The Secret of "Karma Yoga"

In the last post, the instruction is given that everyone should engage themselves in carrying out one's own prescribed duties as "sacrifice" to the LORD i.e., follow the karma yoga.

WHY? and for HOW LONG?

INSTRUCTION 6: (the whole third chapter of Srimad Bhagavad Gita)
Please follow this link - http://prasadchitta.blogspot.com/2008/07/karma-yoga-thrid-chapter-of-srimad.html

There is NO OTHER WAY to overcome "desire"

The indiryas get in contact with its preferred vishayas (external objects) causing the experience. Due to the temporary nature of this "contact" inevitably the contact will be LOST at some point of time. Two things will happen when the indriya vishayas are not available for the indriyas. They crave for the objects. This is the desire or kaama. When the preferred object (vishaya) is not attainable it leads to frustration. This is krodha - anger. Either the "kaama" or "krodha" that leads to more work. Mind within the control of indriyas goes into its loop of "chitta vrittis"

Rishi Patanjali Defines the vrittis as follows: (Yoga Sutras - Samadhi Paada 5 and 6 sutras)

vṛttayaḥ pañcatayyaḥ kliṣṭā akliṣṭāḥ - YS1.5
pramāṇa viparyaya vikalpa nidrā smṛtayaḥ - YS 1.6

There are five vrittis that could be troublesome or non-troublesome.
They are
1. Pramana - the correct understanding (or measurement)
2. Viparyaya - going around the subject without getting to the understanding or Wrong Understanding
3. Vikalpa - Imagination based on pramana or viparyaya
4. Nidra - temporarily ceasing the external object (vishaya) awareness; this viritti disassociate the indriyas with their vishayas.
5. smriti - not "letting go" the impressions of other four vrittis. The smriti functions through the Nidra causing the dream (swapna) etc., This is the subtlest form of vrittis.

These vrittis are supported by three gunas.
The vishayas are predominantly inert nature (tamasa guna)
The Indriyas are predominantly active nature (rajasa guna)
The manas is predominantly illuminative nature (sattva guna)

manas illuminates (or subtly diverts) the indriya towards its vishaya due to the past impressions (vasanas). Indriya engages in the action of consuming the vishaya. This consumption leaves subtle impression (vasana) The action/enjoyment loop continues.

In the body there are five worker indriyas and five enjoyer indriyas. The enjoyer indriyas are masters of their own domain. e.g., an ear can only hear the sound. It is not useful to detect the color of a vishaya. In the same way every indriya is a "master" of its own domain and it can't operate beyond its limitation. This limitation is caused by AHAMKAARA - ego.

A combination of manas, buddhi, ahamkaara and chitta is the internal instrument (loosely translated as MIND in English).

The "manas" coming into the control of the enjoyer indriyas and making the worker indriyas do "slavery" to satisfy the enjoyer indriyas by disguising them into the thinking that they are being "served" by directing them into their work. This is the brief description of BHOGA cycle (never ending).

Karma Yoga brings the manas back into its "true controller" position (controlled by the buddhi or the discriminative intellect) by "properly" controlling enjoyer indriyas and worker indriyas to work in harmony with in the city of BODY.

The effort need to be put in until the enemy in the name of "desire" is fully conquered. Once this is conquered, "KARMA YOGA" becomes effortless.

Indriyas are superior to the Vishayas.
Manas is superior to the Indiryas.
Buddhi (the discriminative reasoning/intellect) is superior to the manas
SELF (atma or the LORD) is superior to the buddhi. (Bhagavad Gita 3-42)

To realize this SELF or atma or the LORD one should first sly the enemy in the form of desire (kaamarUpa) (Bhagavad Gita 3-43 the last verse of this chapter)

So, by "sacrificing" the inferiors object into their respective superior controlling fire by performing the prescribed duties as a service to the LORD, one raises higher towards mastering the life and death.

om tat sat