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Karma-Yoga and Bhakti-Yoga
By Swami Vivekananda, Karma-Yoga and Bhakti-Yoga describes the way to reach perfection through the performance of daily work in a non-attached spirit (i.e. Karma-Yoga - the path of selfless action) and by sublimating human affection into divine love (i.e. Bhakti-Yoga - the path of divine love). Karma-Yoga and Bhakti-Yoga , along with Jnna-Yoga and Rja-Yoga , are considered classics and outstanding treatises on Hindu philosophy. Swami Vivekananda's deep spiritual insight, fervid eloquence, and broad human sympathy shine forth in these works and offer inspiration to all spiritual seekers.
316 pages, Paperback
First published February 21, 1955
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Vivekananda
1,668 books1,586 followers"Arise Awake and Stop not til the goal is reached"
Vivekananda left a body of philosophical works (see Vivekananda's complete works). His books (compiled from lectures given around the world) on the four Yogas (Raja Yoga, Karma Yoga, Bhakti Yoga and Jnana Yoga) are very influential and still seen as fundamental texts for anyone interested in the Hindu practice of Yoga. His letters are of great literary and spiritual value. He was also considered a very good singer and a poet.By the time of his death, He had composed many songs including his favorite Kali the Mother. He used humor for his teachings and was also an excellent cook. His language is very free flowing. His own Bengali writings stand testimony to the fact that he believed that words - spoken or written - should be for making things easier to understand rather than show off the speaker or writer's knowledge.
Swami Vivekananda [ স্বামী বিবেকানন্দ ] (1863 – 1902), born Narendranath Datta, was an Indian Hindu monk, philosopher, author, religious teacher, and the chief disciple of the Indian mystic Ramakrishna. He was a key figure in the introduction of Vedanta and Yoga to the Western world and is credited with raising interfaith awareness, and bringing Hinduism to the status of a major world religion.
Born in Calcutta, Bengal Presidency, British India (present-day Kolkata, West Bengal, India)
Vivekananda left a body of philosophical works (see Vivekananda's complete works). His books (compiled from lectures given around the world) on the four Yogas (Raja Yoga, Karma Yoga, Bhakti Yoga and Jnana Yoga) are very influential and still seen as fundamental texts for anyone interested in the Hindu practice of Yoga. His letters are of great literary and spiritual value. He was also considered a very good singer and a poet.By the time of his death, He had composed many songs including his favorite Kali the Mother. He used humor for his teachings and was also an excellent cook. His language is very free flowing. His own Bengali writings stand testimony to the fact that he believed that words - spoken or written - should be for making things easier to understand rather than show off the speaker or writer's knowledge.
Swami Vivekananda [ স্বামী বিবেকানন্দ ] (1863 – 1902), born Narendranath Datta, was an Indian Hindu monk, philosopher, author, religious teacher, and the chief disciple of the Indian mystic Ramakrishna. He was a key figure in the introduction of Vedanta and Yoga to the Western world and is credited with raising interfaith awareness, and bringing Hinduism to the status of a major world religion.
Born in Calcutta, Bengal Presidency, British India (present-day Kolkata, West Bengal, India)
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Displaying 1 - 22 of 22 reviews
September 5, 2010
This book covers two of the most important spiritual paths of Hinduism in eloquent and evocative language with a direct appeal to the heart.
However, by no means is it restricted to a particular belief or sect. This book is a collection of speeches and writings of Swami Vivekananda on Karma and Bhakti Yoga; the lectures read together very well and if one were not told in advance that this was a collection, it would read just like a book.
Swami Vivekananda has a genius for giving an unexpected angle of thought to these subjects. The logic and reason of these paths are brilliantly treated. We see that these are not doctrinal paths but teachings which are in harmony with modern science and thought. The wisdom of Karma Yoga provides a vital input on leading our lives in the modern age, and Bhakti Yoga, interpreted in such rational language, is as relevant today as it was in ancient times.
It is to the credit of Swami Vivekananda that he makes us realize the importance of these teachings and brings them alive for us. This book is a must for all who wish to practice spirituality in the modern age.
However, by no means is it restricted to a particular belief or sect. This book is a collection of speeches and writings of Swami Vivekananda on Karma and Bhakti Yoga; the lectures read together very well and if one were not told in advance that this was a collection, it would read just like a book.
