'Instrumental' and 'natural' action

[Guest guest]

Namaste Shri Adithya,

 

You ask (message 36156, May 30): " What can drive action in the

absence of having an object for the fruit of action?... How does

goal-setting work in the absence of motive to seek fruit of

actions? "

 

It may help to ask here what's meant by the word 'action'? We use

this word in two ways: one 'instrumental' and the other 'natural'.

 

Of these two usages, the first refers to the action of an

instrument -- like a body or a mind. Such an instrument is a partial

object in the world. Being thus partial, it is driven from outside,

by various objects other than itself. And it is driven to achieve

some partial goals or objectives, as fruits to be consumed for

bodily and mental enjoyment.

 

In the second usage, what acts is not taken to be a partial

instrument. Instead, what acts is nature as a whole. When we speak

of an act as 'natural', it implies that the act is spontaneous. A

natural action is not artificially driven from outside. Being

natural, its motivation is inborn in it.

 

But as we speak of such an 'inborn' motivation, a further question

is raised. From where could that motivation arise? Clearly it could

not arise from any partial object -- of body or of mind -- in a

world that is made up of such objects. The inborn motivation of a

natural act can't rise externally at all. It can only arise from

within -- from an inner ground of nature that is shared in common by

all partial objects and persons in the world.

 

That common ground of nature can't be any of the partial objects we

perceive through our senses and conceive through our minds. No

natural act could ever be motivated by some partial object in the

physical and mental world perceived through our bodies and our

minds. No truly natural act could be driven by any partial object,

nor any personal faculty of body, sense or mind.

 

For any act to be truly natural, it can only arise from an impartial

consciousness, which stays completely detached from all partiality

of objects and persons in the world. But what is that impartial

consciousness?

 

It is a purely knowing subject, unmixed with any partial actions.

Its knowing is no partial act that is put on or taken off. Its very

being is to know, to shine with a knowing light from which all

appearances get lit. Its shining always stays unchanged, at the

subjective background of all the objective appearances which nature

manifests.

 

The common ground of nature is thus unchanged consciousness, which

is each person's knowing self. From there, all nature's acts arise,

inspired of their own accord by that which lights them from within.

 

Why make this distinction between two kinds of action: on the one

hand 'instrumental' actions that are objectively driven towards

partial goals, and on the other hand 'natural' actions that are

subjectively inspired from an impartial consciousness?

 

I find this distinction useful sometimes to clarify that all

professional and career work is concerned with a restrictedly

instrumental kind of action. But to understand things better, a more

delicate and reflective work is needed, in order to find out that

the actions and the happenings which we observe are more naturally

inspired.

 

Ananda

[Guest guest]

Dear Ananda,

Thankyou for this beautiful and helpful explanation.

 

Dotthe pieces most meaningful to me ..........

___________________

When we speak of an act as 'natural', it implies that the act is spontaneous. A

 

natural action is not artificially driven from outside. Being natural, its

motivation is inborn in it............

 

It can only arise from within -- from an inner ground of nature that is shared

in common by all partial objects and persons in the world....................

No truly natural act could be driven by any partial object, nor any personal

faculty of body, sense or mind..............................

it can only arise from an impartial consciousness, which stays completely

detached from all partiality of objects and persons in the world.

.......................

Its shining always stays unchanged, at the subjective background of all the

objective appearances which nature manifests.

 

The common ground of nature is thus unchanged consciousness................

 

From there, all nature's acts arise, inspired of their own accord by that which

lights them from within.

 

 

 

 

Ananda

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Send instant messages to your online friends http://au.messenger.

 

 

[Guest guest]

Hey Advaita Rules , my friend from Australia :

 

You sure know how tO find a rare pearl in this Advaitic Ocean of

messages and messages and messages . i agree with you 100% - i have

never read anything like this - very natural, spontaneous and fresh

approach to the concept of Swadharma!

 

In the Corporate World, all actions are driven by pecuniary motive

and a spirit of competition .In the world of spirituality, As

beloved Anandaji so eloquently put it ( coming straight from the

heartr and not from some texbook)

 

From there, all nature's acts arise, inspired of their own accord by

that which lights them from within.

 

The Guru of such a sisya is none other than Swami Atmananda ! A guru

is always known by his sisya ! More power to such noble teachers and

their even more nobler disciples !

 

love and regards

 

 

advaitin , Advaita Rules <advaitarules

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> Dear Ananda,

> Thankyou for this beautiful and helpful explanation.

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Send instant messages to your online friends

http://au.messenger.

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