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What is hard work in spiritual terms? || Acharya Prashant, on Raman Maharishi and Lao Tzu (2019)
Scriptures and Saints
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1 year ago
Non-action
Atma
Prakrti
Doership
Ego
Surrender
Lao Tzu
Ramana Maharshi
Description

Acharya Prashant clarifies the spiritual concepts of non-action and intense activity by referencing Lao Tzu and Shri Ramana Maharshi. He explains that non-action refers to the state of the true self or Atma, which is the non-moving center. In a sage, this non-doing center allows for harmonious and intense activity to occur on the periphery without the presence of a false ego or doer. Unlike the common man, who possesses multiple false centers driven by desire and the need for credit, the sage has no personal will and seeks no rewards. This absence of a false actor allows for superhuman and incredible deeds to manifest through the sage, as there is no internal conflict or resistance. He further distinguishes between hard work and intense activity, noting that intensity is not about physical exertion or calories burned, but about the depth and rightness of the source from which the action arises. Right work is often more difficult than mere physical labor because it requires being centered in truth rather than ego. For an older person, the capacity for intense activity does not depend on physical strength but on the lack of resistance to the inner truth. Acharya Prashant emphasizes that a sage surrenders the body and its limitations to the real self, allowing the divine will to operate without personal interference or doership.