Swami Vivekananda has a genius for giving an unexpected angle of thought to these subjects. The logic and reason of these paths are brilliantly treated. We see that these are not doctrinal paths but teachings which are in harmony with modern science and thought. The wisdom of Karma Yoga provides a vital input on leading our lives in the modern age, and Bhakti Yoga, interpreted in such rational language, is as relevant today as it was in ancient times.
It is to the credit of Swami Vivekananda that he makes us realize the importance of these teachings and brings them alive for us. This book is a must for all who wish to practice spirituality in the modern age.
September 3, 2007
Simple way to understand one selve
April 3, 2011
A good description of true yoga philosophy and leading, or attempting to lead, a life of virtue.
October 24, 2015
This book i guess,is one of the best work to help understand the Hindu religion from a rational point of view.A complete delight to read.Swami vivekananda breaks the myth and misunderstanding related with yoga and religion in such a holistic way,it becomes difficult to stop reading once we start the book.All praise for this one.
April 25, 2010
I remember reading this book ten years ago and still Vivekananda's words speak louder to me then my own voice. This book is recommended for anyone who's faith needs a good kick in the ass! The translation of this amazing book is flawless!
October 9, 2014
Good book for self visualisation and to control your self and evil karma.
October 29, 2020
5 Stars!
August 29, 2019
Very enchanting
January 12, 2026
I lost Caesar Bose, a very close friend of mine, to cancer in the year 2017. He was three years my senior and one of the ace scholars I have had the privilege of knowing. We had started a project in 2009, wherein we sought to make a judiciously curated list of the toughest, most intellectually demanding, dense, or conceptually challenging books ever written — across philosophy, literature, science, mathematics, theology, psychoanalysis, linguistics, and critical theory. In this list would be books known for difficulty of language, abstraction, structure, or depth. We grouped them by category so the list was useful and not random. These books find a place in my ‘Toughest Read Shelf’. It is my obeisance to Caesar.
Today, January 12, marks the birth anniversary of Swami Vivekananda and is observed across India as National Youth Day. The day commemorates his enduring legacy, celebrates his ideals, and inspires young people to take an active role in nation-building, recognizing him as a seminal spiritual leader and philosopher who carried Vedanta and Yoga to the West.
What is this book all about?
‘Karma-Yoga and Bhakti-Yoga’ is Vivekananda doing something quietly radical: ‘‘rescuing action and devotion from moral laziness and emotional excess’’.
These are not two soft alternatives to the hard path of knowledge. They are ‘‘full disciplines’’, as rigorous as Jñāna-Yoga or Rāja-Yoga—just oriented toward different human temperaments.
Vivekananda’s starting point is brutally simple: ‘‘most human beings cannot renounce the world’’. They act, they love, they desire, they suffer. Any philosophy that ignores this is either dishonest or elitist. So the question is not whether we act or love—but ‘‘how’’.
‘Karma-Yoga’ addresses action. ‘Bhakti-Yoga’ addresses love. Together, they confront the two most powerful forces shaping human life.
Karma-Yoga, as Vivekananda presents it, is not about good deeds or social service alone. It is about ‘‘non-attachment to outcomes’’. Work must be done—not for reward, recognition, heaven, or even moral satisfaction—but because action itself is unavoidable.
The yogic task is to ‘‘remove the ego from action’’.
This is not passivity. It is ferocious clarity.
Vivekananda insists that action binds not because of action itself, but because of ‘‘expectation’’.
The moment the ego claims ownership—’I did’, ‘I deserve’, ‘I failed’—karma tightens its grip. Karma-Yoga trains the practitioner to act fully while refusing the psychological aftertaste.
This idea destabilizes both capitalist productivity and religious merit systems. You cannot hoard virtue. You cannot monetize goodness. You act because action is your nature.
Bhagavad Gītā hums beneath every page: ‘karmanye vādhikāras te mā phaleṣu kadācana’. Vivekananda modernizes it without weakening it. Action becomes spiritual ‘‘only when it ceases to be transactional’’.
Bhakti-Yoga, meanwhile, tackles love—the most dangerous force of all.
