Four principles
Artha : The first principle is Artha or material prosperity. Unless you have the necessary material prosperity will not be able to facilitate yourself. After all you need to eat, find shelter and have clothing. These basic material needs are required in order to facilitate your learning experiences. How much material prosperity you require is proportional to your spiritual wisdom and knowledge. Jesus of Nazareth made a statement "The birds have trees to build their nests and foxes holes in the ground to build their lair but the son of man has nowhere to lay his head". Such a great spiritual consciousness had no need for personal ownership and yet he was provided for. He was hosted in the wealthy home of Lazarus and was equally comfortable sleeping in the desert. He was anointed with oils and perfumes by Mary Magdalene and yet in his spiritual consciousness Jesus was able to accept the cross and death with the same degree of humility and simplicity. Your spiritual consciousness is reflected in your attachment to material prosperity. If you are content with simplicity and satisfied with a humble life then it is an indication of your spiritual wisdom. But if you are constantly restless and dissatisfied with what you have and always trying to fill your life with more distractions and more possessions, this is clearly an indication of a limited spiritual understanding.Karma: With material prosperity the second principle of Karma Yoga begins. Karma is the work and action that allows you to achieve your material prosperity. Unless you dig the earth you will not eat and unless you work you will not build a shelter. Karma Yoga is the process of action and interaction. Without Karma you will never experience anything new or realize the conflicts that exist within you. You will not learn the value of trust humility or forgiveness. Karma Yoga allows you to learn about yourself and others. As your spiritual consciousness develops you begin to understand the subtle aspects of how Karma is perpetuating the experiences in your life. The word Karma means the effect of an action. "For every action there is an equal and opposite reaction". When someone approaches you with anger they are reacting to something. That is their Karma. When you experience their anger you react to them. That is your Karma. "When you react you perpetuate the Karma".
Dharma: The third principle in Yoga is Dharma. The difference between Karma and Dharma is that when we cease to react we can recognize and understand what needs to be done for the benefit of others. When you perform an action without expectation of reward, you are acting with a spiritual purpose. You approach me with anger, you are reacting to something and I understand that. Your anger has nothing to do with me. Your anger is your own karma. Your reaction is your own suffering. How I respond to your anger will make the difference between perpetuating Karma and performing my spiritual Dharma or purpose. Perhaps all that I have to do is listen and agree with you. Maybe it will be necessary to protect you because sometimes in your anger you become a danger to yourself and others. Well there are so many ways that I can act. In each and every moment the proper action must be understood. If you are capable of recognizing and understanding the proper action in any moment you are capable of performing dharma. When you act without reacting you are spiritually conscious and aware. A Yogi develops material prosperity through Karma and the experience of those two principles allows the Yogi to develop a spiritual consciousness and begin to live in dharma acting without reacting.
Moksha: The fourth principle is Moksha. When you are able to act without reacting, you experience a liberation of consciousness. You are no longer influenced by the gross afflictions of the mind. Your mind becomes a spiritual consciousness that is free of jealousy, fear, greed and hatred. These four principles lay the foundation for a successful life. They are a natural progression of your personality. Artha or Material prosperity leads you into Karma. Work and action allows you to recognise and achieve the higher dharma of living your spiritual purpose. You learn to act without reacting. Finally you experience Moksha, liberating yourself from the gross mental behaviours of the mind, which allows you to realise the spiritual consciousness. These are the basic principles but how to apply them? What is the structure of Yoga and what is the philosophy behind the structure?
(published with permission in writing from:http://www.yoga.co.za)
