AWARENESS AND RIGHT ACTION
Awareness is 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 domains of perception. 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 duality 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 synonymous with absolutely right action. Right action
is synonymous 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, water and elements of the
body, like hair and nails that are without “Individual Prana”.
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.
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