Karma yoga provides calm amid whirlwind of life.

Byline: FROM HEART TO HEART By Veena Howard For The Register-Guard

The Hindu tradition speaks of four main paths - devotion, meditation, knowledge and action - to realize the ultimate goal of human life: the realization of unity with the divine. This unity culminates in unity with all beings.

The paths of meditation and devotion require a contemplative lifestyle, but the path of action is practiced in our daily life. It neither requires seclusion nor sacred places of worship.

It is this path of action I find appealing yet enigmatic: How could one realize the divine through actions in this everyday life?

Is it possible to achieve peace and harmony amid the whirl of life - hectic schedules, traffic jams, carpooling? We seem to be slaves of the ever-present clock.

I turn, as always, to texts of the Hindu tradition to understand the paradoxical philosophy of karma yoga and the battlefield of our lives in which this yoga of action is performed.

The Bhagavad-Gita, a Hindu sacred text, takes us into real-life situations, a real battlefield, to understand this paradox: how to act so that our life becomes a prayer, a ritual, a means to harmony.

Karma yoga doesn't require a set of rituals and practices but makes the work itself a sacrament.

Making the work a means of spiritual fulfillment requires a change of attitude. To achieve harmony through karma yoga, the approach is threefold:

Develop an attitude of service. Instead of considering life's tasks as obligations, the attitude of service can be developed. All actions may be seen as a means to serve the divine purpose, not as chores.

Develop an attitude of finding joy in each action. When life's daily routine becomes monotonous, notice the miracles of life and mysteries of the divine.

Focus on actions, not on the results. This I find the most formidable, since most of us find the outcome of an action as the motivational force. But focusing on the action itself brings joy and harmony in spite of the success or failure of the end result.

This philosophy of karma yoga is not an easy philosophy to follow. But I have learned from Mahatma Gandhi, a great karma yogi, the courage of experimentation.

As a teacher, writer and mother, I experiment with this philosophy.

I try to apply this philosophy in my teaching. When I teach, every lecture is crafted to serve my students and I rejoice in unfolding knowledge. When I write, I strive for joy in writing every sentence as an artist finds delight in every brush stroke of a painting, and a musician in every note of a symphony. Each sentence is only meant to unfold my spirit.

And as a mother, I find joy in nurturing and guarding our children as a gardener finds delight in caring for her seedling and protecting his sapling.

There are challenges in following this path, but this striving brings beauty and beatitude into life.

Veena Howard follows the Hindu tradition of the way of saints and sages. "Heart to Heart" is coordinated by the Two Rivers Interfaith Ministries, a network of more than 35 religious and spiritual traditions in the Eugene-Springfield area. For more information, call 344-5693.