Karma-Yoga : Ch-7. Part-11.

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CHAPTER VII .
FREEDOM : :

Part-11.

Karma-Yoga teaches us that the ordinary idea of duty is on the lower plane; nevertheless, all of us have to do our duty.

Yet we may see that this peculiar sense of duty is very often a great cause of misery.

Duty becomes a disease with us; it drags us ever forward.

It catches hold of us and makes our whole life miserable.

It is the bane of human life.

This duty, this idea of duty is the midday summer sun which scorches the innermost soul of mankind.

Look at those poor slaves to duty!

Duty leaves them no time to say prayers, no time to bathe.

Duty is ever on them.

They go out and work.

Duty is on them!

They come home and think of the work for the next day.

Duty is on them!

It is living a slave's life, at last dropping down in the street and dying in harness, like a horse.

This is duty as it is understood.

The only true duty is to be unattached and to work as free beings, to give up all work unto God.

All our duties are His.

Blessed are we that we are ordered out here.

We serve our time; whether we do it ill or well, who knows?

If we do it well, we do not get the fruits.

If we do it ill, neither do we get the care.

Be at rest, be free, and work.

This kind of freedom is a very hard thing to attain.

How easy it is to interpret slavery as duty — the morbid attachment of flesh for flesh as duty! Men go out into the world and struggle and fight for money or for any other thing to which they get attached.

Ask them why they do it.

They say, "It is a duty”.

It is the absurd greed for gold and gain, and they try to cover it with a few flowers.

Swami Vivekananda
To be continued  ...





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