ISO

|| योग: कर्मसु कौशलम् ||

Mananeeya Eknathji tells here the work that the Kendra is to do. He says : Establishing an ideal social order is the highest form of service. Over and above these three categories of service, there is a fourth category which is the supreme one. If a whole people in some corner of the globe successfully evolve a satisfactory social order that can provide abundant opportunities to each of the constituents to meet the basic needs of the body-mind complex and allow him to fulfill the inner aspirations, it would be the supreme act of service
Yatobhyuday Nishshreyas sidhdhi sa Dharma Gautam-Nyaya Sutra
 It would be remembered in the pages of human history. It would be the right and perfect social order. All would be leading a community life and there would be no room for cut-throat competitions, exploitations and such other harmful traits of life. It would cooperative like the limbs of the body. The limbs of the body have no quarrel or conflict or competition amongst themselves and all strive to make the life a success. No grudge that the stomach has avarice and is exploiting limbs. It receives, but only for proper distribution of energy to each and every limb and particle of the body. Under such circumstances class-war has no scope at all. People in the world are striving for such an ideal society. They want it. Herculean efforts are being made all over the world and every school of thought is trying to evolve such a society. A society in which there will be balanced social relations, happy and satisfactory social order, freedom from exploitation is most urgently wanted today. The ideal society must fulfill the needs of the body-mind complex; at the same time it must satisfy the yearnings of the inner being of man.

Nation's aspirations

|| योग: कर्मसु कौशलम् ||

While describing about what makes society a nation, Mananeeya Eknathji says : It is the capacity and desire to interpret the world around us and this life itself is yet another aspect that needs to be given attention to.  The people, through their group-consciousness, evolve a philosophy of life. They formulate metaphysics and ethics and they have a common ideal. When was this world created, who created it and why, and such other topics and discussed by them and conclusions are arrived at. They develop as a nation marching towards a goal in one direction.
Swamiji said, 'Each nation has a destiny to fulfil, each nation has a message to deliver, each nation has a mission to accomplish. Therefore, from the very start, we must have to understand the mission of our own race, the destiny it has to fulfil, the place it has to occupy in the march of nations, the note which it has to contribute to the harmony of races.'
In this light each nation has its distinct personality, aspirations, beliefs, modes of thinking notions of propriety etc. Americans and Indians differ to a great extent in many of these matters. This mission is not created or produced; it is handed over to the nation from generation to generation. The ancient seers had given up their entire worldly life and devoted themselves to this thought of the mission. It was through their austerity and penance, discrimination and thorough search that the mission dawned upon them and they have given it to us.
People who aspire and desire to serve this nation must learn this mission, goal, destiny, and message and must realize the field of their work. They should be conscious of the arena in which they have to work.

Common vision - aspirations

|| योग: कर्मसु कौशलम् ||

Having said about an individual, Eknathji tells us about the Society, Nation. The very important attributes that make the society or a group of people nation is Common vision to interpret things around and common aspirations make a nation
A society is a society, if it has an objective or a goal; otherwise it is a group of people or a herd of human animals. Such a group has no committed life. The people do not stand together for a cause and thus they are not a nation. All the constituents of the group must have the group-consciousness in them and must hold together for the achievement of the goal; then only can they be called a nation, - similarity of aspiration gives the society a meaning as a nation. A corporate life and a capacity to penetrate into the things around and a common goal to be reached by all are the other features. Today we find that the people who were once nomads have evolved into a nation. It is not only a desire to survive together in a group but something higher than that. Animals also live together in a group, only to survive in a group, but they do not have the group consciousness. If a danger is seen they run away individually instead of facing it together as a group.

So, we all as a nation have group consciousness, common vision and common aspirations.

MM-NB organisation

|| योग: कर्मसु कौशलम् ||

Mananeeya Eknathji says : The Kendra is a man-making and nation-building organization. The Kendra is an organization for national reconstruction. When we speak of reconstruction, the idea strikes our mind that a construction is already existing, but in the course of time, a few defects and deficiencies have been noticed in it and hence the need for reconstruction. Building a nation indicates that there did not exist any nation thus far and due to changes in the political ideologies, a new nation has to come into existence. We find this in the case of so many new nations that have arisen during the past decade. But how can it be said about a nation, which, it is claimed by the historians as being a nation, not for a few centuries but, for many millenniums. What is true of an individual can equally be said of a nation also.
Here Eknathji further clarifies the inputs in Man making first and then applies the same to Nation Building. He says : Mission is important to mould a man as well as nation. A man may physically exist for years together, but he does not live a life if he has no purpose or mission in life. He is a man without personality. It is the purpose of life that yields personality to the individual. He lives a moment-to-moment life and hops from one desire to another, none of them fully satisfied or one arising out of the other. He spends all his life in fulfilling his desires and has no noble goal before him. But a man of purpose utilizes his life to accomplish his mission. Such is a purposive life; otherwise it is an aimless wanderer's life. A vagabond can be thus described. He has no destination and he has not begun his life yet even though he breathes, eats, drinks, sleeps and does all actions for a physical existence. The moment the purpose or a mission dawns upon him, he is born as a man and he acquires personality. There is a definite code of conduct for the achievement of his goal and his life becomes meaningful. The same is the case of a society.