Vivekananda does not romanticize devotion. He dissects it. Ordinary love, he says, is possessive, fearful, conditional. It wants security, reciprocation, control. Bhakti-Yoga purifies love by ‘‘redirecting it toward the infinite’’, where it can no longer demand returns.
This is not sentimental devotion. It is love stripped of bargaining.
God, in Vivekananda’s Bhakti, is not a cosmic parent managing rewards and punishments. God is the ‘‘highest object of love’’, chosen not out of fear but freedom.
The devotee loves because love overflows, not because salvation is at stake.
Vivekananda draws from Nārada Bhakti-Sūtras, Purāṇic devotion, and Advaitic metaphysics, but he reframes devotion psychologically. Bhakti becomes ‘‘ego-dissolving affection’’. When love is total, the self disappears. Where the self disappears, bondage ends.
What makes this book remarkable is that Vivekananda refuses hierarchy. Karma-Yoga is not inferior to Bhakti-Yoga, nor vice versa. One disciplines will, the other emotion. One purifies action, the other intention. Both aim at the same liberation.
Shakespeare’s line—“Love is not love which alters when it alteration finds”—could serve as Bhakti-Yoga’s thesis. And Milton’s “They also serve who only stand and wait” echoes Karma-Yoga’s paradox: action without attachment is service at its purest.
Together, these essays form a manifesto for ‘‘engaged spirituality’’—one that does not flee the world but transforms one’s relationship to it.
Why, then, does the book feel overwhelming—even intimidating?
1) Firstly because Vivekananda ‘‘does not flatter the reader’s morality or emotions’’. Karma-Yoga becomes intimidating the moment one realizes how deeply ego infects action. We like to believe we act selflessly, but Vivekananda exposes the hidden economy of expectation: praise, gratitude, legacy, moral superiority. Karma-Yoga demands action ‘‘without psychological profit’’. That is harder than renunciation.
2) The intimidation grows when Vivekananda insists that even ‘doing good’ can bind. Philanthropy can inflate ego. Activism can harden identity. Moral righteousness can become spiritual vanity. The book does not allow comfortable goodness.
3) Bhakti-Yoga intimidates in a different way. It demands ‘‘total vulnerability’’. Love without demand. Devotion without bargaining. Faith without fear-based obedience. For modern readers trained in irony and emotional self-defense, this level of openness feels dangerous.
4) There is also intellectual intimidation. Vivekananda moves effortlessly between Vedānta, dualistic devotion, psychology, and ethics. He refuses simplistic God-talk while refusing reductionist psychology. Readers looking for either pure mysticism or pure rationalism feel displaced.
5) Another source of overwhelm is Vivekananda’s moral strength. He assumes the reader is capable of discipline, restraint, and courage. There is no therapeutic lowering of the bar. He does not say, “Do your best.” He says, “Train yourself.”
6) Finally, the book unsettles because it ‘‘removes excuses’’. You cannot say, “I am too worldly.” Karma-Yoga embraces worldliness without bondage. You cannot say, “I am too emotional.” Bhakti-Yoga sanctifies emotion without illusion. No temperament is exempt.
And now we arrive at the unavoidable reckoning. Why is it tough? And even if it is, what makes this text worth reading time and again?
It is tough because it insists that ‘‘freedom must penetrate daily life’’, not hover above it.
‘Karma-Yoga and Bhakti-Yoga’ are not philosophies to admire—they are disciplines that interrogate every motive. They ask: Why do you act? Why do you love? What do you secretly expect in return?
The toughness lies in their honesty. Ego does not disappear easily. Attachment disguises itself as virtue. Love hides fear. Vivekananda refuses to let the reader spiritualize weakness.
And yet, this is exactly why the book endures.
Each rereading exposes new layers of attachment. At one stage, Karma-Yoga feels like advice for work. Later, it becomes a critique of identity. Bhakti-Yoga may first appear religious, then psychological, then existential.
In a hyper-competitive world, Karma-Yoga offers relief without apathy. In an emotionally starved culture, Bhakti-Yoga offers love without possession. Together, they form a counter-ethic to burnout, cynicism, and performative morality.
Latin wisdom captures the spirit: ‘Non sibi sed omnibus’—not for oneself but for all. Vivekananda radicalizes this by adding: not even for the satisfaction of serving all.
