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Preparing For The Next Hike

According to Swami Vivekananda, in the Karma-Yoga portion of the book Karma-Yoga And Bhakti-Yoga:

"The word karma is derived from the Sanskrit kri, "to do".  All action is karma.  Technically this word also means the effects of actions.  In connexion with metaphysics it sometimes means the effects of which our past actions were the causes.  But in karma-yoga we have simply to do with the word karma as meaning work..."

He adds that man learns as much from pain as from pleasure, and in some cases misery is an even better teacher.  Accordingly:

"Every mental and physical blow that is given to the soul, by which, as it were, fire is struck from it, and by which its own power and knowledge are discovered, is karma."

Thus, we are all doing karma at all times. 

In addition, if it is indeed the case that our current condition is the result of our past actions, then the Swami properly concludes that:

"...whatever we wish to be in the future can be produced by our present actions.  So we have to know how to act...

By knowing how to work one can obtain the greatest results.  You must remember that the aim of all work is simply to bring out the power of the mind which is already there, to wake up the soul."

Humans have many motives for doing things, but let us here consider work done simply for work's sake.  Typically, the desire for name and fame does not bring lasting results.  But if a person works without any selfish motive, the highest benefit is obtained.  Energy spent on a selfish motive is lost, but according to Vivekananda "if selfishness is restrained, it will result in the development of power". 

The bottom line is that we need to work, but we cannot claim the rights to the fruits thereof.

Now, if it is true that we are always at "work", does that mean one can never "rest"??  The Swami teaches that both activities are required, and neither is a perfect picture by itself.  

"The ideal man is he who in the midst of the greatest silence and solitude finds the intensest [sic] activity, and in the midst of the intensest [sic] activity, the silence and solitude of the desert."

In the end, "all work is by nature composed of good and evil", and both are bondages of the soul.  The resolution to this apparent paradox, described in the Bhagavad Gita, is that "if we do not attach ourselves to the work we do, it will not have any binding effect on our soul".  Much more will be said about attachment to our deeds on my page describing that text, and about the impact of our attachment to this illusory physical existence itself on my Buddhism page.

Meanwhile, since karma dictates that our future condition depends on the choices we make today, let us end with a closer look at how we should make those choices, being reminded by the author of The Seat Of The Soul that:

"Your personality, like your body, is the vehicle of your evolution.  The decisions that you make and the actions that you take upon the Earth are the means by which you evolve.  At each moment you choose the intentions that will shape your experiences and those things upon which you will focus your attention.  These choices affect your evolutionary process.  This is so for each person.  If you choose unconsciously, you evolve unconsciously.  If you choose consciously, you evolve consciously...

Though each human being is responsible for the quality of Life that he or she personally experiences, simultaneously that extends into the macrocosm...

What is in one is in the whole, and therefore, ultimately, each soul is responsible for the whole world."

Wow!!  Lay an extraordinary burden on us, why don't ya!!

But one has to admit, many of us DO lack a reverence towards the living universe; we do not truly appreciate its value, but seek only to exploit what it offers.  We often destroy it needlessly and without forethought.  And we are typically callous towards the suffering of other humans, such as when we allow millions to starve while the unused grain in our silos rots.  After all, it is a "dog-eat-dog world", is it not??  How else can one "get ahead" without stepping on a few toes along the way??  And so we strive to disempower others and use them to advance our petty goals.  We judge others as winners or losers, superior or inferior. 

And sadly, our species has become arrogant about all this.

"It is not possible for a reverent person to exploit his or her friends, co-workers, city, nation, or planet.  It is not possible for a reverent species to create caste systems, child labor, nerve gas or nuclear weapons.  Therefore, it is not possible for a reverent person, or a reverent species, to accumulate the type of karma that such activities create...

(T)he soul reveres all of Life.  Therefore, when the personality is aligned with the soul, it cannot perceive Life except with reverence...

It means recognizing the rights of the Earth.  That the Earth has rights is a concept that is not even present in our species yet."

One of my favorite bumper stickers reads: "We aren't the only species on Earth...we just act like it".  But reverence automatically brings forth patience, non-judgmental justice, and honor and respect for the divinity that is within all Life.

So far, most of this probably seems trivial to those who have evolved to this level already.  One may already try to treat others compassionately and nature responsibly.  But here's the thing: it is often too easy to think about only those situations where we interact directly, and tend not to consider the rippling effects of our actions on the rest of the planet.  Sadly, many folks do not consider the indirect effects of their choices.

If I were to ask someone if it was appropriate to beat another person about the head with a baseball bat, the response would usually be "of course not".  And the question as to whether it would be okay to hold another person's hands behind their back so that they can be beaten about the head would receive the same feedback.  But what if you were paid or received some other sort of benefit to do so??  Does that make it any better??  What do YOU think??!!

And yet when those same individuals are told about how Walmart cuts hours of their employees to avoid paying benefits, and moves in even where a locality doesn't want them, purposely drives mom-and-pop shops out of business with predatory techniques and runs away with the loot, cheats their vendors, and much more...one still hears the excuse from those who continue to support such a despicable corporation that "well, I saved money" or "but it is convenient" or "what does that have to do with ME".  

Or when one is informed of how the Dutch Shell corporation, in cooperation with the Nigerian government, hanged Ken-Sara-Wiwo and several others who complained about pipes crisscrossing their land so as to make it difficult to farm, and exhaust plumes erected outside their open windows - forcing them to breathe the soot and particulate matter...and yet, sadly, that makes no difference to those who "prefer" that brand of gasoline - perhaps because the station is closer. 

What about those companies that cut down the rainforests so their coffee beans will ripen twice as fast and profits can be doubled??  So what if the workers now have to pick the beans in intense sunlight at a wage they cannot live on, exposing themselves to the toxins used to fertilize and drive away pests??  It's too much "bother" to buy organic shade-grown fair-trade coffee instead.

And when we learn that Nestle's steals millions of gallons of the public's drinking water so they can sell it in bottles because we have allowed corporations to pollute the sources that are free and, along with Hershey's, employs child labor in their chocolate supply chain, yet we continue to buy their product.

My point here is that living green and supporting green businesses is not just about "saving the planet".  It is not even totally about saving human existence ON this little rock.  The bottom line is that it is an all-important and necessary part of our very spiritual progress to our ultimate destination back home. 

And that is what connects my spiritual roots to the branches of my tree.

My page on corporations tells the story of many other evils that are supported every day indirectly by their patrons.  How does one not see that as tying someone's hands behind their back while the corporation beats them about the head?? 

So I ask the reader, what do you think in light of all that has been said here...do you think that supporting such actions via your wallet moves one forward or moves one backward on their spiritual path??  Towards the self that is locked into the physical world by the five senses, or towards the Self that respects, honors, and values all of Life??

For those that can answer this honestly, you are in a position to view my Green Living, Corporations, Green Businesses, and Philosophy pages in a whole new light, and hopefully with a renewed sense of urgency.

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I hope the exercise we gained from this journey, and the sights we were able to see along the way, were well worth the time and effort taken in Hiking The Mobius Trail To Reality.

For anyone who is interested in more information about the eastern philosophies, please see my Eastern Wisdom page.

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This page was last updated on February 12, 2023

Always remember to "Think Green" because good planets are hard to find!!  

My Favorite Links

The Seat Of The Soul by Gary Zukov  (return to text)
Karma-Yoga by Swami Vivekananda  (return to text)

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