Act, dont just react
Acharya Mahaprajna
A MAN given to spiritual life must act on his own free will. The man who lives the ordinary life of give and take does not act on his own free will. He simply reacts. He does unto others what they do unto him. Such reaction negates free will and the sennse of values.
Philosopher Kant has saic our actions should be governe. sense of duty rather than b; and compassion. Or by the it doing good to others. Only ac inspired by man's free wil moral. Our conduct should be sense of duty only. Feeling pity and compassion is a rection conditioned by the man.s miserable plight. Friendliness, on the other hand, is not a reaction. It is based on the conviction that every living being possesses a soul and we should be friendly towards it.
To be pleased by praise and annoyed by blame is a reaction. There is no philosophy or conviction behind reaction. What the Acaranga insists on is Anyatha Vyavafiara or conduct Inspired by free will. Such conduct is creative and not reactionary The spiritual man’s actions are creative actions inspired by the sense of duty He does not think in terms of the give and take of ordinary life. He does not INNER help others because they ff- jnu ha™ helped him nor does heharm them because they have harmed him.
There were two monks who did not see eye to eye. One of them offered an apology to the other for his conduct. The other kept silent. The one who had apologised complained to his preceptor that despite his apology the other had not spoken a word.
The preceptor remarked. "It does matter whether he accepts your apology or not. If the apology was on the expectation of regaining his friendship it was not a sincere apology but a pragmatic move."
The conduct of a spiritual man is not a reaction. He behaves in a magnanimous way and does not expect returns. The man who always reacts remains unbalanced.
Act, dont just react
Acharya Mahaprajna
A MAN given to spiritual life must act on his own free will. The man who lives the ordinary life of give and take does not act on his own free will. He simply reacts. He does unto others what they do unto him. Such reaction negates free will and the sennse of values.
Philosopher Kant has saic our actions should be governe. sense of duty rather than b; and compassion. Or by the it doing good to others. Only ac inspired by man's free wil moral. Our conduct should be sense of duty only. Feeling pity and compassion is a rection conditioned by the man.s miserable plight. Friendliness, on the other hand, is not a reaction. It is based on the conviction that every living being possesses a soul and we should be friendly towards it.
To be pleased by praise and annoyed by blame is a reaction. There is no philosophy or conviction behind reaction. What the Acaranga insists on is Anyatha Vyavafiara or conduct Inspired by free will. Such conduct is creative and not reactionary The spiritual man’s actions are creative actions inspired by the sense of duty He does not think in terms of the give and take of ordinary life. He does not INNER help others because they ff- jnu ha™ helped him nor does heharm them because they have harmed him.
There were two monks who did not see eye to eye. One of them offered an apology to the other for his conduct. The other kept silent. The one who had apologised complained to his preceptor that despite his apology the other had not spoken a word.
The preceptor remarked. "It does matter whether he accepts your apology or not. If the apology was on the expectation of regaining his friendship it was not a sincere apology but a pragmatic move."
The conduct of a spiritual man is not a reaction. He behaves in a magnanimous way and does not expect returns. The man who always reacts remains unbalanced.