| From The River Of Heaven |
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| Books By David Frawley |
| THE PATHS OF YOGA : YOGA | |
| The Yoga of Service : Karma Yoga All spiritual teachings speak of our need to help the world and to uplift humanity. Hence most practitioners of Yoga are expected to do some work of service, Sanskrit "seva", to humanity. This may be providing food or clothing to the poor or needy, working in schools or hospitals, or distributing books and teachings. There are very few books on Karma Yoga, nor does it have its special Sutras or texts like the other Yoga paths. Yet it is given its importance in all approaches, particularly the Yoga of Devotion. Gandhi was a good modern representative of this approach. Generally speaking, the Yogic teaching, as it is non-political and inward oriented, does not emphasize service and charity as much as Christianity. However, unlike many so-called Christian groups, it does not consider it to be true service to others to try to convert them to our beliefs. True service is in helping others to help themselves, aiding them in unburdening themselves, not imposing new ideas upon them. To provide food, shelter or education to others is good but when we seek to convert them to our beliefs by giving them our propaganda in the process, it becomes a poison. It is like giving candy to children to get them under our power. The Yoga system recognizes that the highest service we can do for the world is our own self-realization. We cannot really improve the world until we have conquered our own inner darkness.
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