Action through inaction

In this easy article, we'll explore the topic of "doing good". 

We may think that to be virtuous, or to "perform kind deeds", we have to be proactive and we have to be a "change-maker". We may think that we have to be an "active doer".

As we are living our normal, day-to-day lives, we may think that we are not doing enough. We may feel that we should be doing so much more charity work, that we should be donating more to the church, and that we should actively go around and try to make others happy. 

We believe that this will finally make our lives really meaningful and purposeful.

In certain religious traditions, we often hear or read that we have to do this and do that to get God's approval. We may believe that to become worthy of God's love, we have to work for it and deserve it, and we have to do as many good deeds as possible.

This is also sometimes called our "merits" or accumulation of "good karma".

This leads to a subtle selfishness. We do these deeds with the hope of being rewarded in the future, be this in heaven, the next life, or whenever. Or, we do it with a subtle fear, such as going to hell after death or having a bad "re-birth".

Let's take a closer look at our "doing good".

Walking on eggshells

Let's consider our day-to-day lives and our actual experience. 

We have homes that we share with others, and we also have neighbors. We have jobs and workspaces that we share with others, and we share public spaces with others, such as roads, parks, and supermarkets. We have friends, family, and colleagues whom we interact with and whom we share our space with.

Now, let's imagine that we are a short-tempered person or we are someone who is always in a bad mood. Imagine the experience we will create for those around us. They will always have to tip-toe around us or walk on eggshells, as the saying goes.

Imagine we are someone who steals and cannot be trusted. Our neighbors will have to keep locking their doors and pack everything away, or people in our office will all the time have to lock their bags and possessions away.

If we are someone who like to gossip, then those around us will be afraid to tell us anything. They will withdraw from us, and when they tell us anything, they may be afraid that we will tell others.

We can also imagine how it would be if we were a selfish person who played our music very loud at home. The music is so loud that it disturbs all our neighbors, but we don't care, because we paid for our apartment and we have the right to do as we please

Let's consider all of these, and let's imagine how it makes those around us feel. And, let's think about how we feel when someone in our environment acts as illustrated above. 

Inaction

When we work on ourselves and dissolve our false beliefs of being a "separate self", we automatically start to feel more connected to our environment, to those around us, and to all forms of life. Our desires and attachments fade, and our selfish intentions to harm or hurt others dissolve. 

When we become aware of the truth within ourselves, we establish a life that is in line with the truth.

Knowing our True Nature and living from this free, peaceful openness, we avoid harmful and selfish behavior without having to actively try and avoid it. By default, we live peaceful and happy lives. We live in honesty and we offer trust. 

Those around us can see and feel this, and it creates a pleasant experience for them too. For example, our colleagues see that we are honest, so they do not have to "watch their back" around us. Our friends see that we are kind, so they feel at ease to turn to us when they need help. Our neighbors feel that we are to be trusted, so they do not have to lock their doors all the time and put everything away. Our partner trusts us and does not worry when we are out alone. Our homes are peaceful and our neighbors do not have to listen to yelling and abuse. The person next to us on the bus senses our peace and happiness, and they do not have to be worried that we will harm them. The list goes on, and the benefit we bring, is endless.

This does not only concern people, but also animals, nature, and all forms of life. 

See, just by cultivating our inner peace, truth, and happiness, we are doing so much for everyone around us, all day long, all the time. 

Without having to exhaust ourselves to do this and to do that, we are performing so much virtue without doing anything at all. This brings us to the understanding that we can do by not doing, and that there is a lot of action in inaction.

The sun benefits all of humanity by just existing. When we live from a place of peace and happiness, we also benefit everyone around us without any effort.

Related articles on this blog:

Freedom in Being - March 2024
Peaceful indifference - January 2024
A beautiful paradox - December 2022