are
methods
all
going towards that goal.
First I will try to point out the goal.
What
the goal of the whole universe?
is
Everything that we
Freedom. hear the
atom
to the
man, from the
universe
human
The whole
soul.
the result of this struggle for
is
these combinations every
freedom.
In
particle
trying to
is
insentient,
matter to the highest hu-
existence, the
ticles,
feel,
struggling towards freedom, from
is
lifeless particle of
man
see,
all
fly
from the other par-
and the others are holding
check.
Our
sun and the
earth
trying to
is
moon from
it
in
from the
fly
the earth.
Every-
thing has a tendency to infinite dispersion. All that
we
see in this universe, good, bad
or indifferent, is
all
the
in this universe,
work or thought
has for
its
struggle towards freedom; I5i
basis this
it
is
that
one
under the
The impulse of
Ideal of
When
not a proper one
the manifestation it
the line of action taken
we
is
call
it
and when
evil,
proper and high we
But the impulse
good.
prays and the
this that the saint
robber robs. is
Karma Yoga
is
the same, to
The
struggle towards that freedom. is
oppressed with the idea of
and he wants to get
The
God.
thief
is
rid of
it,
saint
bondage,
his
so he worships
oppressed with the idea
that he does not possess certain things,
he wants to get
from
it,
goal of
rid of that, to get
Freedom
so he steals. all
call
is
and
freedom the one
nature, sentient or insentient,
and, consciously or unconsciously, every-
thing
is
We
struggling towards that.
find in every religion the manifesta-
tion of this struggle towards freedom. is
the
groundwork
selfishness,
idea that see a
I
of
all
It
morality, of un-
which means getting out of the
am
this little
man doing good
body.
When we
work, helping others,
152
The it
means
Karma
Ideal of
man
that that
Y oga not be con-
will
“ fined within the limited circle of
mine.� out.
There
is
no
me and
limit to this getting
All the great systems of ethics preach
absolute unselfishness as the goal.
posing
Sup-
absolute unselfishness can be
this
reached by a man, what becomes of that
He
man?
no more that
is
and-So; he has acquired
That is
little
little
infinite
Mr. So-
expansion.
personality which he had before
he has become
lost forever;
infinite,
and
the attainment of this infinite expansion the goal of
The
ings.
religions
all
and of
all
teach-
when he hears
personalist,
is
the
idea philosophically put, gets frightened.
At the same
time,
morality, he
is
thing.
He
preaching
preaching the very same
are
man becomes
per-
under the personalistic
sys-
Suppose
fectly unselfish
how
is
puts no limit to the unselfish-
ness of man.
tem.
when he
we
a
to distinguish
*53
him from
The
Ideal of
Karma Yoga
He
others in other systems? the universe, and that
is
one with
is
the goal, only the
poor personalist dares not follow out
his
own premises to their right conclusion. Karma Yoga is attaining this goal through which
unselfish work, that freedom
goal of
human
is
the
nature. Every selfish action,
therefore, retards our reaching the goal,
and every unselfish action takes us towards that
the goal;
is
why
the only definition
that can be given of morality
which is
is
selfish is
unselfish
But,
if
is
make
For
be
details,
you
set of
definition
So we can give only and
worked out by
leave
will
The
circumstances
be unselfish, and under another selfish.
that
instance, environ-
the details different.
same action under one will
—
immoral, and that which
you come to the
will
this
moral.
find a difference.
ment
is
the
set will
a general
details
to
be
the difference in time, place 1
54
The
Ideal of
Karma Yoga
In one country one sort
and circumstance.
of behaviour will be considered moral,
and
another very immoral, because the
cir-
in
cumstances of
all
dom
nature is
We
differ.
find that the goal
freedom, and that this free-
is
only to be attained by perfect un-
and
selfishness,
word or deed
every
that
is
unselfish takes us to-
wards the goal and, as such,
That
definition,
good
you
will
for every religion
For
ethics.
instance,
thought,
action,
is
called moral.
find,
will
hold
and every system
you
of
will find different
some systems they
are
derived from a superior Being, God.
If
ideas of ethics.
you ask why
a
In
man
shall
do
this
that they will answer, Because
mand
of God.
from which will
it is
the
com-
But whatever be the source derived, their code of ethics
have as the one central idea not to
think of of
it is
and not do
self,
to give
them with
this
up
self.
