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Lesson V: Karma Yoga.317
result of desire and tendencies acquired in their past lives. But no true Yogi
would think of teaching that this plan was the only one—or even the best
one for all students. On the contrary, he recognizes that even in the East
a life of activity is right and proper for those who are thrown into it, and
that to shirk its duties or run away is a violation of the great law. This being
so, it follows that the intense activity of the Western races (all of which is in
accordance with well established laws, and a distinct and well understood
stage of evolution) renders seclusion and retirement literally impossible for
thousands of earnest students, who must follow the path or plan called for
by their Karma. And they gladly point out to such students the beauties
and advantages of that branch of their philosophy known as “Karma Yoga,”
which we take up in this lesson.
The word “Karma” comes from the Sanscrit word “Kri,” meaning “to do”;
“to act.” “Karma” is more frequently used to designate what may be called
the “effect of actions.” In our “Fourteen Lessons” we have considered the
Eastern teachings of Karma, under the chapter entitled “Spiritual Cause and
Effect.” In that chapter we gave you a brief description of the law of cause
and effect in the spiritual world—how the effects of actions follow actions,
just as actions follow thoughts. The real effect of actions is really the effect
of thoughts, as actions result from thoughts.
We are what we are today, simply because we have done, or left undone,
certain things in our past lives. We have had certain desires, and have acted
upon them, and the result is manifested today. We do not mean that we are
literally being “punished” because we have done certain things in the past—
for punishment (as such) forms no part of the law. But we have desired
to do certain things, and have done them so far as we were able, and the
inevitable results came in their train. We put our fingers into the fire and we
are now nursing the burn—that’s all. These things that we did in the past
were not necessarily “bad” things. We merely may have become unduly
attached to certain things, and our attachment and desires have brought
upon us certain effects, which effects, while perhaps more or less unpleasant