The notion that some of us are activists and others are contemplatives is a false distinction. We are all activists, and all contemplatives.
In the most dynamic action, we plunge 101% into our peak performance, and precisely then we find a boundless stillness at our core, an infinite silence within. Physiologists call this state "flow." At their best moments of creative energy, great athletes and great artists alike experience inner repose at the core of action. Some of us have experienced this paradox at times of maximum challenge. So the Bhagavad Gita declares: "One who sees silence in the midst of action, and action in the midst of silence, truly sees (4:18)."
When you act, leap
101% into action. When you meditate, sink 101% into silence at your heart's core. Eventually the ocean of silence will
pervade the waves of activity in a very natural way. This integration of stillness and action does not come from dividing the mind, trying to detach from life-energy, in a vain attempt to remain half silent and half active at the same time. That will only makes us weak and confused. Seekers have been making this mistake for centuries.
The state of integration comes from alternating dynamic action with dynamic silence, 100% silence, and 100% action, gradually culturing the nervous system to function with infinite flexibility, until we are naturally living 200% of life. Then the experience of vast stillness simply flowers in the midst of action, without self-detachment. This is cosmic consciousness, the fruit of Transcendental Meditation, the fruit of regular morning and evening practice, combined with daily work in the market place of the world.
When you go to work, forget about meditation. Just chop wood and carry water. When you meditate, forget about work. Just immerse in the grace of no-thing.
Photo from Stillness Retreat at Mount Madonna Center
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