And Sanskrit seals it: ‘na karmāṇām anārambhān naiṣkarmyaṃ puruṣo’śnute’—not by avoiding action does one attain freedom.
The text is worth rereading because it does not age. Action and love remain unavoidable. Ego remains cunning. Attachment remains subtle. As long as humans act and love, this book remains relevant.
It does not promise peace. It promises ‘‘clarity’’.
It does not offer escape. It offers ‘‘integration’’.
That is why it is tough.
And that is why it keeps calling readers back—again, and again, and again.
Most recommended.
Today, January 12, marks the birth anniversary of Swami Vivekananda and is observed across India as National Youth Day. The day commemorates his enduring legacy, celebrates his ideals, and inspires young people to take an active role in nation-building, recognizing him as a seminal spiritual leader and philosopher who carried Vedanta and Yoga to the West.
What is this book all about?
‘Karma-Yoga and Bhakti-Yoga’ is Vivekananda doing something quietly radical: ‘‘rescuing action and devotion from moral laziness and emotional excess’’.
These are not two soft alternatives to the hard path of knowledge. They are ‘‘full disciplines’’, as rigorous as Jñāna-Yoga or Rāja-Yoga—just oriented toward different human temperaments.
Vivekananda’s starting point is brutally simple: ‘‘most human beings cannot renounce the world’’. They act, they love, they desire, they suffer. Any philosophy that ignores this is either dishonest or elitist. So the question is not whether we act or love—but ‘‘how’’.
‘Karma-Yoga’ addresses action. ‘Bhakti-Yoga’ addresses love. Together, they confront the two most powerful forces shaping human life.
Karma-Yoga, as Vivekananda presents it, is not about good deeds or social service alone. It is about ‘‘non-attachment to outcomes’’. Work must be done—not for reward, recognition, heaven, or even moral satisfaction—but because action itself is unavoidable.
The yogic task is to ‘‘remove the ego from action’’.
This is not passivity. It is ferocious clarity.
Vivekananda insists that action binds not because of action itself, but because of ‘‘expectation’’.
The moment the ego claims ownership—’I did’, ‘I deserve’, ‘I failed’—karma tightens its grip. Karma-Yoga trains the practitioner to act fully while refusing the psychological aftertaste.
This idea destabilizes both capitalist productivity and religious merit systems. You cannot hoard virtue. You cannot monetize goodness. You act because action is your nature.
Bhagavad Gītā hums beneath every page: ‘karmanye vādhikāras te mā phaleṣu kadācana’. Vivekananda modernizes it without weakening it. Action becomes spiritual ‘‘only when it ceases to be transactional’’.
Bhakti-Yoga, meanwhile, tackles love—the most dangerous force of all.
Vivekananda does not romanticize devotion. He dissects it. Ordinary love, he says, is possessive, fearful, conditional. It wants security, reciprocation, control. Bhakti-Yoga purifies love by ‘‘redirecting it toward the infinite’’, where it can no longer demand returns.
This is not sentimental devotion. It is love stripped of bargaining.
God, in Vivekananda’s Bhakti, is not a cosmic parent managing rewards and punishments. God is the ‘‘highest object of love’’, chosen not out of fear but freedom.
The devotee loves because love overflows, not because salvation is at stake.
Vivekananda draws from Nārada Bhakti-Sūtras, Purāṇic devotion, and Advaitic metaphysics, but he reframes devotion psychologically. Bhakti becomes ‘‘ego-dissolving affection’’. When love is total, the self disappears. Where the self disappears, bondage ends.
What makes this book remarkable is that Vivekananda refuses hierarchy. Karma-Yoga is not inferior to Bhakti-Yoga, nor vice versa. One disciplines will, the other emotion. One purifies action, the other intention. Both aim at the same liberation.
Shakespeare’s line—“Love is not love which alters when it alteration finds”—could serve as Bhakti-Yoga’s thesis. And Milton’s “They also serve who only stand and wait” echoes Karma-Yoga’s paradox: action without attachment is service at its purest.
Together, these essays form a manifesto for ‘‘engaged spirituality’’—one that does not flee the world but transforms one’s relationship to it.
Why, then, does the book feel overwhelming—even intimidating?
