Awareness and right action
AWARENESS AND RIGHT ACTION
I have found awareness as a tool that can give you continuous opportunities to enhance your level of enlightenment through right action. Nobody is "finally" and irrevocably enlightened. All the previous masters who told us that they have found a way are true only as far as "their" way is concerned. His or her way is never suitable for everyone. Every single human being at whatever stage of enlightenment, he or she may be, must develop or enter his or her own way, the Tao. Having one’s own inventory in life can help this. This has to be done with continuous, simultaneous, nonjudgmental and total perception of one's internal and external environment. One must accumulate right people, right thought, right environment, right equipment to go, climb or dive in this path. This leads to action that is total, continuous, wholehearted and simultaneous on both levels. Total action means complete involvement of the motor and sensory components of ones organism, thus simultaneously perceiving and responding in entirety. Continuous means there is no break between sensory input and motor output. This is happening synchronously. Wholehearted means without distraction. Nonjudgmental attitude leads to wholehearted application of one’s self in any action. Simultaneously means sensory inputs modify motor output and motor outputs modify sensory perceptions as a biofeedback loop. Whatever then happens just happens as a kind of "not-doing". Not doing simply means without active interference of ego. Ego remains as a proof of Tai Chi, that black dot in the white sea of awareness. Thus the idea of "fruit" of “my” work is stupid. The process entails action with awareness here and now, with a hazy idea of future and fading impressions of the past.
Awareness and right action are thus always within each other. Complete awareness is synchronous with absolutely right action. Right action is synchronous with complete awareness. Thus the rightness of the action depends upon the degree of awareness. Absolutely right action is floating in the Tao or absolute inaction or complete understanding of the Universal design or effortless effort or appreciating the absolute continuum of the past present and future or no desire to achieve anything or here and now.
Inaction with only awareness is not possible as breathing continues till we are alive. Action without awareness is also difficult as some awareness is there till we are alive. Awareness that "I am not aware" is vital to start with.
Any action can be a reflex action called “reaction” or action that is preceded by desire. This second category can be greatly modified by awareness. Almost all body functions are going on as a kind of reflex mechanism, thus food gets digested and undigested food is expelled. Some functions are reflex as well as under volitional control like breathing. Some functions are totally under volition. These last two functions improve with awareness and awareness improves with improved function. Body becomes aware of the mind and mind becomes aware of the body. If awareness pervades reflex functions either these functions are disturbed leading to harm or these functions come under volitional control as some Yogis can alter their pulse rate.
Anybody who gets completely aware should die a “Rainbow death” as it is called in Tibetan literature. Awareness pervades every single cell and merges with universal awareness. The “Prana” then withdraws itself from every cell and then what remains is just earth and water and elements of the body, which are without “Individual Prana” like hair and nails. It is said that such a release of awareness manifests in the sky by a perfect rainbow in a cloudless sky. This is probably the last “effortless effort” and ultimate “right action” of an enlightened person.
I have found awareness as a tool that can give you continuous opportunities to enhance your level of enlightenment through right action. Nobody is "finally" and irrevocably enlightened. All the previous masters who told us that they have found a way are true only as far as "their" way is concerned. His or her way is never suitable for everyone. Every single human being at whatever stage of enlightenment, he or she may be, must develop or enter his or her own way, the Tao. Having one’s own inventory in life can help this. This has to be done with continuous, simultaneous, nonjudgmental and total perception of one's internal and external environment. One must accumulate right people, right thought, right environment, right equipment to go, climb or dive in this path. This leads to action that is total, continuous, wholehearted and simultaneous on both levels. Total action means complete involvement of the motor and sensory components of ones organism, thus simultaneously perceiving and responding in entirety. Continuous means there is no break between sensory input and motor output. This is happening synchronously. Wholehearted means without distraction. Nonjudgmental attitude leads to wholehearted application of one’s self in any action. Simultaneously means sensory inputs modify motor output and motor outputs modify sensory perceptions as a biofeedback loop. Whatever then happens just happens as a kind of "not-doing". Not doing simply means without active interference of ego. Ego remains as a proof of Tai Chi, that black dot in the white sea of awareness. Thus the idea of "fruit" of “my” work is stupid. The process entails action with awareness here and now, with a hazy idea of future and fading impressions of the past.
Awareness and right action are thus always within each other. Complete awareness is synchronous with absolutely right action. Right action is synchronous with complete awareness. Thus the rightness of the action depends upon the degree of awareness. Absolutely right action is floating in the Tao or absolute inaction or complete understanding of the Universal design or effortless effort or appreciating the absolute continuum of the past present and future or no desire to achieve anything or here and now.
Inaction with only awareness is not possible as breathing continues till we are alive. Action without awareness is also difficult as some awareness is there till we are alive. Awareness that "I am not aware" is vital to start with.
Any action can be a reflex action called “reaction” or action that is preceded by desire. This second category can be greatly modified by awareness. Almost all body functions are going on as a kind of reflex mechanism, thus food gets digested and undigested food is expelled. Some functions are reflex as well as under volitional control like breathing. Some functions are totally under volition. These last two functions improve with awareness and awareness improves with improved function. Body becomes aware of the mind and mind becomes aware of the body. If awareness pervades reflex functions either these functions are disturbed leading to harm or these functions come under volitional control as some Yogis can alter their pulse rate.
Anybody who gets completely aware should die a “Rainbow death” as it is called in Tibetan literature. Awareness pervades every single cell and merges with universal awareness. The “Prana” then withdraws itself from every cell and then what remains is just earth and water and elements of the body, which are without “Individual Prana” like hair and nails. It is said that such a release of awareness manifests in the sky by a perfect rainbow in a cloudless sky. This is probably the last “effortless effort” and ultimate “right action” of an enlightened person.
posted by Rajiv Sharangpani at 8:36 AM
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