If the Buddha Got Stuck_ A Handbook for Change on a Spiritual Path - Charlotte Sophia Kasl [65]
Taking action was cyclical for Siddhartha Gautama, just as it is in most of our lives. He’d try an approach, learn from it, see if it led to his vision, reevaluate, and then try something else. In other words, the cycle requires you to listen for your truths, follow them with appropriate action, then ask yourself, “Does this work? Does this action take me where I want to go? Is it creating greater joy and peace of mind and helping me find out who I am?” If not, you need to be willing to make a change.
Taking action in a Buddhist context is not about attaining something out there—having status, possessions, money—it’s about living now, being guided by the essence of who you are. It’s about clearing out whatever keeps you preoccupied, rigid, self-absorbed, worried, suffering.
The fuel for your fire is a burning desire to live your own life—to reach for the deepest parts of yourself, to give birth to who you are, to know happiness, peace of mind, and freedom. It is built upon a deeply felt refusal to be stuck, bored, depressed, and unhappy for long periods of time. Fire is the energizer that becomes a commitment to do whatever it takes to actualize your intentions: leave, move, propose, take a break, get a new job, finish tasks, clear the air, invite people over, practice yoga, get more sleep, paint the kitchen, or go where you feel a pull.
Once a commitment is made, a whole stream of events may present themselves to carry us on our way. W. H. Murray, speaking of his Himalayan expedition, put it this way:
The moment one definitely commits oneself, providence moves too. All sorts of things occur to help one that would have not otherwise have occurred.
—W. H. MURRAY,THE SCOTTISH HIMALAYAN EXPEDITION,1950
Some people might consider it magical thinking to believe that providence moves with us, but the evidence of this experience is compelling. Whether providence moves, or we become open, observant, receptive, and willing to utilize anything that comes our way, commitment does sets energy in motion. Taking action in a Buddhist context bridges the inner duality of believing one way and living another. I asked a woman who had left a relationship and moved back to the area, “What prompted you to leave?” “I was tired of being a sad story,” she replied, leaving nothing else to say.
Sometimes we take action to get out of a dreary or unfulfilling situation. The person who once loved teaching school quits to be free from daily classroom preparation. The manager of a store decides that sixty-hour weeks and working weekends is ruining her family life, and steps down. A young woman who worked in a local diner for three years walks out and says, “Okay, I’m willing to go back to school to get my GED and some vocational training. I don’t want to sweat the rest of my life away in a greasy kitchen.”
From a Buddhist perspective, it’s not just about taking action, it’s about taking “right” action by considering the far-reaching implications of your actions on yourself, your loved ones, and your environment. This does not preclude buying a house or owning something, but you don’t do these things as an attempt to change your image. You remain who you are and happen to live in a nice house. The direction we are going is toward ease, non-duality, non-grasping, and acceptance of whatever is happening inside you. So, as you consider taking action, remember you are going toward your true self.
What are the actions you want to take in your life? How many times have you said, “I need to exercise more, eat better, save money, call that old friend, get rid of the junk, or improve my work situation”? The following chapters will