Additional information
by Swami Vivekananda (Author)
Karma Yoga, or the path of selfless action, seeks to face the problem of ignorance by eradicating the ego. Swami Vivekananda argues that it is the ego, born of ignorance, that binds us to this world through attachment. The ego creates a dreamland of separative existence that disclaims the rights of others. It wants to achieve the impossible, and it desires the undesirable.
Swami Vivekananda says that our egotistic, selfish actions have created walls around us. These walls not only set us apart from others, but they divide us from our true Self within.
By performing actions in a selfless manner, we can break down the walls that separate us from the Self. The key message of Karma Yoga is: "Beat the inexorable law of karma by Karma Yoga. Release yourself from the chains of attachment by practicing non-attachment to the results of action."
Author Biography
He is responsible for revitalizing Hinduism and building its stature as a major world religion. He not only introduced Indian philosophies of Vedanta and Yoga to the foreign soil but is solely responsible for the enthusiastic response of these Indian spiritual self-improvement techniques in the West. He is none other than Swami Vivekananda - a Hindu monk and chief disciple of Ramakrishna. Born in a noble Bengali family, Vivekananda espoused the path of spirituality early in life. Right from a young age, he was fascinated by ascetics and took to practicing meditation. However, life wouldn't have been the same for this spiritual genius had he not met his mentor and guide - Sri Ramakrishna. Ramakrishna was the powerful force behind Vivekananda who channelized the commanding intellect and power of this young man to unite with God. The two shared an extraordinary bond amongst themselves which became one of the most unique guru-disciple relationships in the history. Vivekananda spent most of his life preaching the Vedanta philosophy to people across the world. A globe trotter, he became a sanyasi at the young age of twenty five and since then devoted his life for the betterment of mankind. He advocated the importance of secular and spiritual education, which he thought was the only way to enrich and inspire the life of the masses.