1) Firstly because Vivekananda ‘‘does not flatter the reader’s morality or emotions’’. Karma-Yoga becomes intimidating the moment one realizes how deeply ego infects action. We like to believe we act selflessly, but Vivekananda exposes the hidden economy of expectation: praise, gratitude, legacy, moral superiority. Karma-Yoga demands action ‘‘without psychological profit’’. That is harder than renunciation.
2) The intimidation grows when Vivekananda insists that even ‘doing good’ can bind. Philanthropy can inflate ego. Activism can harden identity. Moral righteousness can become spiritual vanity. The book does not allow comfortable goodness.
3) Bhakti-Yoga intimidates in a different way. It demands ‘‘total vulnerability’’. Love without demand. Devotion without bargaining. Faith without fear-based obedience. For modern readers trained in irony and emotional self-defense, this level of openness feels dangerous.
4) There is also intellectual intimidation. Vivekananda moves effortlessly between Vedānta, dualistic devotion, psychology, and ethics. He refuses simplistic God-talk while refusing reductionist psychology. Readers looking for either pure mysticism or pure rationalism feel displaced.
5) Another source of overwhelm is Vivekananda’s moral strength. He assumes the reader is capable of discipline, restraint, and courage. There is no therapeutic lowering of the bar. He does not say, “Do your best.” He says, “Train yourself.”
6) Finally, the book unsettles because it ‘‘removes excuses’’. You cannot say, “I am too worldly.” Karma-Yoga embraces worldliness without bondage. You cannot say, “I am too emotional.” Bhakti-Yoga sanctifies emotion without illusion. No temperament is exempt.
And now we arrive at the unavoidable reckoning. Why is it tough? And even if it is, what makes this text worth reading time and again?
It is tough because it insists that ‘‘freedom must penetrate daily life’’, not hover above it.
‘Karma-Yoga and Bhakti-Yoga’ are not philosophies to admire—they are disciplines that interrogate every motive. They ask: Why do you act? Why do you love? What do you secretly expect in return?
The toughness lies in their honesty. Ego does not disappear easily. Attachment disguises itself as virtue. Love hides fear. Vivekananda refuses to let the reader spiritualize weakness.
And yet, this is exactly why the book endures.
Each rereading exposes new layers of attachment. At one stage, Karma-Yoga feels like advice for work. Later, it becomes a critique of identity. Bhakti-Yoga may first appear religious, then psychological, then existential.
In a hyper-competitive world, Karma-Yoga offers relief without apathy. In an emotionally starved culture, Bhakti-Yoga offers love without possession. Together, they form a counter-ethic to burnout, cynicism, and performative morality.
Latin wisdom captures the spirit: ‘Non sibi sed omnibus’—not for oneself but for all. Vivekananda radicalizes this by adding: not even for the satisfaction of serving all.
And Sanskrit seals it: ‘na karmāṇām anārambhān naiṣkarmyaṃ puruṣo’śnute’—not by avoiding action does one attain freedom.
The text is worth rereading because it does not age. Action and love remain unavoidable. Ego remains cunning. Attachment remains subtle. As long as humans act and love, this book remains relevant.
It does not promise peace. It promises ‘‘clarity’’.
It does not offer escape. It offers ‘‘integration’’.
That is why it is tough.
And that is why it keeps calling readers back—again, and again, and again.
Most recommended.
June 30, 2017
Wisdom for life. Read it for my yoga teacher training and found the concepts deeply thought-provoking and applicable to my own Christian beliefs. Definitely changes the way that you think about your day job. If it feels unsatisfying now, reading this book can help you see purpose in work, whatever it is that you do. He also touches on love and virtue in relation to each other, wisdom that young people need these days. Still relevant!
December 13, 2024
Even though at times it was a challenging read, I cannot put less than 5 stars because of the condensed knowledge that has been seeped in the book by no other than Swami Vivekanada. I am always fascinated with the wealth and depth of his knowledge. But I must admit that I enjoyed the last part of the book at most, which consisted of his lecture transcripts. The lucidity and clarity he has when talking about things like religion, yoga, Indian history and devotion to god is just something else. This is definitely a book that need to be opened and re-read once in a while to gain inspiration and clarity in life. Through source of gyāna.
