ajay0
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Post by ajay0 on Jul 27, 2018 17:57:14 GMT
Teachings of the Masters on Awareness-Proactivty and Unconsciousness-Ego-Reactivity....
Act. Do not react.
--Sri Ravi Shankar
Sin is never in action. It is always in reaction.
-- Swami Chinmayananda
Virtuous ( proactive) action increases intelligence, while sinful ( reactive ) acts decreases intelligence.
--Vidura Neeti ( Mahabharatha )
If you want to progress in your life and grow, act not to react.
--Harbhajan Yogi Bhajan
Respond. Do not react.
--Osho
Just stay focused. Don't react. Just be a witness and you will see the magic of it.
--Swami Chidanand Saraswati
Be proactive. Do not be reactive.
--Stephen Covey ( Author of 7 habits of highly effective people )
Habitually we react to external stimuli, that is we are generally overwhelmed by retaliatory emotional forces within us demanding appropriate action. But surely this cannot be called 'action' , it is in fact ' re-action' . Discipline of the reasoning mind controls the reactive forces and results in appropriate 'action' rather than 're-action', one should endeavour to establish control and avoid retaliatory behaviour.
--Acharya Mahaprajna
Quality of life depends on what happens in the space between stimulus and response.
-- Stephen Covey
Because of the space between stimulus and response, people have the power of choice; therefore,leaders are neither born nor made meaning environmentally trained and nurtured. They are self-made through chosen responses, and if they choose based on principles and develop increasingly greater discipline, their freedom to choose increases.
-- Stephen Covey
Reaction is unconscious. You do not know exactly that you are being manipulated. You are not aware that you are behaving like a slave, not like a master. Action out of consciousness is response.
-- Osho
You can act in two ways -- one is reaction, another is response.
Reaction comes out of your past conditionings; it is mechanical.
Response comes out of your presence, awareness, consciousness; it is non-mechanical.
The ability to respond is one of the greatest principles of growth. You are not following any order, any commandment; you are simply following your awareness. You are functioning like a mirror, reflecting the situation and responding to it -- not out of your memory from past experiences of similar situations, not repeating your reactions, but acting fresh, new, in this very moment. Neither the situation is old, nor your response -- both are new.
-- Osho
One who is obsessed with worldly pursuits, one who is body-oriented, cannot really go into this. We need to develop a distance from our mind and not give in to impulsiveness. Those who react are the ones who are living mindlessly. So in a way, we can say that living mindfully is being in meditation.
-- Anandmurti Gurumaa
So action which is born of reaction breeds sorrow. Most of our thoughts are the result of the past, of time. A mind that is not built on the past, that has totally understood this whole process of reaction, can act every minute totally, completely, wholly.
J. Krishnamurti
Action which is born of reaction breeds sorrow.
J. Krishnamurti
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ajay0
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Post by ajay0 on Jul 27, 2018 18:01:50 GMT
Hi all, Quoted above are a list of teachings of various masters which I compiled myself for a better understanding and contemplation of the message of proactivity and reactivity. Through study and analysis of the master's teachings, I had come to the understanding that it is proactive action which is what is known as virtue or good karma while reactive action is what is known as sin or bad karma. While proactivity is what stems from a state of awareness or mindfulness , reactivity on the other hand stems from the ego . Living in the present moment generates awareness, while living in the past or future due to desires, craving or incessant thinking is what generates the ego. The state of awareness generates bliss and peace, while the ego generates pain and sorrow. This is why the Buddha had said thus ," Mindfulness ( constant awareness ) is the true virtue." And why Eckhart Tolle had stated thus. " Evil is an extreme manifestation of human unconsciousness." Writing this in my notebook and constant study and contemplation of these teachings from time to time helped me to become a more self-aware, proactive and less reactive person. This understanding brought a deep sense of calmness, peace, contentment and well-being in my life. Hope the reading of the above mentioned teachings will do the same for you or help in bringing perspective on the nature of the mind.  |
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Post by Elizabeth on Jul 27, 2018 19:34:16 GMT
I had a question on one specifically.
You don't think one can just sin for fun or just to sin without necessarily always reacting to something first?
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ajay0
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Post by ajay0 on Jul 28, 2018 14:55:12 GMT
I had a question on one specifically. You don't think one can just sin for fun or just to sin without necessarily always reacting to something first? 'Sinning' as in 'practical jokes' for the sake of humor and fun does not amount to sin in a sense. The Hindu Avatar Krishna was known for his mischievous character, humor and pranks. Even though he played pranks on many people and stole their butter and ghee as a child with his friends, none got angry with him due to his sweetness. Tom Sawyer played a lot of practical jokes and pranks, but it made him all the more adorable and cherished by his relatives and friends. Reaction comes from the content of the conditioned mind, especially if the present situation is at odds with how it wants it to be as per its wishes or likes and dislikes. Awareness helps one to go beyond the likes and dislikes, and accept the situation as it is calmly or equanimously without being influenced by emotional highs and lows that distorts one's thinking and actions. |
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ajay0
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Post by ajay0 on Jul 30, 2018 17:52:38 GMT
'Sinning' as in 'practical jokes' for the sake of humor and fun does not amount to sin in a sense. The Hindu Avatar Krishna was known for his mischievous character, humor and pranks. Even though he played pranks on many people and stole their butter and ghee as a child with his friends, none got angry with him due to his sweetness. Tom Sawyer played a lot of practical jokes and pranks, but it made him all the more adorable and cherished by his relatives and friends. Reaction comes from the content of the conditioned mind, especially if the present situation is at odds with how it wants it to be as per its wishes or likes and dislikes. Awareness helps one to go beyond the likes and dislikes, and accept the situation as it is calmly or equanimously without being influenced by emotional highs and lows that distorts one's thinking and actions. I had the same question as Elizabeth. But don't u feel its exaggerating to name it as a sin? This reminds of the quote, which kinda links up with what we are discussing Vice is not in going in a prostitutes room. Vice is in not coming out of it. As in opps, i am sorry and walk away. 
