NITYA KARMA AND NAEMITTIK KARMA

official source: Tattva Kaomudii Part 2

cross-references: also published in Ananda Marga Philosophy in a Nutshell Part 4

this version: is the printed Ananda Marga Philosophy in a Nutshell Part 4, 1st  	edition, version (spelling mistakes only may have been corrected). I.e.,  	this is the most up-to-date version as of the present Electronic Edition.

      The word karma is derived as root verb "kri" + suffix man. Kri means " to do something", and man denotes establishment. (Similarly, dhr + man = dharma) So, word karma means an action which is superior to ordinary action. Both karma and Kriya' mean action in the sense of change of place of an object, yet there is a difference between the two. An action devoid of cosmic ideation is kriya'. If we are to live in the world we must perform actions in order to maintain our physical existence. Whatever we do with our physical organs without a spiritual purpose is our kriya' - sleeping, resting, drinking, eating devoid of cosmic ideation is kriya' and not karma. Actions performed with cosmic ideation are termed karma. So people performing karma should be aware of questions such as " what is my goal? By what means my goal be attained? Hence all karma is kriya' plus something else, but all kriya' is not karma. Some portion of human actions is kriya' while another portion is karma. Performs of kriya' leads to bondage, whereas the performance of karma leads to liberation from bondages. Even rituals and ceremonies are kriya'.

	Kriya' is of two types: Nitya kriya' and naemittik kriya'. Those actions which are essential for the preservation of human existence are nitya kriya', whereas those which are occasional and done with some other purpose are called naemittik kriya'. For instance, eating, bathing, resting, spiritual practice are nitya kriya' because without food, drink, bathing and rest, etc., physical human existence become endangered, and in the absence of spiritual practice human psychic degeneration is unavoidable. Hence, in the daily lives of human beings, spiritual practice is indispensable. Regular spiritual practice leads to psycho-spiritual parallelism. A sadhaka slowly and steadily advances spiritually and finally becomes ensconced in the supreme spiritual stance. Naemittik kriya' is that which are occasional and done with purpose. For instance, employment, study, charity, festivals, and observances, etc. On certain special occasions people perform this naemittik kriya'. Naemittik kriya' may have a certain value in human life but is not as essential as nitya kriya'.

	Human beings often attached less importance to the spiritual aspect of nitya karma and more importance to the physical aspect. This is detrimental because one should not forget that human life is short while act is long. From the very moment of birth one slowly and steadily advances towards death with every passing moment of time. This short period of time from birth to death is human life. Human beings have come from the world of invisibility and at the end of this short span of time will return to the land of invisibility. Those people can be called intelligent who utilised every moment of their short life engaged in spiritual practice. Hence, regarding karma, the view of Ananda Marga is " karma brahmeti, karma bahukurviita ( Karma is Brahma so do as much karma as you can).

6 May 1969, Ranchi
Tattva Kaomudii Part 2