Peter: Your detailed explanation of secular karma and sacred karma was valuable beyond measure for me. Deeply appreciated.
I took a deep inspection of what I named business vasana in our last interaction. I’m in the antique furniture business, which in Europe are sold through auctions. Since I have to take bank loans to pre-finance production there is a lot of uncertainty and instability in my business. A great field for practicing karma yoga! 😉 This causes a lot of anxiety, stress, and tension. Not because I desire more money or stuff, but I fear violating dharma-not being able to pay suppliers and people. That’s actually the reason I’m looking for alternatives. I don’t need deals and business for its own sake, but I need to be my own boss and definitely more stability.
I’m reading „The teaching of the Bhagavad Gita by Swami Dayananda Saraswati and found two Interesting quotes:
„Continue to do your work for achieving what you want; and when the results come remember Me as the one who gives the fruits of action. One who cultivates this attitude is My devotee; his mind will abide in Me and My teaching will be clear to him.“
„Those who are endowed with great faith and are alert in their thinking will be blessed with freedom. Let your Mind dwell in Me; perform actions, but never lose sight of Me. Even when you work to achieve results, remember Me. One who always thinks of Me is not swayed by ego.“
After thinking through your explanation, I would sort these quotes into the Secular Karma department. Right?
Sundari: The two quotes you sent are the essence of self-inquiry, they are not secular karma yoga because they require devotion to Isvara, and the qualifications required for self-inquiry, especially faith in the scripture. Secular karma yoga, which is karma yoga with desire, does not as it is for doers who are still trying to make the world work for them. Sacred karma yoga is without desire, it is for those qualified for self-inquiry and who have understood the importance of Isvara.
As I pointed out, there is nothing wrong with acting for results, we all do. Why would anyone do anything if this were not the case? It’s a question of what results we are after, why and how much we want them, and of knowing that Isvara alone is the giver of results. Desire that is not contrary to dharma is no problem. A binding gratuitous desire for a particular outcome is contrary to the dharma of an inquirer.
The problem with desire is that all actions create vasanas, which are the seed for another action. Thus, one gets trapped in the chain of action-desire-action. The difference between knowledge and action is brought about by Maya, the power in Awareness that makes the Self seem to be a doer. Desire for and pursuit of knowledge is the rediscovery of the actionless Self and requires renunciation of one’s sense of doership. Pursuit of action, on the other hand, involves a sense of doership. So, the two pursuits are opposite in nature.
If you genuinely need to engage in new business ventures to honour your commitments and pay your bills, there is nothing wrong with that; it is dharmic to do so. But maybe you need to ask yourself why you are in that business if it is so stressful? If the mind is constantly agitated it is very difficult to conduct self-inquiry, which is why Vedanta stresses that a simple lifestyle is essential. If your commitments are such that you cannot change what you are doing right now, carry out your duties to the best of your ability with the karma yoga attitude and trust Isvara to help you find a way to simplifying your life.
Much love
Sundari
