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Normally we imagine that Karmayoga is the Yoga of action. But not all action is Karmayoga. If this were so, even smuggling and dacoity would be Karmayoga. So, it is the attitude behind any action that decides whether it is Karmayoga or Karmabhog!! When an action causes us to have lust, anger or desire then it is not Karma. But if it is cleansing our heart, then that action is true Karma. Every action should cleanse our mind.

There are three kinds of people. The first category are those who work to improve the society. These are the sweepers. The second category are those who lead their lives to cleanse their minds. These are the seekers. The third category are those who are neither concerned with their or others' benefit and lead an animal's existence. These are the suckers.

Those persons trying to cleanse their mind make it clean, careful and pleasant. People should be happy with whatever they get. Sometimes, people ask, "If people are contented, then, there won't be progress". This is a characteristic of the Indian nature!! Swamiji then jokingly describes other Indian traits.

• Every Indian is a born philosopher.
• Every Indian is a born Doctor.
• Every Indian can have tea at any time.

Achieving through action is our birthright. A person who is lazy is not happy. A truly happy person is one who has everything, who has freedom to desire for anything, but yet remains contented.

Talking about contentment, Swamiji illustrates about how this can be misunderstood. During the freedom struggle, Gandhiji was fasting. He also used to wear only very minimal clothing. In India, in the Konkan area, there was so much poverty that all the people were fasting and they used to have very little clothing. This was a very sorry state of affairs but this cannot be compared to Gandhiji's sacrifice. This is like a diabetic giving up sugar. So true contentment is when a person who can desire and can attain his desires, gives up desires and remains satisfied.

Everything exists in this world as a pair of opposites. The Zen philosophy states, "When we define that something is beautiful, at that very instant, we give birth to ugliness". Swamiji says that the minute we define Buddiman, we give rise to a "Buddhu"man. Wherever there is birth, there is death, fat and thin, long and short, rich and poor. When our very existence is designed like this, how can we expect to remain happy forever?

Elaborating on the pairs of opposites, Swamiji says "just as it is not possible to have night or day time always, it is also necessary to have life and death, happiness and sorrow, health as well as disease"!! Swamiji then commented on the two words that make our life miserable - "Why" and "How". As long as we keep saying Why and How, we are simply "Why"ling away our time and "How"ling at the world!!

We should hence be able to face difficult situations with equanimity. Once Swamiji was traveling by train from Howrah to Bombay. An accident had happened and the train was stalled. The train, true to Indian Railways, had stalled for a really long time. It was day time, the heat was unbearable, they were in the middle of nowhere and hence did not have any food or anything to drink!! One person asked Swamiji how he was feeling and Swamiji said, "I am happy. I fooled the Indian Railways, I paid them for sitting here only for 30 hours. But I am staying here for 60 hours!!" One old man said, "What is it to you? You don't have a job, but my time is wasted" The world is as we accept it.

The world is full of opposites. We should be free from jealousy or "Vimatsarah". This is derived from the root word "Maatsarya" which means jealousy. Once there were two neighbors who were arch rivals. All their lives they spent trying to be one up on the other. Once one of the neighbors went to pray to Lord Shiva and immediately the other one also went. Finally Lord Shiva came and granted them that they would get whatever they wanted but while the person who asked will get whatever he wanted, the other will get twice the same. After a great deal of thinking, one neighbor, told the Lord "Let one of my eyes become blind"!! Jealousy had truly blinded them!! It is easy to be happy. Whenever we get something, we become happy. If we are able to celebrate happiness and joy of others we don't have to do anything to be happy.

The term "Samah Siddhav asiddhau" refers to the equality of opposites which is the principal truth of the Gita. A balance should be maintained and then whatever we do, there won't be sin!! If a person has no doer-ship notion and keeps balance, even if he kills or does anything at all, he won't have papa or punya. Happiness is in this equality. We are balanced if we are in a neutral state, neither rich or poor, happy or sad etc. Then, there is only happiness.

Everything in our life is not as we will it. A friend, an architect told Swamiji, "Everyday, I listen to a discourse and take at least one statement to heart and ponder about it". We should always remember that everything can be thought of in different ways and ours is not the last or only opinion. If we imagine that we should always have the last opinion, this leads to stubbornness and pessimism. We should remember that everything can be done alternatively.

To illustrate that we should not be stubborn, Swamiji described about a man who was usually very stubborn. When he made an effort to change and consider other people's views, his usually stormy meetings, were held with order and he was able to reach decisions in a more practical manner. Swamiji ridiculed people who always want to have the last opinion, no matter how trivial the issue.

