Hinduism and Karma Yoga - Essay Example

26 March, Karma yoga: Yoga is a worldwide famous Hindu discipline that is enthusiastically followed by many people around the globe and not all of them belong to Hinduism. This is the most riveting fact related to yoga that it is not practiced necessarily by Hindus, but anyone interested in developing an exquisite spiritual sense can practice it. People frantically rush after yoga because the kind of peace and tranquility it guarantees is miraculously enthralling. Devotion is the most basic and important demand of yoga practice and if performed with full devotion, a strong wave of self-realization hits a person that is too conspicuous to be ignored.

When practiced with a pure heart and devoted mind, yoga takes a person away from self-interest and ego gratification, rather it makes a person focus on his/her self. Karma yoga is one of the most practiced yogas around the world and it has gained immense popularity because it provides one with a great platform for balancing out many self-centered actions that are performed in the past. It forces one to indulge in good activities and serve humanity at large so that one gradually gets away from ill thoughts and morose temperaments.

Helping a person in achieving his/her highest potential forms the bedrock of Karma yoga due to which it is a renowned fact that healthy and productive years of life can be extended far beyond the accepted norm with the help of this amazing yoga practice. The very word “Karma” means action and its whole philosophy revolves around self-centered actions done in the past that prove to be a major obstacle in a person’s progression in life if he/she does not indulge in activities that are all about serving humanity.

The doctrine of Karma also professes that living for one’s own interests like striving to afford luxuries so that one may rise to a prominent position in society, is not justifiable in any way. Rather, one should divert all the efforts towards the attainment of knowledge for which one should be powerful enough to make correct decisions and act in a selfless manner so that one may restrain oneself from the path of materialism. This attainment of true knowledge for which one has to essentially engage in selfless activities and follow a righteous path that relates to serving those in depression and feeding the poor, powers one to progress vigorously in life.

Karma yoga revolves around this basic point and influences one to develop flawless compassion for others in contrast to striving for materialistic things in life (Rice). Some people unknowingly attribute Karma yoga to Karma Sutra, thus spreading a major misconception that prevents many from scrutinizing the many benefits associated with this yoga. Karma sutra is entirely a separate domain and the majority of people favor Karma yoga because it does not profess only about attaining pleasure, rather it stresses giving up ego gratification for promoting divine love and spiritual growth without expecting any attractive reward in the form of wealth or power (sanatansociety.org).