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How to balance detachment and action? || Acharya Prashant (2017)
Acharya Prashant
1.2K views
8 years ago
Detachment
Ashtavakra Gita
Action
Wisdom
Energy
Sustainability
Motive
Livelihood
Description

Acharya Prashant addresses the concern that detachment might lead to a lack of effort or energy in one's work. He explains that while attachment provides a certain motive and quantum of energy driven by fear and greed, it inherently limits action to the mediocre and petty. Great and immense action cannot arise from attachment because attachment is always directed toward the small. He clarifies that detachment does not mean the cessation of movement; rather, it introduces a new, superior quality of movement that is sustainable, powerful, and does not lead to exhaustion or frustration. This new energy is silent and well-channelized, unlike the chaotic and noisy energy of the common man which often results in dissipation and unnecessary action. Using the analogy of a new, high-performance car versus an old, failing one, Acharya Prashant illustrates that if a teaching like the Ashtavakra Gita can lead a person to the highest spiritual heights, it is more than sufficient to handle mundane tasks like earning a livelihood. He points out that wisdom makes a person sharp, nimble, and patient, which are essential qualities for any effective action. He emphasizes that detachment removes the 'sickness' of sloth and sleep, leaving one with true health and vitality. The absence of outward excitement or adrenaline should not be mistaken for a lack of energy; instead, it represents a state where energy is reserved for when it is truly needed. Finally, Acharya Prashant highlights the importance of not acting when action is unnecessary. He observes that much of the world's trouble stems from compulsive, needless activity and inner thought. Detachment allows an individual to become a master of themselves, ensuring they are no longer prone to being 'charged up' by external influences to act compulsively. In this state, action becomes a servant of wisdom, arising appropriately when the occasion demands it and subsiding into peaceful silence when it does not.