Act But Don't React! The Secret Principle For A Happy And A Calm Life

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To act and to not react simplifies our life to a great extent. It is the secret principle for an unperturbed and a happy life. What do the great ones have to say about this? Let's explore an incident from the life of Ramana Maharshi as revealed by the master himself to Robert Adams, one of his famous followers from the West.

Act but don't react meaning

To act is to respond to circumstances without allowing them to govern one's feelings and emotions. To react is to be a captive to circumstances with the feelings and emotions having control over one.

Incident from the life of Ramana Maharshi

Robert Adams, a follower of Ramana Maharshi and a noted master himself states an incident from the life of the Ramana, as personally told by him regarding acting and not reacting to circumstances. Sometime in the 1930s, a group of pundits approached Ramana Maharshi and said that they wished to take him away from Tiruvannamalai to Madras in two days, saying that it was difficult for many others to approach him in the jungle and that if he is taken to Madras, many would have access to him.

Ramana did not say a word but listened quietly much to the shock of his devotees. When the group left, the devotees, who were aghast and upset about the master's silence confronted him with questions. Ramana asked them to stay quiet and not to worry.

After two days, Ramana asked the devotees to cook for twenty people who were to arrive from Madras. The devotees were thoroughly confused about the master's ways. They wanted to lock the ashram's doors while some others wanted to get physical. Ramana once again advised them to stay quiet. Sometime later, the twenty people arrived, but in a dishevelled state.

Some were even bleeding. They just sat quietly in front of Ramana. Ramana then invited them to the kitchen to have their food to which they agreed. After taking their food they left the place quietly. The devotees then came to know that the bus that the pundits who resorted to take Ramana away with them to Madras had rolled over twice or thrice when they were just about two miles from the ashram. It is to be noted that none lost their lives in the accident.

Robert Adams, while recalling the incident of non reaction from Ramana's life revealed Ramana's words to him, "The only spiritual life you need is not to react." He further added that the master advised that to stay calm is the greatest asset, the greatest siddhi or power one can have.

Robert Adams speaks of a calm mind, which is not reactive, "If you can only learn to be calm you will solve every problem. This is something you must remember. When you are perfectly calm, time stops. There is no time, Karma stops, Samskaras stop.

Everything becomes null and void. For when you are calm you are one with the entire energy of the universe and everything will go well with you. To be calm means you are in control. You're not worried about the situation, the outcome..what is going to happen tomorrow. To be calm means everything is alright. There is nothing to worry about, nothing to fret over. This is also the meaning of the biblical saying, "Be still and know that I am God." To be calm is to be still.

How to remain calm and non-reactive?

Robert Adams says. "If you have a problem right now, think about this problem for a moment. If there is anything wrong with your life, think about this for a moment. As you become calm, peaceful the problem will dissolve of its own nature. There cannot be a problem with a person who is calm. It makes no difference how strong your problem may be if you remain calm throughout it, you will come out smiling, laughing, at peace. To be perfectly calm is the same as self-inquiry.

When you ask the question, "Who is upset? Who feels discouraged? Who feels disillusioned?" When you inquire within, "Who feels this?" the feelings begin to disappear, just from the inquiry, which is really interesting. This is why self-inquiry is the best psychotherapy around. Cheapest, because you can do it yourself. Whatever happens in your life it makes no difference what it is, how serious it may be, merely inquire, "To whom does this come? Who is going through this? Who is feeling this?" It's the same as being calm.

What will be the result of staying calm and non-reactive? Robert Adams says, "But once you inquire and ask this question something happens within yourself. There is a shuffling that goes on within yourself. The nervousness, the stress that has been annoying you most of this time starts to back off and you feel good. So even though some of you are not using self-inquiry for liberation or realization, you can use it in your everyday life to become calm, peaceful and happy."

Robert Adams further adds that it is the reactive mind which is the cause of all trouble. Being aware of the mind and its ways is the key. He says, "All these things come from the mind. The idea is to be aware of this. The awareness alone leads you to the light, just being aware of that alone.

You don't have to know any book knowledge. Just be aware of what your mind really is. That's how you conquer your mind. By being aware of it, and no longer responding to it, no longer to react to the mind. Something that usually makes you angry, before you'd respond, and you'd want to win the argument, but now your reaction is no reaction.

You simply smile and you watch. When your mind sees there's no response it will become weaker and weaker, until it disappears. It's just like arguing with a person. What happens if you stop arguing? The person goes away. They don't know what to think. They just won't have anything to do with you. They just leave.

So when you stop responding to your thoughts your mind will go away, and become weaker, and weaker, and weaker, until there is no mind." Let's sum up with the words of Ramana Maharshi, "Do not react to any action that takes place in, by, and around you. Act but do not react is one secret principle. The other, is to totally and experientially understand that things and actions, in and around you, happen through you, and not done by you"