December 2000

Philosophy of Action: Yogastah Kuru Karmani
From a Lecture by Maharishi in the Early 1970s

Transcendental Meditation requires minimizing activity, minimizing activity. This principle of minimizing activity is certainly opposite to the principle of activity. Minimizing of activity amounts to gaining momentum for activity. But as far as meditation and activity are concerned, they are two different principles.

In order to act, we must raise the hand. In order to meditate, we even close the eyes; we don’t have to raise the hand. So the principle of meditation is minimizing activity, and the principle of daily life is plunging into activity.

What is the relationship between them? The Bhagavad-Gita says, in one expression, very beautifully: "Yogastah Kuru Karmani." We don’t find such a beautiful expression in any literature anywhere in the world. "Yogastah Kuru Karmani."

The entire philosophy of action is summed up in these words. Yogastah—that means transcend. Kuru Karmani—perform action. Transcend, and then perform action. This means, perform action while established in Being [pure consciousness]. This is the practical formula of action: Perform action while established in Being.

And consider the sequence of these two phrases. The first is: Yogastah—established in Being. The second is—perform action. Meditate and act. Pull the arrow and shoot.

Just that—pull the arrow and shoot. The technique of shooting is in pulling the arrow back, even though the principle of pulling the arrow is completely opposite to the principle of shooting the arrow. We pull on this side; we shoot on that side. Pulling and shooting are two different principles, but one principle adds to the efficiency of the other principle. Perform action in daily life, but how and when? Having become established in Being, then perform action.

So in this way, Transcendental Meditation is found to be the basis of success in daily life, even though Transcendental Meditation is for resting and daily life is on the basis of acting. You are active during the day, and you are resting during meditation.

If we try to impose the principle of resting in the field of acting, then we will have difficulty. It is not possible to relate the principle of Transcendental Meditation to daily life, because acting is on one level and resting is on a different level.

Even though rest is the basis of action, the principle of resting is different than the principle of acting. The whole principle of acting is based on the principle of resting, but the two things are opposite.

When we dig the foundation, we go deep into the ground. And the purpose of going deep into the ground is to raise the building high above the ground. When we want to raise the building six stories, the first thing to do is to go two or three stories into the ground.

Pull the arrow, and then shoot. Meditate and then act.

Our teaching about Transcendental Meditation is very clear. We say: Meditate, and forget about meditation when you are active in life. Never think of meditation. Never pause about it. Don’t try to recapitulate the experiences of meditation when you are working in the office. That will not be right. We just meditate and forget about meditation. Plunge into activity.

It’s just like when we take a bath and then feel fresh throughout the day, without remembering how we took the bath. To feel fresh, to feel the benefit of the bath, we don’t have to keep remembering that we took a bath and it was that degree of cold or hot. Remembrance of taking a bath is no help for feeling fresh throughout the day. We have taken the bath, and it is enough. We can completely forget whether we took a bath or not, yet we can enjoy the effect of it.

So we meditate, forget about meditation, and plunge into action. The effect of meditation, the benefit, will automatically remain with us. That is why we say it’s a natural process. It’s not based on our psychological understanding or on our emotional feelings. The benefits of Transcendental Meditation are something genuine.

That’s why all these tests on the physiological changes during meditation, these scientific experiments, produce data verifiable at any time by any one. Because the whole thing is genuine.

That is why when we talk of Transcendental Meditation, we talk of silencing the activity. When we talk of action in life, then we talk of activity, not silencing.

Transcendental Meditation is an essential part of daily life, but 15 or 20 minutes of it is enough, just as we may spend half an hour at the dining table. Dining is a part of daily life, but we don’t keep on thinking about food all the time. Just that half an hour, 20 minutes, 15 minutes at the table, and it’s all over.

We can do nothing without food. The whole philosophy of action depends upon food. But the philosophy of food is self-contained. The philosophy of food is not the same as the philosophy of going out and doing something.

Just like that, Transcendental Meditation has its own philosophy, its own benefits, while the field of action is a different field. It’s only a 20- minute job, morning and evening. Twenty minutes and that is it.

It is true that Transcendental Meditation influences all phases of our daily life, but we allow it to influence every phase of our life without bothering about them. It brings a spontaneous benefit.

Excerpts from Maharishi's Commentary of the Bhagavad-Gita

Established in Yoga, O winner of wealth, perform actions having abandoned attachment and having become balanced in success and failure, for balance of mind is called Yoga.—The Bhagavad-Gita, Chapter II, Verse 48

Yoga is the basis of an integrated life, a means of bringing into harmony the inner creative silence with the outer activity of life, and a way to act with precision and success. Established in Yoga, Arjuna will be established in the ultimate Reality of life, which is the source of eternal wisdom, power and creativity.

Part of the training for one who wishes to become a good swimmer is the art of diving. When one is able to maintain oneself successfully in deep water, then swimming on the surface becomes easy. All action is the result of the play of the conscious mind. If the mind is strong, then action is also strong and successful. The conscious mind becomes powerful when the deeper levels of the ocean of mind are activated during the process of Transcendental Meditation, which leads the attention from the surface of the conscious mind to the transcendental field of Being. The process of diving within is the way to become established in Yoga.

When the Lord says that having been through this process Arjuna should come out and act, He gives him the mechanics of successful action. To shoot an arrow successfully it is first necessary to draw it back on the bow, thus giving it great potential energy. When it is brought back to the fullest possible extent, then it possesses the greatest dynamic power.

Maharishi's translation and commentary of the first six chapters of the Bhagavad-Gita is available from Maharishi University of Management Press: 800-831-6523, www.mum.edu/press.