Sukha-dukkhe same krutva

|| योग: कर्मसु कौशलम् ||

Mananeeya Eknathji also asks us to develop a very important attitude which will help in continuing the works without getting affected with every turn of event. Life is a continuous struggle. In the struggle sukha - dukkha, happiness - sadness, good - bad experiences are bound to be there. It is our mental composure, the attitude which would always help us. Quoting Gita, he says : sukha dukkhe same krutva .....Taking pleasure and pain, gain and loss, victory and defeat to be the same, prepare for battle. Thus, you will incur no sin.

Taking pleasure and pain with equanimity, as though they are one and the same, is the seed for karma yoga. The same applies to gain and loss, victory and defeat, success and failure.    Raga and Dvesha - likes and dislikes -are the known causes for our sorrow. There may be a hundred unknown causes, but they can all be reduced to raga & dvesha. Karma yoga was being propounded by Krishna who said, in so many words, 'Don't fight for the sake of raga & dvesha.'

We should not fight just because we do not like someone, nor should we fight just because we like to fight. We need to see the dharma and adharma in fight. Arjuna was fighting dharma yuddha and not out of raga & dvesha. In our works also, we need to see the cause of our work as Dharma Samsthapana and therefore, taking fight as aapad dharma, we should fight it out with the attitude of equanimity.

Matkarma paramo bhava

|| योग: कर्मसु कौशलम् ||

Mananeeya Eknathji says We have been called upon to execute whatever is essential and possible as willed by God. This is SERVICE. We are doing His work. Matkarma paramo bhava B.G. XII.10. Such work elevates us and leads to Self-realization, which is the supreme goal of human life. This work is done in freedom and not in slavery; for it liberates us from the cycle of births and deaths. Even the most trifling desires make us slaves and degenerate us. Here there is no slavery. In doing His work there is no slavery and there is no thought of success or failure. Sukhadukhe same kritva labhalabho jayajayau B.G.II.36.
The Lord says : Live the life of Karma Yoga. That it good enough. May you become one for whom karma done for 'Me' is the ultimate - Matkarma paramo bhav. It is the ultimate in the sense that it is the means that he commits himself to for the antah-karan-shuddhi required for Jnana. Knowing what is it to do the work for the sake of Lord is very much necessary.
Is it that like a master needs the services of his servant? The master gives the orders, telling exactly what has to be done and the servant obliges in return for some payment. Both stand to gain from the transaction. Does the Lord also tell you to do specific things whereby he is going to accomplish something? Does he expect to benefit from your activity? If so, he is not Ishvara. Doing something for the sake of Lord cannot be for his benefit because Bhagavan is always Poorna, complete. He has all that one could wish for in absolute measure. So, it is not for his sake. Suppose you do it for your sake. Then it is not karma-yoga. Doing karma for Lord's sake is doing it as an expression of your devotion to Him. This is dedicated to the Lord. Doing work for the sake of the Lord is an attitude and that is what needs to be developed.

Glory in doing God's work

|| योग: कर्मसु कौशलम् ||

Nimittamatram Bhav Savyachin – Arjuna could send arrows even by left hand with same efficiency as that of right hand.  It shows his prowess. Mananeeya Eknathji also must have meant the similar thing while addressing it to the karyakartas. We should use our both hands to do the work that is in front of us. With all might the work is to be taken up and no effort should be left undone.  

 'Therefore,' the Lord says, 'may you be purely an instrument.' All that the Arjuna has to do is to send some arrows. That is his part in the scheme of things. He is presented here with something, which he did not ask for and in fact did not want. So, it is very clear that it is his prarabhda. There is a scheme behind all this. 'Therefore,' Krishna says, 'do not bring your will into this and disturb the whole thing. Because, here, any decision based on your will would be adharma. Your will must conform to 'what is to be done.' And here, 'what is to be done' is very obvious. Therefore, get up and be a mere instrument in the ensuing battle.' Everything is waiting for you. All you have to do is to send some of those arrows of yours. The enemies will all fall like pack of cards.

Eknathji is similarly telling all of us to give all that is in your capacity to do the work that has come to your lot. It must be one's prarabdha. It is only to be done as God has ordained it for us. As niyatam karma, it is to be done. As an instrument – tav eva karyartham- bhava is to be strengthened and work is to be done. It is the glory to have this bhava and do God's work.