Karma yoga (Letters)

Expressions researched:
"karma yoga"

1947 to 1965 Correspondence

Letter to Gandhi Memorial Fund -- Calcutta 5 July, 1949: A part of this movement is the harijana movement. The harijana means the God's man or the godly man as distinguished from the satanic devils. How a man of satanic principles can be turned in to a God's man is enunciated in the Bhagavad-gita. The way of karma yoga i.e. doing everything for God's sake should be the principles of life. The activities of the general public may not be stopped but may diverted in the manner stated in the Bhagavad-gita. By doing so any one in the world can be turned into a God's man. Thus the harijana movement started by Mahatma Gandhi should not be taken absolutely for the benefit of the bhangis and ___ so to say but it should be utilized for all who have the mentality of the bhangis etc.

1968 Correspondence

Letter to Hamsaduta -- Montreal 21 June, 1968: Money making schemes should be easy; we cannot divert our attention for money making activities. We require some money for prosecuting our activities, and if we get that money by contribution that is best, otherwise, we can sell our literature and books, etc. But if we direct our attention like others, then it becomes karma. And karma is very dangerous for persons who want to go back to Godhead. Therefore, in Bhagavad-gita karma yoga is advised. On the whole, we can endeavor for money making if it doesn't hamper our devotional service. And otherwise, we shall prefer to starve and chant Hare Krishna. That should be the pivot of all our activities.

1970 Correspondence

Letter to Jagadisa -- Los Angeles 27 February, 1970: The relationship of the living entity with Krsna is eternal as both Krsna and the living entity are eternal; the process is one of revival only, nothing new.

Astanga Yoga is better than Karma Yoga and Jnana Yoga is on the level of Astanga Yoga. But the Bhakti Yoga is the ultimate goal of all Yogas. In other words, Karma Yoga, Jnana Yoga, and Astanga Yoga by proper execution culminate in Bhakti Yoga. So far yogis who meditate on the Paramatma form of the Lord within their hearts, if they see Him in that way actually they become pure devotees, but if they do not perfect the process they may remain on the lower level of incomplete realization or Paramatma realization.

I am happy to learn that your Sankirtana party is very successful. If you have some extra money, you can contribute to the book fund because I am contributing to purchase a large church here to the extent of 20,000 dollars; and try to send the maintenance charges to me regularly.

1972 Correspondence

Letter to Niranjan -- Honolulu May 5, 1972: In the verse that you refer to, Krishna says to Arjuna, "Give up all varieties of religiousness, and just surrender unto Me; and in return I shall protect you from all sinful reactions. Therefore, you have nothing to fear." This verse is actually the essence of the whole Bhagavad Gita. Throughout the Gita, Krishna describes the different processes of spiritual realization to Arjuna - karma yoga, jnana yoga, samkhya yoga - but at the end He says to give up all the different religious systems and just surrender to Him. This is the topmost yoga system, and is the goal of all the others. So this is our process. We don't perform any ritualistic ceremonies for some material gain or economic development, nor do we waste our time in mental speculation to try to find out the Lord with our tiny brain, nor do we perform so many difficult penances and austerities or gymnastic exercises for becoming one with God. We simply surrender to Krishna and His representative, and serve Him with the consciousness that "My Lod, I am Yours. Please always keep me engaged in Your service and protect me from maya." This is real religion, and is the natural position of the living being. I hope this will answer your questions.

1973 Correspondence

Letter to Ksirodakasayi -- Calcutta 29 January, 1973: Thank you very much for the information enclosed. There is no difference between brahmacari, grhastha, vanaprastha, and sannyasi. Simply grhastha means that he lives outside the temple with wife, that is the only difference. Otherwise grhastha must follow the same regulative principles and remain fully engaged in the temple activities. There in London we have such big field for pushing on the preaching work, so I want that you should assist the other devotees there as much as possible and cooperate very closely for helping me in this way. These temples, they are just like oasis in the desert for the conditioned souls to quench the thirst of their desire for real happiness. So they must be organized as nicely as possible, and I know you have many talents which can be put to good use. So in cooperation with Dhananjaya and Syamasundara. Prabhu, let us work together. You may assist me in this way and I shall be very much pleased upon you. Krsna says in the Bhagavad-gita that anyone who surrenders unto Me, whether a woman, sudra, vaisya, etc., they all attain the highest perfection of bhakti-yoga, not that now I am grhastha, I am doing karma yoga, or now I am vanaprastha, I am doing sankhya-yoga, this is all nonsense. So if you read my books, this is explained in so many places that by taking to the path of pure bhakti all the other yogas are achieved automatically, because bhakti is the culmination of yoga and the highest perfection of life. Yet at the same time it is very simple and sublime. So I do not see what is the difficulty. So as I am your spiritual master, it is my obligation to answer any questions that you may have. So please send the tape and I shall reply.

1974 Correspondence

Letter to Guru-gauranga -- 7 September, 1974: Regarding the marriage of Ramiya devi dasi; you can find out a suitable boy there, I think that Bhagavan das can arrange this. It is not necessary for Bilvamangala to marry this particular girl, another can be found out. Regarding the remarks of Prof. Jean Herbert, in Bhagavad-gita we find no instruction except devotional service or bhakti yoga. We have to prove this from the statements of the Bhagavad gita. We cannot accept the interpretation of an outsider. Regarding karma yoga the Lord says:

yat karosi yad asnasi yaj juhosi dadasi yat

yat tapasyasi kaunteya tat kurusva mad-arpanam

[Bg. 9.27]

This mad-arpanam is bhakti yoga. Similarly the Lord says:

bahunam janmanam ante jnanavan mam prapadyate

vasudevah sarvam iti sa mahatma sudurlabhah

[Bg. 7.19]

This means that jnana alone is not good unless the jnani surrenders to Krishna. Unless one does so his knowledge is not perfect.

1975 Correspondence

Letter to Sri Krishna C. Batra -- Vrindaban 8 December, 1975: The main purpose of the society is to understand the nature of God and our relationship with Him. The very word yoga means connecting link with the supreme being. We accept Krishna as the supreme being, and nobody is equal to him or greater than him. How he is supreme is lucidly explained in the Bhagavad-gita, and we try to revive our eternal relationship with him. In the Bhagavad-gita itself there are different processes of yoga systems, karma yoga, jnana yoga, dhayana yoga, hatha yoga, bhakti yoga and so many patterns of yoga. Others may practice different patterns of yoga, and we can understand that everyone is trying to pass on the path of yoga, but bhakti yoga is the ultimate goal, and if anyone is actually interested to understand God as he is, he has to come to the platform of bhakti yoga.