The emperor Augustus asked the Greek philosopher for a parting advice.
“Sire”, answered the philosopher, “don’t take any important decision when you are angry or feel nervous, without having said all the letters of the alphabet.”
The same advice has been tendered by others in other anecdotes with variations like holding oneself until one counts to a hundred. The principle remains the same, i.e., not to act out of anger or fear.
In other words, any state of excitement is not a right state for taking any important decision. Broadly speaking, the decision may be one of two kinds. Either by way of giving a reply in words or by way of some action.
For the first category there is the famous instance from Lincoln’s life. A very high officer, peeved by another high ranking officer, wrote a stinking letter to the latter and showed it to Lincoln, the President. Lincoln said, “Nice. Now what are you going to do with it?”
“Why? I am going to send it.”
“No”, advised Lincoln, “tear it off.”
For the seeker of the higher life the distinction between the so-called important and unimportant matters is not there from the point of view of consciousness. The seeker has to speak and act always from not below a certain level of consciousness. For him, whenever there is anger or fear or excitement, what is recommended is stepping back.
To step back from the vibration of anger, fear, excitement, and the like, whenever it occurs, and to go within and get the equipoise, and only then to speak or act- that is the way for the seeker.
(From the Editor’s Desk, ‘Some Socio-Spiritual Perspectives’, Shyam Sunder Jhunjhunwala, Sri Aurobindo’s Action, Pondicherry)
“Sire”, answered the philosopher, “don’t take any important decision when you are angry or feel nervous, without having said all the letters of the alphabet.”
The same advice has been tendered by others in other anecdotes with variations like holding oneself until one counts to a hundred. The principle remains the same, i.e., not to act out of anger or fear.
In other words, any state of excitement is not a right state for taking any important decision. Broadly speaking, the decision may be one of two kinds. Either by way of giving a reply in words or by way of some action.
For the first category there is the famous instance from Lincoln’s life. A very high officer, peeved by another high ranking officer, wrote a stinking letter to the latter and showed it to Lincoln, the President. Lincoln said, “Nice. Now what are you going to do with it?”
“Why? I am going to send it.”
“No”, advised Lincoln, “tear it off.”
For the seeker of the higher life the distinction between the so-called important and unimportant matters is not there from the point of view of consciousness. The seeker has to speak and act always from not below a certain level of consciousness. For him, whenever there is anger or fear or excitement, what is recommended is stepping back.
To step back from the vibration of anger, fear, excitement, and the like, whenever it occurs, and to go within and get the equipoise, and only then to speak or act- that is the way for the seeker.
(From the Editor’s Desk, ‘Some Socio-Spiritual Perspectives’, Shyam Sunder Jhunjhunwala, Sri Aurobindo’s Action, Pondicherry)
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