And
yet
some
high ethical idea are 155
The
Karma Yoga
Ideal of
frightened to give up their
would ask the man who would
I
ties.
personalities to consider
cling to the
little
the case of a
man who
unselfish,
who
personali-
little
who
has
become
has no thought for himself,
does no deed for himself,
who
no word for himself, where then self?
”
That “ himself
he
If
is
of the universe,
gone
is
speaks “ him-
” is personal to
so long as he thinks, acts and himself.
perfectly
him
knows
for
only conscious of others,
where
is
“ himself? ”
It is
forever.
This
Karma Yoga,
therefore,
is
a system
freedom through unselfishness,
to attain to
The Karma Yogi need not have any doctrine whatever. He may not believe in a God, may not ask what his
by good works.
soul
is
lation.
or think of any metaphysical specu-
He
got to work of his
life
has got his special task; he has it
out himself.
must be
Every moment
realization, because he
156
is
The
Karma Yoga
Ideal of
working
out, without a doctrine or theory,
the very
same problem that the Jnani or
upon and formu-
the worshipper speculates lates as doctrines.
Now this
comes
work? What
world?
is
this
Can we do good
an absolute sense, no;
this
world;
this world.
a
man
for
if
to the
We
we can supply tary.
No
In
can be done to it
would not be
can satisfy the hunger of minutes, and he will be
five
hungry again.
world?
in a relative sense,
could be
it
is
doing good to the
No permanent good
yes.
What
the next question.
Every pleasure with which a
man
can only be
momen-
one can permanently cure
this
ever-recurring series of pleasure and pain.
Can any permanent mass given to the world?
of happiness be
No, not even
the ocean you cannot raise one
wave with-
out making a hollow somewhere
sum
total of the energies in the
*57
In
that.
else.
world
The is
the
The
Karma Yoga
Ideal of
same throughout, always the same. not be increased or decreased. history of the
day.
human
The same
pinesses, the
same
race as
miseries and the
some
find
it
was
Egyptians,
healthy, just the
is
known
yet, at the
it
pain, the
some
rich,
some
some unhealthy.
You
same with the ancient the
Romans, So
with the Americans to-day. tory
to-
in position,
Greeks,
the
it
same hap-
same pleasure and
some poor, some high low,
Take the
we know
differences in position;
can-
It
as
far as his-
has always been the same;
same
ning along with
time, all
we
find that, run-
these differences of
pleasure and pain, there has ever been the
struggle to alleviate
it.
At every period
history there have been thousands of
and
women who
of
men
have been struggling to
smooth the passage
of
life
of others.
they have never succeeded.
We
And
can only
play at driving the ball from one place to 158
The
We
another.
body, and is
Ideal of
it
Karma Yoga
take pain from the physical
goes to the mental body.
like that picture in
the misers were given a
began pushing rolled
down.
it
Dante’s
where
hell
mass of gold. They
up the
Thus
It
hill,
wheel
this
and again is
it
going on.
All these talks about a millennium are very
nice as schoolboys’ stories, but
than that.
All nations that
dream
lenniums also think that they best of
it
at that time;
this
come
is
will
of mil-
have the
the wonder-
millennium!
fully unselfish idea of this
We
no better
we cannot add
to this, that
happiness to this world; similarly,
we
can-
The sum
total of the ener-
gies displayed will be the
same throughout.
not add pain.
We just side,
push
it
from
this side to the
and from that side to
remain the same, because ture.
This ebb and flow,
falling, is its
very nature; 159
it
this,
but
is its
other it
very na-
this rising it
will
and
would be as
The
Ideal of
logical to
say
death.
is
It
we can have
without
life
complete nonsense, because
the very idea of
lamp
Karma Yoga
life is
The
constant death.
constantly burning out, and that
is
you want
is its life.
If
die every
moment
life
you
have to
will
These are only
also.
different
expressions of the same thing,
looked
from
of
at
them
is
each
different standpoints;
the falling and the rising of the
same wave, and the two form one
One
looks at the
“
fall
“
a pessimist or at the
comes an
optimist.
to school
and
taking
care
his
” side
father
him
of
and becomes
rise ” side
When
a
link.
boy
and beis
going
and mother are
everything
seems
blessed to him; his wants are simple; he
But the old man, with
a great optimist.
is
his
experience, has
become calmer, and he has
cooled down.
So
all
old nations, with decay
around them, are
nations.
