Swami Chinmayananda
Action in the world is the expression of individual life. A dead carcass can afford to live without action. Any living organism, if it is to live, must necessarily act in the world outside.
Actions are flowing out from every living man until he dies – how can they be organized, altered or disciplined in order that these actions, necessarily and inevitably bring about happiness all around in the community and a sense of fulfillment and satisfaction to himself in his own bosom? This is what is called ‘the art of action’.
When we act, the glory of action is dependent upon not the environment, not where you work and how you work, but it is the intention or motive behind the work that lends enchantment to the very work. The work is glorified, it gathers momentum, because of the ardor and sincerity, the intention, the great motive or ideal that has inspired our heart when we are at work.
Look at the sculptures in temples or churches. The sculptor here not only did the form, but his heart had a great love and reverence for the theme that he was working on. Such sculptured pieces become immortal in the world. It is no more a stone, chiseled by iron bits. The pieces start talking. The individual seems to have poured out his personality and beauty of heart into pieces of stone.
They are not mere silicon dioxide or mere rock pieces, but they seem to give the immortal message of the heart of the sculptor.
All depends upon the type of ideas in our mind. The way in which we behave in the world is altered, controlled, regulated, and commanded, by the type of ideals that inspire us in our actions in the world. The quality of action is improved by the ideals, which illumine and inspire the individual worker in the world outside.
Thus, the nobler the ideal, the greater the shine and beauty of action, and such ideals that inspire me at all times to bring out of myself a better efficiency, and beauty of action are called noble ideals or moral ideals.
The spirit of freedom, the spirit of reverence for your country, the spirit of sacrifice for the sake of society – these are all inspiring ideals. Under such ideals, mighty men have done great, ennobling activity in the world and fruits of their actions are enjoyed by the future generations for many years. Higher the ideal, the nobler is the action.
The beauty of an action that you are doing becomes more when the ideal on which you are working is noble and great. Mahatma Gandhi was only a Barrister-at-Law. He probably would have been a successful one if he had only looked after his wife and children. But, what would have been the total turnover of his work? On the other hand, the same individual, when he was inspired by the ideal of his country’s freedom, was a different person, a mahatma.
It is because of the change in the moral vision of the country and of all the thinkers of the world that he brought about, and the quality-work that he turned out. The quality of it has been higher and nobler because of the high ideals that inspired him.
As we even discover a goal and surrender ourselves to that goal in life, we hit upon a new column – an unknown column of energy within ourselves.
Excerpted from chinmayamission.com. The 26th death anniversary of Swami Chinmayananda is being observed on August 3