Reaction is not just to external stimuli but also internal stimuli as well in the form of thoughts and emotions of lust, anger, greed, hatred, jealousy, gluttony and so on. Such thoughts and emotions comes and go and are of an impermanent nature. What is important is not to act upon it by identifying with them .
Awareness or mindfulness helps to create a distance between ourselves and these thoughts, emotions generated in the mind, thereby not getting habitually identified with them, coming under their momentum and executing them on the external level.
The unconscious person reacts to such thoughts and emotions impulsively without clear thinking and helplessly executes them externally in the form of rape,violence, insults or foul speech, murder, theft and so on, disregarding their consequences. He is just an automaton controlled by his wild thoughts and emotions like a leaf moved about here and there by strong winds.
This probably is the reason why the phrase 'crimes of passion' came about, because these crimes were spurred by thoughts and emotions of lust, anger, greed, hatred and so on.
Awareness fosters calm detachment and clear thinking stripped of emotivity and reactivity, and clear thinking leads to correct action.
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ajay0
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Post by ajay0 on Jan 3, 2019 8:32:40 GMT
Actions stems from a calm intellect leading to progress in life, while reactions stems from our emotions resulting in deteriorating relationships leading to regression in our professional and personal lives.
Hence it always pays to be self-aware, calm and composed which enables us to choose our responses rather than react blindly to external stimuli or inner emotional likes and dislikes.
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Post by Elizabeth on Jan 3, 2019 8:49:07 GMT
Actions stems from a calm intellect leading to progress in life, while reactions stems from our emotions resulting in deteriorating relationships leading to regression in our professional and personal lives. Hence it always pays to be self-aware, calm and composed which enables us to choose our responses rather than react blindly to external stimuli or inner emotional likes and dislikes. Yes! Any suggestions on how emotionally angry people can stay calm and composed in order to act not react? I've always heard of the breathing technique and counting to 10. Shrug |
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ajay0
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Post by ajay0 on Jan 7, 2019 16:25:44 GMT
Actions stems from a calm intellect leading to progress in life, while reactions stems from our emotions resulting in deteriorating relationships leading to regression in our professional and personal lives. Hence it always pays to be self-aware, calm and composed which enables us to choose our responses rather than react blindly to external stimuli or inner emotional likes and dislikes. Yes! Any suggestions on how emotionally angry people can stay calm and composed in order to act not react? I've always heard of the breathing technique and counting to 10. Shrug
Yeah, if you allow some time to pass, there is emotional composure, and consequently better ability to choose our responses and avoid emotional reaction. Counting up to 10 or 50 is a good technique. The Mughal Emperor Akbar had a habit of losing his temper for trivial issues and giving severe and disproportionate punishments, which he regretted later on. He later issued an order that any order he passed on punishment should not be implemented till the next day. This gave him enough time to compose himself emotionally, and give a more intelligent and correct judgement. In Buddhism, in the vipassana technique, one focuses on the inhalation and exhalation of the breath for some time, in order to calm the mind agitated by emotions. This helps to make the mind equanimous and balanced. There is a relation between the mind and the breath. In Yoga, there is a technique called Pratyahara, where the mind is detached from the objects of the senses. en.wikipedia.org/wiki/PratyaharaWhen the mind is withdrawn from the sense-objects the sense-organs also withdraw themselves from their objects and they are said to imitate the mind. This is known as Pratyahara. The secret of Pratyahara lies in a disciplined will, which is the cornerstone of character. Meditation, pranayama, yoga , Tai Chi all help in ensuring emotional nonreactivity. Here is an article on managing one's emotions.
The best of course, is the cultivation of present moment awareness or mindfulness.
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Post by Elizabeth on Jan 7, 2019 18:34:03 GMT
Yes! Any suggestions on how emotionally angry people can stay calm and composed in order to act not react? I've always heard of the breathing technique and counting to 10. Shrug Yeah, if you allow some time to pass, there is emotional composure, and consequently better ability to choose our responses and avoid emotional reaction. Counting up to 10 or 50 is a good technique. The Mughal Emperor Akbar had a habit of losing his temper for trivial issues and giving severe and disproportionate punishments, which he regretted later on. He later issued an order that any order he passed on punishment should not be implemented till the next day. This gave him enough time to compose himself emotionally, and give a more intelligent and correct judgement. In Buddhism, in the vipassana technique, one focuses on the inhalation and exhalation of the breath for some time, in order to calm the mind agitated by emotions. This helps to make the mind equanimous and balanced. There is a relation between the mind and the breath. In Yoga, there is a technique called Pratyahara, where the mind is detached from the objects of the senses. en.wikipedia.org/wiki/PratyaharaWhen the mind is withdrawn from the sense-objects the sense-organs also withdraw themselves from their objects and they are said to imitate the mind. This is known as Pratyahara. The secret of Pratyahara lies in a disciplined will, which is the cornerstone of character. Meditation, pranayama, yoga , Tai Chi all help in ensuring emotional nonreactivity. Here is an article on managing one's emotions.
The best of course, is the cultivation of present moment awareness or mindfulness.
Well, at least the Emperor knew he had a problem with that to implement that order. I bet the people liked him more after that too. |
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