Harmony In Action And Awareness

Modern life glorifies movement, speed, and output. We admire the busy, praise the productive, and quietly equate constant activity with purpose. Silence feels awkward, rest induces guilt, and stillness is often dismissed as unproductive. Surely then doing dominates our lives, while being gets a back seat. Yet human life unfolds meaningfully only when these two modes remain in balance. Doing is outward facing and goal oriented; Being is inwardly rooted and awareness-centred. Both are essential. Crisis of our times is not the action, but action disconnected from awareness. Four Indian philosophical traditions offer a subtle and practical path to restore this harmony:1. Karm YogGita offers refined reflections on action and inner peace. Krishn explains that both Karm Yog, selfless action. and sanyas, renunciation, lead to the same ultimate goal. Krishn adds Karm Yog is a suitable path for most people. True renunciation is not withdrawal from life rather it is freedom from craving, attachment and the ego’s need to control outcomes. Action performed without obsession over results gradually purifies the mind. Doing, when guided by this awareness, becomes a doorway to being. Krishn further clarifies that true renunciation, isn’t just physical withdrawal but seeing the Divine in all, a state achieved through consistent selfless action.2. Four AshramsTraditional Indian thought views life as a step wise progression leading to an inner shift. Four ashrams — brahmacharya, grihasth, vanaprasth, and sanyas — reflect this journey. Early and middle life are naturally oriented toward learning, responsibility and action. Later life is meant for reflection, and inner peace.3. Three GunasIndian philosophy also explains human behaviour through the three gunas: Tamas is inertia and dullness; rajas is activity, ambition and restlessness to possess, and sattva is clarity, balance, harmony. Youth and adulthood are naturally dominated by rajas: the drive to achieve and assert oneself. Problems arise when rajas becomes permanent. With maturity, life should gently move towards sattva where actions are guided by clarity rather than compulsion. One still acts, but with less inner noise.4. Ashtang YogThe yogic path outlined by rishi Pajanjali describes this movement precisely. The Ashtang Yog system begins with ethical discipline and bodily regulation (yam/niyam), asan and pranayam. Then it directs us inwards with pratyahar and finally towards dhyan and absorption — samadhi. Significantly, the very first principle of yam is ahimsa, nonviolence.Much of modern ‘doing’ carries some subtle violence. French philosopher Blaise Pascal, once said, “All of humanity’s problems stem from man’s inability to sit quietly in a room alone”.Driven by dissatisfaction with the present moment, our actions often arise from the feeling that ‘this is not enough’ or ‘I am not enough.’ From this unease come comparison,fear, and constant interference. Even well-meaning actions can harm when they spring from inner unrest. On the other hand, Being may be misunderstood as passivity. In reality, being is presence without aggression. Being means accepting what is, without resignation and acting when needed without inner disturbance. When grounded in being, actions arisenaturally and proportionately. There is less urge to control outcomes or force a change. Life, then, no longer feels like a battlefield. One learns to peacefully ‘respond’ rather than aggressively ‘react’ to situations. The delicate balance between action and acceptance is also beautifully expressed in the Serenity Prayer, as explained by Reinhold Niebuhr:“Dear God, please grant me courage to change what can be changed, serenity to accept what cannot, and wisdom to know the difference.”A simple life plays a crucial role in this transition. Simplicity frees us from unnecessary complexity, comparison, and display. It reduces noise and creates space for awareness. When outer life is less cluttered, inner life naturally blossoms. Ultimately, life is not a battle between doing and being. It is a dance between the two. Peace does not come from withdrawing from life, but from knowing when to act and when to simply be. It is a state in which all doing happens with full awareness.Authored by: Bharat Rawat(The writer is a cardiologist)