Once a beggar went to a house to beg. The daughter in law sent him away saying that there was nothing in the house. As he was walking by, he met the mother in law who was just returning from the temple. Hoping to gain something, he told her what had happened. She was very upset that the DIL had taken the matter into her own hands and called him back to the house. She then stood on the porch and told him, "As the mistress of the house, I tell you, Go away, there is nothing!!" The beggar was astounded and she replied, "Only, If I say No, it is No"!!

We should have peace in this world. A person with a big bed and without sleep has no use for the bed!! In many cases, first they need to "pee lo" and then pillow, but they have no sleep!! On the other hand, even a person in the footpath can sleep well.

Talking about MBAs Swamiji said, that the acronym really stood for "Me Bekar Aahe" which means Good for nothing. He also took a dig at doctors saying that the R in prescriptions stood for "Regrets". It is the doctor's way of saying, "You have come to me, So Regret!!". We are the controllers of our lives and we should refuse to be miserable. If required we should even insist again and again that we are not miserable.

We should change our morose attitude to life and be happy. We are often asked about how we are by people. Swamiji joked that in the US, people say "How are you?" but hardly stop to find out your reply! If we reply "Oh! I am alive", they will only say, "Then, Die!!". We should try to say that we feel on top of the world. When we convince ourselves of this, it is more likely to be true.

Gatha Sangasya refers to that person who is not a slave to anybody and is free from attachment. He referred to people who say that they give up all attachments to material things and come to stay in the Ashram. However when they reach the Ashram, they ask, "Is there an attached bathroom". Swamiji says, such people are attached to bathrooms!! A true renouncer will not bother about such material things. If we give food to children, they say they are not in a mood to eat. That person who does things according to mood is a "Mudah" or a fool. We are slaves of our mind. We should keep our minds at a distance and control it. The method to control the mind is to be able to listen to No and to be able to say No.

Swamiji was in charge of a school. He had complete authority over money, appointments etc. Many girls used to come and apply for jobs and Swamiji used to feel sorry and never used to say that there was no vacancy. As a result there was always a huge crowd of aspirant employees and they even started sitting in his discourse. As the crowds increased day by day, Swamiji realized his mistake and learnt the importance of saying "No". His problems were solved. We should also learn to listen to "No".

Swamiji then talked about families. He took a dig at Statistics and said, "Statistically speaking, the average number of children per intelligent couple is 0.28". He said that parents pamper their children so much these days and give in to all their whims and fancies. As a result, when the child grows up and goes to college, he cannot bear to hear "No" as an answer and hence gets enraged. We always want people to listen to us and if we can learn to hear the opinions of others there won't be any marital strife. Talking of one such incident, Swamiji said, that a wife who had just had a disagreement with her husband asked him, "Darling, If you love me so much, Why did you marry me?!!"

Vyaasa had written about Patanjali's yoga. We should not simply read and then leave what we learn. We should try to practice at least some of it. Then we realize the truth in Shastras. We should not ignore the Shastras that great people have absorbed and followed.

The word Yagna can mean the yagna performed at the altar of fire. Yagna also means that action which is not done individually but jointly and whose fruits are also attained jointly and not individually. So it refers to an action that is an expression of a cooperative endeavor. Yagna also refers to God. That act which is performed for God, does not have doer-ship or interest in the fruits of action. We often buy sweets or fruits in the market and offer it to God. We offer this to the priest who then returns a part of it to us and we call it Prasad. When we bought this in the first place, we had, "I" attached to it, in the feeling "I" bought it. But when we offered it to God, the "I" was given away, sacrificed. But, Since God does not take it, the offering becomes something which belongs to nobody and hence becomes purified. So whenever we do something for God, it loses identification with the doer, and at the same time, God also does not need it and so that act becomes pure.

Swamis in ashrams wear white robes in the beginning. After some time, this is changed to yellow and finally it is orange in color. A person asked Swamiji the reason for this. Swamiji replied, First they get married to Krishna and so the dress is yellow. This refers to the Indian custom of adding turmeric water to white colored saris of the bride and making it yellow. Later when they serve people, lot of "Chunah" gets added to it and so the yellow turns to orange!! Taking it from here, Swamiji says taxis are also yellow in color. This is especially true in the US, where taxis are referred to as yellow cabs. The taxis transport everybody to wherever they want and they only expect the fare in return. Similarly Swamis, dressed in their saffron robes also transport people spiritually and only expect food in return.