There
is
less
hopeful than
a proverb in
160
new
—“ A India:
The
Karma Yoga
Ideal of
thousand years a
and
city
This change
a forest.�
thousand years
a
going on, and
is
makes people optimists or pessimists cording to the side they
The next
idea
idea of equality.
we
it
ac-
see.
will
take up
the
is
These millennium ideas
have been great motive powers to work.
Many God will
religions preach this as an element.
coming
to rule the universe;
there
be no difference in conditions.
The
is
people fanatics
who preach
fanaticism,
sincerest
was
preached
more
of
mankind.
on
just
and that was what made
tractive to the slaves.
are fanatics, and
the
are
Christianity
this
They
Greek
slaves
and the
this it
at-
Roman
believed they would have no
slavery, plenty to eat
and drink, and
therefore they flocked round the standard.
Those who preached the idea
first
were, of
course, ignorant fanatics, but very sincere.
In modern times
it
takes
161
the
form
of
The
Karma Yoga
Ideal of
equality
—
This
also fanaticism.
is
equality,
and
liberty
This equality has
How
never been and never can be.
this
there forces
is
Lost balance.
world?
the primal state,
which
How
conflict.
By
Suppose
these
all
in
there be creation?
We
particles
of
would
know from
science
Disturb the water,
find every particle of water trying
become calm
again, one rushing against
the other, and in this
way come
phenomena which you all
these
equilibrium,
there would not be.
to
all
struggling, competition,
matter were held
and you
do
In
Chaos,
called
is
perfect balance.
come?
could
That would be death.
you be equal here?
What makes
fraternity.
call
all
these
the universe
things are struggling to get back to the
state of perfect balance.
turbance will
will
come, and
go on, making
Then again a this
creation.
the very basis of creation. 162
dis-
combination Inequality
is
At the same
The the
time,
struggling
forces
equality are as as those
Karma Yoga
Ideal of
much
to
obtain
a necessity of creation
which destroy
it.
Absolute equality, that which means a perfect balance of will
never be
all
the struggling forces,
Before you
in this world.
have attained to that state the world have cooled ice,
down and become
and no one
therefore,
be here.
will
a
will
lump
We
of
find,
that all these ideas of millen-
nium, or absolute equality, are not only impossible, but,
if
we could
carry them out,
they would lead to the day of destruction.
There
is,
again, the difference in the brains
What makes the tween man and man? It is of
in
men.
difference be-
the difference
Nowadays no one but a say we are all born with the
the brain.
lunatic will
same brain power.
We
the world as unequal;
greater
men
have come into
we have come
or as lesser men, and there 163
as is
The
Karma Yoga
Ideal of
no getting away from
The American
that.
Indians were in this country for thousand' of years, and a few handfuls of your ances-
What made
tors came. if
we
are
the
all
Indians have cities,
why
Why
same?
did they only
A
difference,
could not the
made improvements and
ing in the forests equal?
all this
all
built
go about hunt-
the time,
if
we
different sort of brain
are
all
matter
came, different bundles of past impressions came, and they worked out and manifested themselves. is
death.
Absolute non-differentiation
So long
as this world lasts, this
differentiation will be, but the millennium will
come, when the cycle comes
Before that equality cannot idea
is
a great motive power.
inequality
is
be.
to an end.
Yet
this
Just as this
necessary for creation, so the
struggle to limit
it
is
necessary.
If
there
were no differentiation there would be no creation;
if
there were no struggle to be-
164
The come
free
Karma Yoga
and get back there would be no but
creation;
the
Ideal of
it
the difference between
is
two forces that makes the motive There
power.
will,
always be
therefore,
these motive powers to work.
This wheel within wheel
chanism; as
we
if
we put our hands
are caught
we
will
We
this
one
are
all
to give
stand aside.
I
way
another
up the machine, to
let
Give up our desires. it is
is
is
we
wait-
go, and
That
is
almost impossible
men one can do
twenty
in
that.
The
to plunge into the world and
learn the secret of
ma Yoga.
but before
do not know whether
millions of
other
that,
a cer-
being dragged along by
very easy to say, but to do.
rest,
soon
There are only two ways;
machine. is
as
Each one
are gone.
be at
have done a part of ing.
in,
when we have done
of us thinks that tain duty,
we
me-
terrible
is
Do
work, and that
not
fly
i6$
from
it,
is
Kar-
but stand
The inside
Ideal of
know
and
Karma Yoga
the
Through work we
shall
that machinery
the
We on a
all
God
now
have
To sum up
is
secret
come
way
of
out.
work.