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November 23, 2025I can see why Swami Vivekananda captured the imagination of not only vast multitudes of nationalists in India during the Freedom Struggles but also of the West after the Parliament of Religion. His writings embodies the very essence of the Hindu way of life and philosophy without sounding archaic. I can see why he captured the mind of later geniuses like Sri Aurobindo in the way he captures the discourse of intricate philosophy in easy and flawless language.
August 15, 2025
Expected this to be a rational account of vedic interpretations but was grossly dissapointed with sole reliance on faith to explain most of the claims. The figure as revered as Swami Vivekananda has adopted a "It is true because it is written in vedas" mentality thoughout this book which closes the gates to acceptance of any ideas for me.
November 8, 2019
It's all about Karma at the end of the day...namaslay!!!!
March 31, 2023
Another simple and clear explanation for two important paths of Yoga.
June 19, 2023
Answered a lot of questions about spirituality. Loved every minute of it! Must read
November 26, 2023
A lot of wisdom but mostly known to all of us. A few very rudimentary ideas too which may not be shared by many now.
December 1, 2023
"Karma-Yoga and Bhakti-Yoga" by Swami Vivekananda emerges as a timeless guide to achieving perfection through the profound paths of selfless action (Karma-Yoga) and divine love (Bhakti-Yoga). In this classic work, Swamiji elucidates the transformative power embedded in the performance of daily tasks with a spirit of non-attachment and the elevation of human affection into a sublime connection with the divine!
The essence of Karma-Yoga lies in the art of performing actions without attachment to the fruits of those actions. Swami Vivekananda advocates the idea that true spiritual evolution occurs when individuals engage in their daily duties with a sense of selflessness and detachment from personal gains. The book delves into the philosophy that the motive behind one's actions determines the spiritual value of those actions. Through Karma-Yoga, Swamiji guides readers on a path that leads to the perfection of the soul by transforming mundane tasks into sacred offerings.
Bhakti-Yoga, the path of divine love, is another cornerstone of Swami Vivekananda's teachings. Here, the focus is on sublimating human affection into a profound connection with the divine. Swamiji emphasizes the idea that genuine love, when directed towards the divine, becomes a powerful force that can lead individuals to spiritual fulfillment. Bhakti-Yoga, as presented in the book, is not merely a religious sentiment but a dynamic force capable of transcending worldly attachments and fostering a deep, unbreakable connection with the divine.
Both Karma-Yoga and Bhakti-Yoga are integral components of the broader spectrum of Hindu philosophy. Swami Vivekananda, with his deep spiritual insight, eloquence, and universal compassion, masterfully explores these paths, providing invaluable guidance for spiritual seekers. His teachings offer practical insights that are not confined to a specific religious or cultural context but resonate with the fundamental principles of human existence.
The enduring appeal of "Karma-Yoga and Bhakti-Yoga" lies in its ability to transcend time and cultural boundaries. Swami Vivekananda's teachings remain relevant and accessible to readers across the globe, regardless of their spiritual background. The book serves as a source of inspiration for those navigating the complexities of modern life, offering profound wisdom on how to infuse daily activities with spiritual significance and cultivate a deep, heartfelt connection with the divine.
In conclusion, "Karma-Yoga and Bhakti-Yoga" stands as a testament to Swami Vivekananda's brilliance as a spiritual guide. The book not only elucidates the philosophical underpinnings of Karma-Yoga and Bhakti-Yoga but also provides practical tools for incorporating these transformative practices into one's life. For anyone seeking spiritual enrichment and a deeper understanding of the paths to self-realization, this work remains an invaluable and illuminating guide!
The essence of Karma-Yoga lies in the art of performing actions without attachment to the fruits of those actions. Swami Vivekananda advocates the idea that true spiritual evolution occurs when individuals engage in their daily duties with a sense of selflessness and detachment from personal gains. The book delves into the philosophy that the motive behind one's actions determines the spiritual value of those actions. Through Karma-Yoga, Swamiji guides readers on a path that leads to the perfection of the soul by transforming mundane tasks into sacred offerings.
Bhakti-Yoga, the path of divine love, is another cornerstone of Swami Vivekananda's teachings. Here, the focus is on sublimating human affection into a profound connection with the divine. Swamiji emphasizes the idea that genuine love, when directed towards the divine, becomes a powerful force that can lead individuals to spiritual fulfillment. Bhakti-Yoga, as presented in the book, is not merely a religious sentiment but a dynamic force capable of transcending worldly attachments and fostering a deep, unbreakable connection with the divine.
