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Action is signature of life :
Action is
verily a signature of life. Life manifests most vividly in the form of actions.
If the very life principle is said to be the eternal divinity then its
manifestation in the form of action is indeed its divine fragrance. To be
able to act is indeed a blessing, and anyone who acts in a dynamic,
creative way out of the feeling of well being for all becomes a blessing
for all those around him, and paves the path for his total fulfillment too.
Any philosophy of life which gives due importance to action alone
facilitates people to make the best of their lives and vice versa any philosophy
which professes an inactive life becomes responsible for the fall of
that person, society or the nation. So act we must. We must in fact learn
more about this potent thing called action. We must know the potential and
also the limitations of action.
Act to forge ahead, react to be
left behind :
First let
us try to understand what exactly is an action ? Any movement of our hands
or bodies is not an action. A person turning in his bed while sleeping
drops a glass and in the process makes a thief to run away is not said to
have performed an action, nor does a person reacting to a situation as per
his conditionings is performing any action. Action is one thing and
reaction is another. Action is a deliberate & conscious effort done
with a definite objective in mind. If unconsciously you help someone you
have not done any Punya karma, similarly if unintentionally if you harm
someone you don't commit any sin. That is of course a different matter that
a sensitive person sees to it that even unconsciously he or she does not
harm any one. Animals are programmed to respond in a particular way and
therefore they do not perform any actions. In action there is freedom to
choose our response. I may decide my response on the basis of my past
experiences or may try out something entirely new. I may respond or may not
respond at all. That's freedom. In action there is freedom. In action there
is growth and also evolution. Those who don't know what does action
actually means simply stagnate. A person who constantly exercises his or
her freedom in & through every situation alone acts. Very few people
act, most of us merely react. Those who act alone go ahead, rest are left
behind.
The Potential of Action :
In all
actions there has to be a clearly defined goal. Greater the clarity of
goal, greater will be our energy directed towards it. But, a total action
requires something more, there should also be great sensitivity towards
others. A deliberate act which is done with such a sensitivity to others as
you would expect others to have toward you is called a Punya karma or
virtuous action, while a karma in which in the process of attaining our
goals there is total indifference towards others feelings then such an act
is called Paapa or sin. A person who does punya karma's not only begets
love, consideration & respect of others but also facilitates
manifestation of his various latent qualities & potentials. This leads
to still better karma's and the cyclic effect leads one to still greater
prosperity, contentment and betterment of life. On the other hand if a
person is too desperate to attain something and in the process resorts to
insensitivity & the subsequent Paapa karma's then his selfish
disposition not only ultimately isolates him but the overloaded mind also
cannot bring about its best. Success for such a person is always
questionable, and even if success is brought about then also the cost at
times is so high and the person inspite of getting what he wants remains a
loser. The potential of Punya karma's is great, they can help us attain
even the glories & comforts of heavens. So act we must but in a more
conscientious way.