Through
out.
seen what this
the whole thing, this
work
is.
work goes
the time, and those that believe in will
ing that
understand
God
not such an incapable per-
is
son as to require our help.
Secondly, this
universe will
go on always.
member
our goal
that
by think-
better
it
is
We
must
re-
freedom; our goal to
be
reached through work, and, therefore,
we
is
unselfishness,
and that goal
must learn the
secret of work.
have learnt that
this
ideas
as
happy may be good fanatics;
such
good
in old
know
that,
So
work goes on;
making
of
is
this
far all
we
such
world perfectly
as motive powers, for
ideas
silly
times, but
may have been we must always
although fanaticism
is
a very
good motive power, and does some good 1
66
The
Ideal of
Karma Yoga
much good. The Karma Yogi asks why
work, at the same time evil as
it
brings as
should you require any motive to work?
To work you have
“
Be beyond motives.
the right, but not to the fruits thereof.�
Man
can train himself to that, says the
When
Karma Yogi. good
will
come
the idea of doing
into his very being, then
he will not seek for any motive outside.
Why
and ask no questions. is
good
work self, is
in
Because we
we do good?
shall
do good;
to
Do good he
like,
because
it
who does good
order to get to heaven binds him-
Karma Yogi. Any work
says the
that
done with a motive, instead of making us
free,
which
is
chain for our
such work
the goal,
makes one more
we
think by such and
feet.
we
If
shall get to
heaven,
we
shall
be attracted to a place called heaven, and
we
shall
things;
have to go and see
that will be one
167
all
these
more bondage.
The
Ideal of
So the only way
that this world
we
that
is
is
we
not we, or
this
all
We
and
nally at rest
the
Know world;
are really not the body; that
do not work.
really
up
to give
work; be non-attached.
of
fruits
Karma Yoga
we
are the Self, eter-
Why
at peace.
should
we
We must not weep; for the Soul. We must
be bound by anything? there
no weeping
is
not even weep for sympathy. like that sort of thing, and, in tion,
we
think that
way on His
It is a
dage.
How
is
Such
throne.
be worth attaining. at all?
God
Only, we
our imagina-
weeping a
in that
God would
Why should God weep
sign of weakness, of bon-
There should not be a drop of can
it
not
be done?
It is
tears.
very good to
say be perfectly non-attached, but what the
way
to
do
it?
is
Every good work we do
without any ulterior motive, instead of forging a chain, will break one of the links in
our chain.
Every good thought that we 1
68
The
Karma Yoga
Ideal of
send to the world, without thinking of the return, will be stored up,
and make us purer,
link in the chain,
the purest of mortals.
we become seems
be
to
rather
than
osophical,
and break one
quixotic
practical.
many arguments
against
I
the
argument
many have
raised the
out motive
you cannot work.
until
Yet
it
and
phil-
have
read
Gita,
and
that with-
They have
never seen work, except fanaticism, and, therefore, speak in that way. I will tell
man who tice.
you
in a
few words about one
carried non-attachment into prac-
That man was Buddha.
one man who ever carried practice.
He
the
this into perfect
All the prophets of the world, ex-
cept Buddha, had external motive to
is
move them. The prophets
power
of the world,
with his exception, can be divided into
two
sets,
one
come down on
set
who
earth,
say they are
God
and the other who say
169
The
Karma Yoga
Ideal of
they are messengers from God; and both
draw
their impetus
reward
may is
from outside, expect
from outside,
however
spiritual
be the language they use. But Buddha
who
the only prophet
care to
God.
know your
What
is
said “
I
do not
various theories about
the use of discussing
subtle doctrines about the soul?
And
and be good.
is.�
the
Do good
this will take
whatever truth there
all
you
He was
to
abso-
motive power, and
lutely without external
what man worked more than he? Show me in history
above
all.
one character who went so high
The whole human
race has pro-
duced but one such character; such high sympathy;
great
philosophy;
such
philosopher,
preaching the highest phil-
this
osophy, and yet having sympathy for the lowest claims.
animals,
He
is
and
never
the ideal
making any
Karma
Yogi, act-
ing entirely without personal motive, and 170
The
Ideal of
Karma Yoga
the history of humanity shows
man
been the greatest
compare
him
have
to
beyond
ever born;
of all others, the greatest
combi-
nation of heart and brain that ever existed, the greatest
soul-power that was ever
He was
manifested.
