I don’t know about you, but the spirit of sacrifice and service has never come easy for me. In the early days of my spiritual journey, due to my self-absorption in “taking care of Number 1,” I used to cringe whenever Swami Satchidananda (Gurudev) talked about Karma...
Whatever is due to you will come and nobody can stop that or cheat you. If ever anybody does seem to cheat you, know that it is an aftereffect of what you have done to someone at some time in the past. You must have cheated somebody earlier, so now another person is...
Karma Yoga, the path of selfless service, is a main branch of the classical Integral Yoga system. Integral Yoga founder, Swami Satchidananda, considered the spirit of Karma Yoga as foundational to the practice of Yoga. In this article, Rachel Naomi Remen, MD, captures...
There is no greater Yoga than Karma Yoga. From morning to evening you are doing some action, so everything can be Karma Yoga. Everything should be yogic, from the minute you start brushing your teeth to the minute you go to bed. For Karma Yoga there is no time limit,...
Real joy comes by leading a dedicated life. That is what we see in nature. The entire nature exists to serve others. We don’t need teachings for all the other species in life because they already live to serve others. So let your motto be, “I am living to serve...
In the light of Karma Yoga all actions are sacred. That aspirant who always takes immense delight in doing works which are considered by the worldly man as menial services, and who always does willingly such acts only will become a dynamic Yogi. He will be absolutely...
Depending on our temperament, we can pursue the journey of awakening in various ways: Karma Yoga, Raja Yoga, Bhakti Yoga, Hatha Yoga, Jnana Yoga, or Japa Yoga. Whatever approach we choose, we can transform our daily lives into spiritual practice, preparing us for the...
At a satsang in New York some years ago, I raised the question, “What matters most to you?” I spoke about the importance of clarifying what we value and reflecting on the ultimate purpose of our lives. Speaking to a group of yogis, I was not surprised that someone...
You quickly learn your weaknesses while serving others. The world is like a big mirror, it shows you your ugly spots. You see your limitations and drawbacks; you test yourself in the field. You understand your attitudes and moods better than when you're alone. Through...
I often suggest this practice: try for just one week to be completely selfless. Do every action as a service. "For the whole week, let me be selfless. Let me always give, give, give and love, love, love." If you really don't get any benefit, if you don't enjoy that...
Work is worship. Work is meditation. Serve all with intense love without any idea of agency and without expectation of fruits or reward. You will realise God. Service of humanity is service of God. Work elevates when done in the right spirit without attachment or...
"Karma Yoga is the selfless devotion of all inner as well as the outer activities as a Sacrifice to the Lord of all works, offered to the eternal as Master of all the soul’s energies and austerities." —Bhagavad Gita Right Attitude It’s not what you do that counts,...
Both a renowned Sanskrit scholar and yogi, Swami Venkatesananda—like his master, Swami Sivananda—can be regarded as a sage of practical wisdom. You can also listen to these talks at swamivenkatesananda.org. We are about to investigate Karma Yoga. The word "karma"...