Both Karma-Yoga and Bhakti-Yoga are integral components of the broader spectrum of Hindu philosophy. Swami Vivekananda, with his deep spiritual insight, eloquence, and universal compassion, masterfully explores these paths, providing invaluable guidance for spiritual seekers. His teachings offer practical insights that are not confined to a specific religious or cultural context but resonate with the fundamental principles of human existence.
The enduring appeal of "Karma-Yoga and Bhakti-Yoga" lies in its ability to transcend time and cultural boundaries. Swami Vivekananda's teachings remain relevant and accessible to readers across the globe, regardless of their spiritual background. The book serves as a source of inspiration for those navigating the complexities of modern life, offering profound wisdom on how to infuse daily activities with spiritual significance and cultivate a deep, heartfelt connection with the divine.
In conclusion, "Karma-Yoga and Bhakti-Yoga" stands as a testament to Swami Vivekananda's brilliance as a spiritual guide. The book not only elucidates the philosophical underpinnings of Karma-Yoga and Bhakti-Yoga but also provides practical tools for incorporating these transformative practices into one's life. For anyone seeking spiritual enrichment and a deeper understanding of the paths to self-realization, this work remains an invaluable and illuminating guide!
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March 15, 2016Karma-Yoga
Traduit de l’anglais par Jean Herbert (Union des Imprimeries, Frameries, Belgique). – Ce livre est, dans l’ensemble, meilleur que le précédent, sans doute parce qu’il touche moins à des questions d’ordre proprement doctrinal et intellectuel ; c’est, si l’on veut, une sorte de commentaire de la Bhagavad-Gîtâ, qui n’en envisage à vrai dire qu’un aspect très partiel, mais qui est en somme acceptable dans les limites où il se tient ; l’idée du swadharma, celle du « détachement » à l’égard des résultats de l’action, sont assez correctement exposées ; mais l’action ne devrait pas être prise seulement sous l’acception trop restreinte du « travail », et, malgré tout, les tendances « moralisantes » et « humanitaires » de l’auteur sont parfois un peu trop sensibles pour qu’on n’en éprouve pas une certaine gêne, quand on sait combien elles sont étrangères au véritable esprit de la doctrine hindoue.
Bhakti-Yoga. Traduit de l’anglais par Lizelle Reymond et Jean Herbert (Union des Imprimeries, Frameries, Belgique). – Il y a dans ce recueil des choses assez hétérogènes, car les considérations sur les Avatâras, sur la nécessité du guru, sur les mantras et les pratîkas (et non prâtikas comme il est écrit par erreur), n’ont pas de rapport direct et spécial avec la voie de bhakti, mais ont en réalité une portée beaucoup plus étendue ; elles se réduisent d’ailleurs ici à des aperçus très sommaires et plutôt superficiels. Quant à la notion même de bhakti, des idées comme celles d’« amour » et de « renonciation » ne suffisent peut-être pas à la définir, surtout si, comme c’est ici le cas, on ne cherche pas à les rattacher à son sens premier, qui est celui de « participation ». Il n’est peut-être pas très juste, d’autre part, de parler de la « simplicité » du Bhakti-Yoga, dès lors qu’on reconnaît qu’il se distingue nettement des formes inférieures de bhakti ; celles-ci peuvent être pour les « simples », mais on n’en peut dire autant d’aucun Yoga ; et, pour ce qui est de l’aspiration vers un « idéal » quelconque, ce n’est plus là de la bhakti, même inférieure, mais un pur enfantillage à l’usage des modernes qui n’ont plus d’attache effective avec aucune tradition. Nous devons aussi noter, comme erreur de détail, la traduction tout à fait fautive de para et apara par « supérieur » et « inférieur » ; on ne peut les rendre que par « suprême » et « non-suprême », ce qui marque une relation totalement différente ; et, étant donné ce à quoi ces termes s’appliquent, il n’est pas difficile de comprendre qu’il y a là beaucoup plus qu’une simple question de mots.
