Acting in the present
Read John 16:7-16 When the Spirit of truth comes, he will guide you into all the truth; for he will not speak on his own authority, but whatever he hears he will speak, and he will declare to you the things that are to come. He will glorify me, for he will take what is mine and declare it to you. All that the Father has is mine; therefore I said that he will take what is mine and declare it to you. John 16:13-16
That is our guidance for Right Action. As we look further into this fourth step on Buddha’s Eightfold Path it is helpful to consider that the three steps Right Speech, Right Deed/Action and the next one, Right Livelihood, teach us how to live a moral life. The first two steps, Right View and Right Judgment guide us into wisdom. All of these steps work together to lead us to freedom.
Buddha said: “My teaching is not a dogma or a doctrine, but no doubt some people will take it as such.” The Buddha goes on to say, “I must state clearly that my teaching is a method to experience reality and not reality itself, just as a finger pointing at the moon is not the moon itself. A thinking person makes use of the finger to see the moon. A person who only looks at the finger, and mistakes it for the moon, will never see the real moon.” *
Any serious student of the mysteries discovers how difficult it is to know the true nature of Right Action. There are many contradictions on the path. Wherever we find right and wrong set out as rules and regulations we can be sure that that is not Right Action. It is the act of deciding what is right for ourselves that must engage us. This, however, is complicated because our judgment is clouded by the misunderstandings gathered over our lifetime. Then, what may be the right thing for this moment may not be the right thing for the next. This becomes clearer when we experience how each moment contains within it a configuration of the past, present and future.
We must act only in the present. If we act out of the past Lucifer is our companion. If we try to act too soon we drag the future into the present in the company of Ahriman. If we can stay in the present, in the now, Christ will guide us and our deeds will be pure.
St Paul says: For everything created by God is good, and nothing is to be rejected if it is received with thanksgiving; for then it is consecrated by the word of God and prayer. 1 Tim 4:4-5 [0]
As we work on Right Action we develop a character that is at the same time self-controlled and mindful of others. Right Action directs us to act kindly and compassionately, to be honest, to respect the belongings of others, and ensure that our sexual relationships are not harmful to others. This means that our conduct is peaceful, benevolent and pure through our discipline to practice these steps in our life each day.
Right Action or Discipline also involves a kind of renunciation. We must resist the temptation to complicate issues. To see how far the world is from this we need only buy a new mobile phone!
Practicing simplicity means that we will have a simple straight-forward relationship with our job, our home life and family, and our activities. We try to avoid all the unnecessary and frivolous complications that can cloud our relationships. There can be no hidden agendas when the Spirit of truth takes what is Christ’s and declares it to us. Then we can do nothing else but act rightly.
Right Action is an ethical and a balanced way; when things go “right” we often experience a confirming feeling inside us that our action or decision is correct. Right Action also includes having respect for the agreements we make both in our private and business lives. Our “yes” is “yes” and our “no” is “no” as Rev Mario Schoenmaker often said. This step on the path also includes being mindful that whatever we do creates the future.
Can we say that the events over the last two weeks in Russia (September 2004), the Beslan School hostage crisis, involving the death of so many children, is wrong Action? Of course! But we can also say, with Paul, that all things work for good. Rudolf Steiner speaks about the unused etheric forces from these premature deaths enlivening the etheric worlds to work against the antiforces who have stepped up their effort to prevent the transforming work of Christ. Only in the light of repeated earthly lives can we make sense of this, for these souls this is a sacrificial act which creates a different future – for them and for us.
If we join St Paul and “receive with thanksgiving (every action so that) then it is consecrated by the word of God and prayer” we willcontribute to the peace of this world what no protest can achieve. Our Right Actions are consecrated acts. Our gratitude for the presence of Christ consecrates the world and raises all acts to their rightful place.
* Old Path, White Clouds by Thich Nhat Hanh