NonprofitEye

Who can put Jesus, Confucius, Dr. Strange, Emma Goldman and Eliza Doolittle all in the same thought? Read on as a Nonprofit Eye reader (Janet) responds to last weeks post: Applying Karma Yoga in the Workplace : Ah grasshopper, with the dawn of awakening knowledge comes the morning fog of obscured certainty save for one truth: all is karma. Or, as they put it in the Fram oil filter commercials: pay me now or pay me later . It may be possible to use a Calvinist metric to evaluate one's life choices: those who make the best choices are demonstrating their closeness to nirvana. Or not. Is the path to enlightenment so easy to discern? If only it were so. We look at choices others make and then compare our own actions and motives. It is strangely remarkable that very few of us , in our own estimation, ever live up to the standards we esteem in others . We mistake the simple answer and the shortest route as the one true path: the person who washes the dishes or cleans the toilets without ...

Part I in a series examining nonprofit service and "doing good" What does karma OR yoga have to do with nonprofits?" If you think of yoga as an exercise class with a bit of de-stressing meditation, then the answer would seem to be "nothing". Bear with me on this one. I think we'd all agree that nonprofit work is based on the principles of doing good.  The reality is that our work may be driven by political goals, seeking funds, getting paid and getting noticed (publicity). Where does Karma yoga (Sanskrit: कर्म योग) fit in? Karma Yoga is one of the four pillars of Yoga, consisting of entirely selfless service, in which the Ego is given up. It is the path of doing the right thing, of following ones' personal Dharma and accepting destiny. In less abstract terms, Karma Yoga might be cleaning toilets or washing dishes. Doing any type of service without seeking any remuneration in the shape of wealth, satisfaction, name or fame. So this got me thi...