Karma, Vikarma, Akarma.
While we are
looking at various ways and means to lead life, this article examines the
nature and quality of the Karma. Please remember this review is in order to
understand the status of the mind while it departs from the body at the moment
of death.
Bhagwat Gita
analyzes and provides guidance on all the problems of the human life. How to
progress our karma from the materialistic level to spiritual level, while doing
all our due duties of life, is rationally explained in the Gita. In chapter
four, the art of “self-realization through the Karma” is explained. The terms
used are “Karma, Vikarma and Akarma”.
Saint Vinoba
Bhave in his discourse has lucidly explained these concepts.
Karma
Needs Vikarma To Complement it.
We discussed
the yoga of desire-less action. It is impossible to attain desire-less-ness if
we give up Swadharma (the duty-activities) and embrace the dharma which is not
ours (par-dharma).
It is a
trader’s swadharma to sell indigenous goods. But when he gives it up and starts
selling foreign goods imported from distant lands, his motive is nothing but to
earn more profit. How can such work be free from desire? Pursuit of swadharma
is therefore indispensable for desire-less work. But swadharma could also be
pursued with an eye on the gains.
Take the
case of non-violence. Violence is taboo for a votary of non-violence; but he
could be outwardly nonviolent while being steeped in violence inwardly. For,
violence is an attribute of the mind. The mind would not be non-violent merely
by giving up outward violence. A sword in hand is a sure sign of a violent
mind; but one does not become non-violent merely by throwing the sword away.
The same is true about swadharma also. To have desire-less-ness, one must
definitely avoid dharma which is not one’s own; but that is only the first step
towards desire-less-ness. It is not sufficient for attainment of that goal.
Desire-less-ness
is a state of the mind. Pursuit of swadharma is necessary but not sufficient
for acquiring that state. Other means must also be used towards this end.
To light a
lamp, oil and wick are necessary but not sufficient. It is also necessary to
have a flame. Darkness disappears only when we light a flame. How to light a
flame? For this one must purify one’s mind. The mind should be thoroughly
cleansed through intense self-examination. The Lord Krishna has given this
important advice at the end of the Third Chapter of Gita. The Fourth Chapter
has its genesis in this advice.
The Gita
uses the word 'karma' (action) in the sense of swadharma. We eat, drink, and
sleep. These are all actions. But these are not the actions that the Gita
refers to when it talks of karma. Karma refers to the performance of swadharma.
But in order to attain desire-less-ness through such karma, an important aid is
necessary. One must overcome desire, attachment and anger. One cannot have
desire-less-ness unless and until the mind has become pure and calm like the
waters of the Ganga.
The actions
necessary for the purification of mind are called 'vikarma' by the Gita. Karma,
Vikarma and Akarma—these three terms are important in the Fourth Chapter of
Gita. Karma means the outward actions done in the pursuit of swadharma. Vikarma
means total involvement of the mind therein.
We may bow
to somebody, but that outward action is meaningless without inner humility in
the mind. There should be unity between the inner and the outer. I may worship
the image of the Lord; but that act is worthless if it is not accompanied with
devotion. In the absence of devotion, the idol will just be a piece of stone
and so shall I; and the worship will only mean that a stone is facing a stone!
Desire-less, selfless Karmayoga is attained only when outward actions are complemented
with the inward action of the purification of mind.
In the term
'desire-less action', the adjective 'desire-less' is more important than the
word ‘action’.
Those
engaged in social service today are certainly pursuing their swadharma. When
people are poor and destitute, it is a natural duty to serve them and make them
happy. But all social workers cannot, therefore, be called karmayogis. Social
service without pure motives in the heart of the workers could have disastrous
results. Such a social service can generate in equal measure the vanity,
hatred, envy and selfishness that we generate when we serve our families
exclusively. This is clearly evident in the world of social work today.
Karma +
Vikarma = Akarma.
The mind
should be fully in tune with and involved in work. 'Vikarma' is the word that
the Gita uses for this involvement and application of the mind in work.
'Vikarma' means the special karma which varies with the needs of each
individual mind. Only when we perform this special karma, only when the mind is
in tune with the outward action, will the flame of desire-less-ness be lighted.
Desire-less-ness is gradually developed when karma and vikarma come together.
The body and
the mind are distinct entities; so the means to be employed for their growth
are bound to be different. The goal is reached when they are in tune with each
other. To achieve harmony between them, the authors of the scriptures have prescribed
a two-fold path.
In Bhakti-yoga
(the yoga of devotion) they have prescribed penance and austerities without and
Japa within. If the Japa within does not accompany outer forms of penance like
fasting, the latter would be in vain. One should always reflect on why one is
doing penance; the motive, the spirit should always be alive in the mind like a
burning flame. The word 'Upavas' (fasting) etymologically means 'to dwell close
to God'. In order that our mind and heart may dwell close to God, sensual
pleasures are to be abjured. But if we give up such pleasures and do not think
of God, of what value is the physical act of fasting? If, instead of thinking
of God, we think of things to eat and drink while fasting, that 'fast’ would be
worse than a feast! In fact, there is nothing more dangerous than thinking
about sensual pleasures.
