The Primacy of Being Over Doing: Why Our Actions Are Limited by Who We Are

--------- Frequently Asked Questions about Being and Doing What is the core relationship between “being“ and “doing,“ and why is this relationship important? The core relationship is that “doing“ arises from “being.“ Your actions are not independent events but are expressions of who you are at your core. You can only do what your being allows. This is crucial because many focus solely on doing without considering the state of their being. The quality and effect of your actions are limited by the quality and extent of your inner being; you cannot produce a result that is greater than your essential nature. Why do many people focus primarily on “doing,“ and what are the consequences of this focus? People are often driven by a desire to maximize results, achieve great things, and gain happiness through their actions, becoming overwhelmed by the pursuit of external achievements. This preoccupation leads to neglecting the state of one’s own being. As a consequence, people act from a place of “hollowness,“ leading to unintended negative outcomes because good intentions without a foundation of developed being do not always manifest positively. This also leads to the feeling of being a victim to external factors, ignoring that your own being is the most significant factor in what you do. The text states that we are not just witnesses to our actions, but are essential factors in them. How does understanding this change our approach to life?  Understanding that our being is an essential factor means realizing we are not passive observers but active participants in our lives. It shifts our focus from merely reacting to external circumstances to cultivating our inner selves. We stop seeing our actions as happening to us, but as flowing from us, and realize that we need to tend to our own self if we wish to affect positive change in our lives and the world. The source compares the relationship between being and doing to the sun and its rays. What does this analogy illustrate? This analogy emphasizes the inseparability of being and doing. Just as the sun’s rays cannot exist independently of the sun, our actions are inseparable from our being. There isn’t an “and“ between them, they are a single unit. This underscores that our doing is a manifestation of our being, a result and extension of who we are. What is meant by the idea that “we all live in a world of interconnected causes,“ and how does this concept relate to success and failure? This refers to the interconnectedness of all things, where no event has an isolated cause. This is like a living body where everything is interconnected, a “circular push“ instead of linear cause and effect. Therefore, success or failure isn’t solely due to individual events, but rather is influenced by the entire interconnected system of factors. There are many factors at play both within you, and outside of you, so an awareness of that web is needed. This also emphasizes the need for cooperative action and the foundation of universal brotherhood because we are all interconnected in a vital system. The Purusha Sukta from the Rigveda is referenced to describe the interconnected nature of the world. What key idea does this connection illuminate, and how does it relate to our individual lives? The Purusha Sukta presents the universe as a living being, the Purusha, with interconnected parts, akin to the human body. This analogy emphasizes that all parts are interconnected and contribute to the whole. In the same way, our individual lives are not isolated but are intimately connected to others and the world around us. There are no true “parts,“ but interconnected wholes within a larger whole. This stresses a sense of interconnectedness and the vital role of each individual within the greater system. Why is it considered dangerous to ignore the true nature of things, and what is the potential consequence of this ignorance? Ignoring the true nature of things is dangerous because we operate based on our limited, biased perspectives instead of the underlying reality. This is like moving blindly in a very serious situation. This includes ignoring the significance of one’s own being, and the underlying interconnectedness of all things, which in turn means you are not operating in accordance to the Universal laws at work. The consequence is that we inevitably face setbacks and failures because our actions are not in harmony with those underlying principles. This means a life defined by suffering, and a cycle of karmic bondage through endless rebirth. What does the text mean when it says, “Life is not so simple,“ and how should we approach it in light of the idea of “being“ before “doing?“ “Life is not so simple“ means that life is not merely a super....