Global Good News: Excellence in Action

Speaking in Valbella, Switzerland, in November 1973, Maharishi explained that by alternating the practice of Transcendental Meditation with activity, unbounded awareness becomes stabilized in activity for maximum effectiveness and fulfilment in action. This talk is published in one of Maharishi books Maharishi Speaks to Students: Mastery over Natural Law.

Maharishi began by explaining that the philosophy of action demands consideration of five factors: the basis of action, the actor, the means of action, the quality of action, and the outside influence of action. Action results in two kinds of fulfilment: physical and spiritual.

With the alternation of Maharishi's Transcendental Meditation and activity, the unbounded awareness experienced during the Transcendental Meditation Technique becomes stabilized in activity. 'This brings stability to one's feelings and emotions and at the same time makes activity more effective,' Maharishi said.

Integration in one's awareness of the extreme value of silence of the Transcendent and the extreme value of activity produces maximum results for both the physical or material value of action, and the spiritual value of action.

'The most valuable aspect of the reward of action is spiritual fulfilment, or development of the full potential of consciousness,' Maharishi said, 'so that unbounded awareness becomes a living reality in any situation.'

'Real joy of life is available only in Cosmic Consciousness, when unbounded awareness has become a permanent reality and one is a witness to all action. The actor can enjoy the full value of the fruit of his action only if he has that level of awareness which does not allow him to be involved in the performance of action.

'The senses of perception and the organs of action are the physical means of action. But because the start of action is from desire, and the basis of the desire is the source of thought, pure consciousness, the real spur of action is pure consciousness.'

Knowledge is structured in consciousness. Knowledge is the basis of action, action is the basis of achievement, and achievement is the basis of fulfilment, Maharishi explained. 'The ability to accurately and faultlessly use knowledge to gain maximum fruit of action depends upon the settled state of one's consciousness.'

Maharishi penetrates to the deepest understanding of action saying, 'Pure consciousness is both the actor and the basis of action. By handling the one basic element of pure consciousness, all five factors of action are enriched and handled automatically. The philosophy of action reveals that even the aspect of action that is the outside influence is the expression of one's own awareness and therefore can be controlled by handling consciousness.'

'Consciousness is unbounded and unboundedness permeates all boundaries,' Maharishi continued. 'All impulses of Creative Intelligence have their seat in that non-active field of unboundedness, which is pure consciousness, the home of all the Laws of Nature.

'It is from this field of transcendence that Cosmic Creative Intelligence functions in favour of the evolution of all expressions of life. When the actor's awareness is pure and unbounded and is established on this level of Cosmic Intelligence, the home of all creative impulses, he does least and accomplishes most, because that Cosmic Creative Intelligence is capable of doing nothing and accomplishing everything.'

Maharishi then explained that the most efficient actor is capable of averting the danger that has not yet come, because in Cosmic Consciousness every impulse of activity is supported by all the Laws of Nature. 'When the actor has this sympathy of all the Laws of Nature, then the influence from outside will always be favourable, in support of evolution and individual action.

'By handling the pure nature of one's own consciousness, not only is one the best actor—having the most profound basis of action, the most effective means of action, and best quality of action—but also one has the best possible influence from outside. The key to all success in action is the unfoldment of the full potential of consciousness,' Maharishi said.

This is the insight of the philosophy of action and the message of Maharishi's Science of Creative Intelligence.

"The potential of every student is infinite. The time of student life should serve to unfold that infinite potential so that every individual becomes a vibrant centre of Total Knowledge."—Maharishi