Tantra
(technique, means) must be accompanied by mantra (pondering over, meditation).
Tantra in itself is not important; and mantra without action has no value. Only
when the hands are engaged in service and there is spirit of service in the
heart can true service be rendered.
Performance
of swadharma will be a dreary affair without the warmth of feelings in the
heart. It would not then blossom forth and bear the fruit of desire-less-ness.
Suppose we
undertake the work of nursing the sick. If there is no compassion in the heart,
it would be a burdensome drudgery for us. The patients too will find the
service to be a burdensome obligation. If the mind is not absorbed in it, such
service will boost the ego. Expectations will then arise in the mind: "I
am helping them today; tomorrow they should help me. They should praise me.
People should admire me." Or else, we may get fed up and complain that the
patient is peevish and irritable even though we are taking so much care of him.
Sick men are usually in a depressed and irritable mood. If the spirit of
service is lacking, we would get tired of nursing them.
If the mind
is in tune with the work, the work is transformed into something unique. When
vikarma joins karma, desire-less-ness comes into being. When a spark touches
the gunpowder, it explodes. Karma is like the gunpowder. It works wonders when
the flame of vikarma ignites it. Karma in itself is inert and lifeless; it is
the spark of vikarma that makes it indescribably powerful. We may keep a packet
of gunpowder in our pockets or handle it with impunity; but when ignited, it
would blow up the body into pieces. The infinite power in swadharma is likewise
dormant. Combine it with vikarma, and then see what transformation it can bring
about! The resultant explosion would reduce to ashes ego, desires, passions and
anger, and then supreme wisdom will be attained.
Action is in
the nature of kindling, burning of which results into knowledge. When you
ignite a log of wood, it turns into burning coal. How different is the fire
from the log! But it is, after all, the log which has undergone this
transformation. When vikarma is united with karma, karma attains a divine
radiance.
A mother’s
action of caressing her child is apparently insignificant; but who can describe
the upsurge of emotions it gives rise to in the hearts of both the mother and
the child? It would be utterly nonsensical if one were to say that such
emotions would result if a hand of such weight and such softness is moved up
and down such a back. Yes, the action is insignificant; but the mother has put
her whole heart into it, and it is this vikarma that causes unprecedented joy.
There is an
incident described in the Ramcharitmanas (the Ramayana written by saint
Tulsidas). The vanaras (monkies) had come wounded and bleeding after a battle
with the demons. They were in great pains. Lord Rama just looked at them with
love, and all their pain vanished. It would be ridiculous if someone else were
to try to bring about such a result by looking at them in an outwardly similar
way.
Vikarma,
combined with karma, results in a powerful explosion of energy, and then akarma
is produced. A big log of wood, when burnt, turns into just a handful of
harmless ash. In the same way karma, ignited by vikarma, ends up in producing
akarma. Is there any relation between the properties of wood and that of the
ash? Absolutely none. You can collect the ash in your hands and merrily smear
it all over your body without harm. But there is no doubt that the ash has come
out of the burning of that log of wood.
When vikarma
is united with karma, akarma results. What does it mean? It means that one does
not then have the feeling of having done anything. Action does not weigh on the
mind of the actor. We act, but still we are not the doers. As the Gita says,
you are not the slayer even if you slay somebody. A mother may give a thrashing
to her child, but the child will still turn to her for solace. He would not do
so if you thrash him. It is so because the mother's heart is pure. Her action
is totally devoid of any self-interest.
Vikarma, or
the purity of mind, erases the 'action-ness' of the action. Infused with the
inner vikarma, Lord Rama’s action of looking at the vanaras became a sheer
outpouring of love that acted as a balm (curing medicine) on their wounds. But
it did not tire Rama a bit. Action performed with pure heart is free from any
attachment. There is, therefore, no question of any sin nor merit remaining as
a residue after that action is over.
But if karma
is coupled with vikarma, any amount of action does not tire. The mind remains
calm, peaceful and radiant. When vikarma is poured into karma, it becomes
akarma. It is as if karma is erased after it is over.
Art of
Akarma Should Be Learnt From the Saints
How does
karma become akarma? From whom can we learn this art? From the saints, of
course. The Lord says at the end of this Chapter, "Go to the saints and
learn from them." Language fails in describing how karma is transformed
into akarma. To gain an understanding of this, one has to sit at the feet of
the saints.
The Lord is
described as ‘शांताकारं
भुजगशयनम्’ —He is fully
at peace even though He is lying on the thousand-hooded cobra (Shesha). The
saints too do hundreds of actions, but do not allow even a little ripple of
commotion to arise in the still waters of their minds. This remarkable thing
can never be understood unless the lives of saints are observed from close
quarters
*(These
discourses on Gita were given by Vinobaji to the co-prisoners who were jailed
as freedom fighters in the India’s struggle with British rulers YEAR ....)
My
comments: As the
intelligence will progress from materialistic to spiritual motives the Karma
will progress to the height of Akarma. At this desire-less state, the departing
moment at death would be of perfect bliss and then no re-birth possibility
would exist.
Vijay R.
Joshi.
