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
Hi All, I am Ajay. My humble pranams and well-wishes to all of you here. 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 happiness , 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. The study of the works of spiritual masters helped me a lot in increasing my self-knowledge and 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.
In present moment awareness, one responds patiently from the intellect, while the mind engaged in the past or future, reacts in the form of emotions. This highlights the need to be in present moment awareness at all times, so as to foster a proper relationship with each and everyone, without giving into emotional surges upon dislike or aversions that can breed conflict and damage relationships. Emotions when properly employed can bring happiness and creativity in life, and while improperly employed through lack of discrimination or discretion can result in reactions leading to regressive conflict and strife . Through Awareness, one goes beyond the realm of conditioned likes and dislikes, attain better self-mastery, and cultivate a progressive positive attitude in all situations and circumstances in life , leading to quality in life.
