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Karma Yoga is the consecration of all the actions and their outcomes to the
Almighty. Known as the Yoga of action, Karma Yoga purifies the heart, for the
reception of the Divine Light and attainment of the knowledge of one's own self.
The ultimate aim of Karma Yoga is to provide selfless service to humanity,
without any ego. People performing Karma Yoga serve the needy, without urging to
bear fruit for all their actions. It is one of the most popular types of Yoga,
which cannot be done without dedication, determination and altruism.
Karma takes the shape of Karma Yoga, when the practitioner acts as an instrument
in the hands of the Almighty, as a participant in the cosmic activity of Nature
and does the service without the expectation of fruits. The person then believes
that he/she is only the instrument and that the Lord is working unselfishly,
through him/her. He/she surrenders all the actions and their fruits to the Lord.
He/she attains the knowledge of the Self. Ultimately, the person is released
from the bonds of Karma.
A person aspiring to follow the divine path of Karma Yoga doesn't have to
possess materialistic wealth. All the person needs is a peaceful mind, body and
a selfless attitude, to serve humanity. The person following the path of Karma
Yoga, known as Karma Yogi, should be free from lust, greed, egoism and anger.
His/her heart should be filled with the thought of serving the poor and the
helpless people, selflessly. Even if the person has any traces of these 'doshas',
he/she should try to eliminate them immediately. In addition, he/she should not
desire for name, fame or money in return of the service.
A jealous person can never be a Karma Yogi. He/she should be humble, free from
meanness, miserliness, harshness, hatred and jealousy. He/she should be a
soft-spoken person and should never use any harsh words. The person, who expects
respect and honor from others, cannot serve people selflessly. Moreover, a Karma
Yogi should be fearless. He/she should be amiable and social. He/she should
never differentiate people in terms of their caste, creed, color and gender. The
Karma Yogi should have the feeling of love, compassion and mercy and should have
perfect adaptability and tolerance.
Karma Yoga purifies the heart. It releases the Karma Yogi from the ties of the
kindred and indulges him/her into activities of selfless social service. Bad
qualities of egoism, jealously, superiority and hatred are completely removed
from the mind of the person, when he/she follows the path of Karma Yoga. The
person gets a broad outlook on life. He/she attains the knowledge of the Self
and realizes the concept of 'one in all' and 'all in one'.
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