Traduit de l’anglais par Jean Herbert (Union des Imprimeries, Frameries, Belgique). – Ce livre est, dans l’ensemble, meilleur que le précédent, sans doute parce qu’il touche moins à des questions d’ordre proprement doctrinal et intellectuel ; c’est, si l’on veut, une sorte de commentaire de la Bhagavad-Gîtâ, qui n’en envisage à vrai dire qu’un aspect très partiel, mais qui est en somme acceptable dans les limites où il se tient ; l’idée du swadharma, celle du « détachement » à l’égard des résultats de l’action, sont assez correctement exposées ; mais l’action ne devrait pas être prise seulement sous l’acception trop restreinte du « travail », et, malgré tout, les tendances « moralisantes » et « humanitaires » de l’auteur sont parfois un peu trop sensibles pour qu’on n’en éprouve pas une certaine gêne, quand on sait combien elles sont étrangères au véritable esprit de la doctrine hindoue.
Bhakti-Yoga. Traduit de l’anglais par Lizelle Reymond et Jean Herbert (Union des Imprimeries, Frameries, Belgique). – Il y a dans ce recueil des choses assez hétérogènes, car les considérations sur les Avatâras, sur la nécessité du guru, sur les mantras et les pratîkas (et non prâtikas comme il est écrit par erreur), n’ont pas de rapport direct et spécial avec la voie de bhakti, mais ont en réalité une portée beaucoup plus étendue ; elles se réduisent d’ailleurs ici à des aperçus très sommaires et plutôt superficiels. Quant à la notion même de bhakti, des idées comme celles d’« amour » et de « renonciation » ne suffisent peut-être pas à la définir, surtout si, comme c’est ici le cas, on ne cherche pas à les rattacher à son sens premier, qui est celui de « participation ». Il n’est peut-être pas très juste, d’autre part, de parler de la « simplicité » du Bhakti-Yoga, dès lors qu’on reconnaît qu’il se distingue nettement des formes inférieures de bhakti ; celles-ci peuvent être pour les « simples », mais on n’en peut dire autant d’aucun Yoga ; et, pour ce qui est de l’aspiration vers un « idéal » quelconque, ce n’est plus là de la bhakti, même inférieure, mais un pur enfantillage à l’usage des modernes qui n’ont plus d’attache effective avec aucune tradition. Nous devons aussi noter, comme erreur de détail, la traduction tout à fait fautive de para et apara par « supérieur » et « inférieur » ; on ne peut les rendre que par « suprême » et « non-suprême », ce qui marque une relation totalement différente ; et, étant donné ce à quoi ces termes s’appliquent, il n’est pas difficile de comprendre qu’il y a là beaucoup plus qu’une simple question de mots.
September 4, 2014
As pleasure and pain pass before his soul they have upon it
different pictures, and the result of these combined impressions is what is called man's "character". If you take the character of any man, it really is but the aggregate of tendencies, the sum total of the bent of his mind; you will find that misery and happiness are equal factors in the formation of that character. Good and evil have an equal share in moulding character, and in some instances misery is a greater teacher than happiness. In studying the great characters the world has produced, I dare say, in the vast majority of cases, it would be found that it was misery that taught more than happiness, it was poverty that taught more than wealth, it was blows that brought out their inner fire more than
praise.
Knowledge is inherent in man. No knowledge comes from outside; it is all inside. What we say a man "knows", should, in strict psychological language, be what he "discovers" or "unveils"; what a man "learns" is really what he "discovers", by taking the cover off his own soul, which is a mine of infinite knowledge.
different pictures, and the result of these combined impressions is what is called man's "character". If you take the character of any man, it really is but the aggregate of tendencies, the sum total of the bent of his mind; you will find that misery and happiness are equal factors in the formation of that character. Good and evil have an equal share in moulding character, and in some instances misery is a greater teacher than happiness. In studying the great characters the world has produced, I dare say, in the vast majority of cases, it would be found that it was misery that taught more than happiness, it was poverty that taught more than wealth, it was blows that brought out their inner fire more than
praise.
Knowledge is inherent in man. No knowledge comes from outside; it is all inside. What we say a man "knows", should, in strict psychological language, be what he "discovers" or "unveils"; what a man "learns" is really what he "discovers", by taking the cover off his own soul, which is a mine of infinite knowledge.
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