The greatest potential of action
:
Apart
from the above potential there is one more extremely important and great
potential of action, which is not so often talked about. That potential
pertains to the effect of karma's on our minds rather than its potential in
bringing about the desired situation outside. It is the ability of karma to
make the mind of a person progressively all the more intelligent, sensitive
& strong. The utilization of that potential does not call for any
special act, in fact whatever may be the field of action of a person, in
& through his or her activities the above objective can also be
simultaneously attained. The change is only in the motivation. The usual
motivation in any action is in bringing about a desired extraneous
situation. We want something and work for it. Our love lies in some object
yonder, and action is merely a means to attain that. Our joys manifest on
seeing the results and not earlier. In other words we don't enjoy the very
act of doing some thing but always look beyond to something which is yet to
come. People who are more bothered about the 'fruits' of action, the very
act of doing something is more often a burden, and is left at the earliest
opportunity. The very act is never be a matter of great love or joy. If
however for a person the very act of doing something becomes a matter of
great challenge, love & joy, if somehow the focus is shifted from the
fruits of action which always lies in future, to the 'very act' being done
in the present, then with such a changed perspective & priority not
only the fruits of action will certainly be far better, but at the same
time with this intense living in the present the mind starts unfolding its
various latent qualities and the person is seen to become all the more
efficient, intelligent, sensitive and strong. Do have goals for the future
but not at the cost of potential joys at present. Such an act is possible
only by people who have an intrinsic sense of well-being, fulfillment &
contentment within themselves. It is such people alone who can afford to
act in such a way. They may have great faith in God - the dispenser of all
fruits of actions, or their philosophy of life may convince them of their
basic divinity. Whatever be the case if they can afford to act with the
above motivation then they open the floodgates of their higher growth &
evolution. Such a karma where having once discerned the goal, the entire
attention & love is in the very act of doing the karma, and in &
through his actions is amazed at the beauty & order of things around
becoming in his heart a fan, rather a devotee of one who runs the entire
show, is called as the Nishkama karma. Every act of this person is an act
of love, in every conceivable way. These people enjoy their very work and
are never bother about retirement, the day when they will probably be free
of all this hassle. A person who inculcates such an attitude in &
through all his or her actions is called as a Karma Yogi. Lord Krishna
never feels tired to glorify such an act or such a person. Such an act is
ones doorway to total freedom. Not only doorway to freedom, it verily is an
act of freedom.
The Limitation of Action :
As the
saying goes there are always two sides of any coin. Even though karma's can
take us to the mind boggling heights of heavenly pleasures, they can help
bring about beautiful virtues in the mind, they can bring about great
purity of mind in the form of detachment, contemplativeness &
sensitivity, yet karma's have some limitations. The greatest limitation of
action is that any thing attained through any of our acts is always
transient, it is in the realm of change and thus perishable. No fruits of
actions are permanent, no situation is permanent. All what we attain
through karma's quickly becomes an object of our memories. Karma is not a
means to help attain any thing permanent. If at any point in time we aspire
for something permanent then this great & potent thing called karma
stands helpless. Luckily that which is permanent should by its very
definition be present at all times and places, and therefore has to be
present right here & now. Such a thing which is already attained needs
no karma but merely some deeper awareness, knowledge. Basically karma's
have a role to play whenever we want to produce, modify, purify or attain
something. If this is the goal then karma alone has to be the means, there
is no other way, but in cases where there is no production, modification,
purification or attainment involved then karma's have no role to play. A
person who wants to know his Self or wants to know the truth of things
around, then karma's have no role to play. The basic essence of everyone,
the Atma is declared by the great Rishis of Upanishads as ever-pure,
ever-attained and free from the possibility or necessity of any
modification. It is that which is permanent, divine and also embodiment of
joy. Atma is something to be known and not attained, for the simple reason
that it is our very Self. If we want to know the Self, then we should not
only keep aside all karma's but for a time being even quieten the habitual
tendency to act. At such a moment this habit to act becomes a positive
nuisance.
The Plan of Action :
The plan
of action thus suggested by scriptures is to first learn to act -
deliberately, consciously & later in a Nishkama way, selflessly,
lovingly. Having fulfilled our various desires & responsibilities and
having brought about the necessary purity of mind, turn your attention to
that which is permanent. When such a goal becomes dear then don't let even
this tendency to act turn your attention to any thing extraneous. Such
people should go to their Sat-guru - men of knowledge pertaining to such
things, and try to know that which is here & now. Know your Self, that
which you always are and always was. Having known your true, divine Self
directly, let your fulfillment manifests at all the levels of your
personality. Such people have nothing to attain for themselves, their
account has been settled, they live to serve. Such people act yet they
don't. Let people call their acts in what ever way they like, they live
spontaneously, exuding the divine fragrance of divinity & love all
around them without any barriers of caste, creed, sex, nationality or even
religions. They truly become a world citizen.
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