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Namah Vol. 26, Issue 4, 15th January 2019

are left to the Divine, when something vaster of consciousness in activity. The Integral
than the ego takes charge. It goes beyond the Yoga has three branches: knowledge, love
contemporary pinnacle of ‘duty for duty’s and works. Necessarily they dovetail and
sake’ because work is being offered solely and overlap but arguably the Yoga of Works
entirely to the Supreme. The control comes offers the most accessible solution to today’s
from nisskaamakarma (selfless action). As soon as social dilemmas. This branch is vast in its
one sinks down to sakaam karma (selfish action), influence and implications. Essentially every
one succumbs to excessive work pressure and activity can be construed as work. “The Path
becomes prone to physical or psychological of Works aims at the dedication of every human
burn-out. The ego cannot master the work activity to the supreme Will (1).” The reality
it seeks to do and this defect causes untold is, our human will is much dispersed — its
psychological problems which drag down content so mixed and moving in all directions,
our whole being. If we wrestle with destiny it remains embedded in self-satisfaction and
we become its casualty. Ultimately everything vital desire. Quite apart from not helping the
happens for the highest good and not the way doer it cannot effectuate truly. On a relative
we attempt to dictate. When the results are scale, it is largely ineffective. This personal
left to the Divine the task ceases to remain will has to be offered and relinquished if
our possession. There is no better custodian one is to move forward on this path, “The
of work than our Truth inside: if it is brought progressive surrender of our ignorant personal
fully forward, it is infallible. The work is will and its merger into a greater divine or on
executed also with greater efficiency and the highest summits greatest supreme Will is
precision. So our healing in works begins the whole secret of Karma Yoga (2).”
when we realign to a truer way of working.
The reality is, when we become so attached to So what are these steps? Sri Aurobindo
our personal agendas our consciousness gets elucidates perfectly:
easily scattered. If this happens everything
is lost; nothing meaningful can be achieved. “An entire self-consecration, a complete equality,
We lose our connection with the Truth. an unspar ing effacement of the ego, a transforming
Alignment is spurned and any possibility deliverance of the nature from its ignorant modes
of healing gets immediately stunted. It is a of action are the steps by which the surrender
recipe for chronic psychological disorder. of all the being and nature to the Divine Will
Our bond with the present is discarded and can be prepared and achieved, — a self-giving
little can be done if one surrenders this focus. true, total and without reserve (3).”
That is why it is easier to maintain alignment
when immersed in action. But immersion is We have to learn to give ourselves to the Master
only a small part of the solution: the Yoga of of Works. This is our very Truth inside. There is
Works have a much vaster influence on our no sense of separation. It is the Divine Mother
growth and well-being. who is so deeply embedded in our heart. Self-
consecration is certainly a gradual process
Will and works and it is the first step in the conversion of our
will. It is a very steep climb and a time for huge
The Yoga of Works demands a total reversal personal effort. One needs to begin this ascent

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