For example, I feel quite envious of athletes and military generals who can really enter into a pure mode of action without thought stunting it. Sri Aurobindo, in his writings on Kalidasa, says men like Napoleon and Alexander had the visionary capacity of poets combined with solid executive grip of realities and facts. For example, within the context of this yoga itself, studying the life divine and understanding it intricately while also putting into action the teachings of synthesis of yoga might be a bit different things; how to join them both-this combination of head and hand?
The difference between thought and action is a most common difficulty. Its reason is not that the physical mind gets into an obsessive mode. It creates difficulty in decision, an indecisiveness because the mind wants to know with certainty that the decision is correct and the action will bring the desired results. But the truth is that there is no way that the mind can control and predict all the coordinates. It is an impossible condition in which the mind gets caught and hence paralysed in decision-making. It is a problem that arises due to skepticism and doubt, a lack of faith. The mind must learn to be humble, understand its natural limits and choose whatever aligns with the highest aim. Then it gets the force and momentum to move towards action.
Spontaneity in action is a different thing. It generally implies a lack of reflection and introspection. It is almost like an animal acting under instinct without self-reflection. Man needs to reflect and act as to what is the right thing to do, the action aligned by the truth of one’s being. At its highest, it means to rise into intuition. That is possible only if the mind grows quiet. But this is rare. Unthinking spontaneity is not necessarily the best thing to do. What one needs is clarity of thought and will that comes by faith and sincerity.
Affectionately,
Alok da