the
He
former the world ever saw. first
who dared
cause
re-
was the
to say, “ Believe not be-
some old manuscripts are produced,
believe not because lief,
great
first
it
is
your national be-
because you have been
made
to believe
from your childhood, but reason truth out, and find it,
after it
live
to it.�
any
you have analyzed
will
do good to one and
up to
He
selfish
it,
a is
manner
all,
and help others to
motive, desiring neither
if
you
believe live
up
come
money
and when a man can do
else,
that, he, too, will will
then,
works best who works without
nor anything
him
it,
be a Buddha, and out of
the
power
to
work
in
as to transform the world.
the very ideal of
Karma Yoga. 171
such This
——
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PRESS NOTICES OF RAJA YOGA. The whole spirit of the book is candid in the extreme. It It makes no appeals to what is best and noblest in ma. foolish mysteries, and demands no blind belief. It puts forth It is able to preits system in a plain and simple manner. sent its own method without in any way attacking the method of others. It manifests a charity that it is usual to call Chri .ian, b.t which Vivekananda proves is equally the property of the Hindu. If this little book had nothing to ould be teach but the beautiful toleration it advocates, it well worth reading; but many will find in it valuable suggestions to aid in reaching the higher life. Arena, March, .
1897.
_
This work embraces a series of lectures that fully explain the doctrines and principles of the philosophy of the Indian monks, w' have aroused such a widespread interest in this country. To the reader who is seeking after the truth and light, this volume will be indeed welcome. It is written in an unusually clear style that all readers can understand. Bookseller and Newsman. How to get at the soul and put the reins of the mind and the body into its hands, is the problem that Raja Yoga attempts to solve, and all those persons who practice Yoga are known as Yogis. Then how to become a Yogi, how to rise to a high state of psychic control is what Vivekananda endeavors to point out in these lectures. Literary Digest. A large part of the book is occupied with that method of •
—
attaining perfection known as Raja Yoga, and there are also translations of a number of aphorisms and an excellent glos-
Living Age, Aug. 5th, 1899. valuable portion of the volume to students is the glossary of Sanskrit technical terms. This includes not only such terms as are employed in the book, but also those frequently employed in works on the Vedanta philosophy in general. New York Times, July 22nd, 1899. A new edition, with an enlarged glossary, which will be welcomed by students of comparative religion, who are already familiar with the author’s lectures in this country. Review of Reviews, Oct., 1899. The methods of practical realization of the divine within the human are applicable to all religions, and all peoples, and only vary in their details to suit the idiosyncrasy of race sary.
A
and individuals.
Post,
Washington, D.
C.,
June
12th, 1899.
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PRESS NOTICES OF RAJA YOGA.— (Continued.) This application of an ancient -/stem of Indian philosophy be of much interest to those who delve into such subjects. Los Angeles Times, July 2nd, 1899. The mental and physical processes are described through which man may be brought to a full knowledge in life of the will doubtless
secrets of his being.
The work
San
Francisco Chronicle, Aug. 6th, 1899.
exceedingly interesting. Religio- Philosophical Journal, San Francisco, Sept. 21st, 1899. As a study of Vedanta Philosophy and Raja Yoga it is, perhaps, unequalled by any other book in the English language. The Progressive Thinker, Sept. 26th, 1899. With the simplicity of language of a child’s primer, and the progressive logic of a mathematical proposition, the Swami explains the simple working rules of this science, is
is charming to any one interested in the suband an instructive study in logic to even the most inPublic Opinion, N. Y., July 27th, 1899. different. You cannot, you must not, fail to study it. It is truth, life, peace, joy. We beg all our readers to look into it in the most thorough manner. Occult Truths, Sept., 1899. This work is essentially uplifting and breathes in every line the divinity of man. It is, of course, the Hindu idealist’s conception of God, infinity, man, and his relations to the whole, and carries throughout the pure and lofty idealism .
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The book
ject,
Hindu philosophy. Light of Truth, Sept, nth, 1897. As an exposition the book is good. It conveys a definite — idea of what the aim and end of the Hindu religion is.
of the
The Truth Seeker, Nov. nth, 1899. That he (Swami Vivekananda) is master of the science of Raja Yoga, that contains so much that is mysterious to the Western world, there can be no doubt. These lectures give much a thorough and lucid explanation of it, and contain Bookseller, that Christians must accept as sound and wise.— Newsdealer, and Stationer, Aug. 1st, 1899. anh Raja Yoga is an ancient system of Indian Philosophy, Philosophy one of the four chief methods that the Vedanta Book News Aug., offer to obtain freedom and perfection.
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