The following Sloka is usually said before taking food:

In the term Brahmaarpanam the word Arpana refers to the long spoon. So Brahma is the spoon. He is also the oblation or Havis. He is the fire, the person who sacrifices, the sacrifice itself as well as the goal to be reached. That person who sees the Lord while doing the act is Brahma- karmasamadhina. This is possible by being happy in any action and getting only happiness in action. Sadhana is to enjoy every action, small or big.

Talking of enjoying everything we do, Swamiji said that even our daily routine activities like brushing teeth, eating or even sleeping should be done beautifully, with involvement and happiness. Even our sleep should be a sound sleep, not to be misunderstood as sleep for us and sound for others!! Once a Satsangh was going on. A rich man came in, he threw his chappals as he entered, shoved and pushed his way through the crowd and then plunked himself in front of the Swamiji. He then asked the Swamiji to advice him. The Swamiji said, "Go back and enter in the right way. Show respect for the chappals that carry you everywhere you go. Get pardon from it. Seek pardon from the door that you pushed. Remember that each and every iota of existence has the paramatma in it and should be given the treatment that you give the Lord himself". An American once asked Swamiji, why Indians tread on a person and then put their hands to their head. Swamiji jokingly said, "It is our way of saying, I pushed you, Now you do what you want"!!

To be happy, one has to be silly sometimes. This is the difference between Children and us. Children are without secrets, They have an open attitude and are happy with simple things. When a small child sees a stairway, he will play on the steps with abandon. But when a big person sees it, his mind immediately thinks of the steps hurting his legs, back etc. So we should be like children and be happy in every way possible. If our brain can see the paramatma even in smallest actions and things, we won't have to look for reasons to be happy.

Yogabhyas should not be done alone. Once an old man decided to do padmasana. After some time he was screaming and wanted people to call the hospital because his legs could not open up!! So everything is not for everybody. A yogi is that person who maintains equanimity Once Swamiji went to the Pasupathinath temple in Katmandu. Since he had not eaten at all and since the path was quite arduous, soon he had rats, cats and dogs causing havoc inside his stomach. So he decided to have his breakfast and then only went to the temple. Fasting has no effect, if it causes irritation in people. It is always better to go with a full stomach and an empty mind, than an empty stomach and a full mind. If a person's Madhyapradesh or the stomach his fit, his Uttarpradesh or the mind will also be fit. Of course, this is applicable only to those who have a mind in the first place!!

We should not be slaves of our likes and dislikes. Yoga Sadhana is in controlling one's mind and leading an existence neither troubling others nor being troubled by them. Niyama Sadhana is following a life based on rules and principles. Asana Sadhana is to remain steady in one position for half an hour or one hour without hurting our feet or back. Pranayaama is to be able to withdraw our breath and ourselves as we like. We should be able to remain patient with everybody and withdraw ourselves from all problems at our free will. The word Pratyaahara refers to our ability to withdraw at our free will. The word Dharana means keeping our mind in control and Dhyana refers to concentrating on only one thing. The Lord is kept in one place in the heart. Samadhi is practising Dharana and Dhyana for a long time.

Swamiji then talked about the different types of sacrifices. Some yogis offer sacrifice to the Gods while others offer sacrifice by the sacrifice itself into the fire of the supreme. This means, those who conceive God in various forms seek favors by offering sacrifice, while others offer all actions to the Lord itself.

Some yogis offer hearing and other senses into the fire of restraint. Others offer sound and other objects of sense in the fires of sense. A right enjoyment of sense objects is a sacrifice in which, the senses are the sacrificial fires and the objects are the offering. So every form of Self control, where we surrender lower impulses and egoistic enjoyment for higher delight is a sacrifice.

Some yogis offer all the works of their senses and the works of the vital force into the fire of the yoga of self control, kindled by knowledge. Others offer their material possessions or their austerities or their spiritual exercises while others of subdued minds and severe vows offer their learning and knowledge.

Those yogis who are devoted to breath control, having restrained the paths of prana (the incoming breath) and apana (the outgoing breath) pour as sacrifice prana into apana and apana into prana. Others, restricting their food, pour as sacrifice, prana into prana itself. All these people understand sacrifice, and through it their sins are destroyed.. Those who eat the sacred food that remains after a sacrifice reach the Lord.

Ultimately, with different types of sacrifice, people try to control their minds and cleanse their minds. Hence Yoga and Karmayoga are the same. All actions should result in cleansing the mind and such acts are called Karma, Yoga and Yagna. People who cleanse their minds thus can attain Brahman. Those who do not sacrifice cannot get anything in this world or the other world. Knowing this truth about Karmayoga frees a person from the bondage of action.