A future oriented mind is full of desires for achieving results in the future, and its action is always fragmentary and partial. But there is no such desire for results, when the action is without any motive; such an action fills us with tremendous joy and bliss. In my understanding action without attachment to its fruits is so complete, so total, that there is nothing beyond it. It is its own fruit; it is its own end result. It is fulfilling in the moment. Such an action is its own reward; there is nothing outside of it.
Once Jesus is passing through a village and he comes across a field full of lilies. He stops near it and says to his disciples, “Do you see these lilies?” Jesus then tells them, “It seems you are not looking, look again. How beautiful they are! King Solomon in all his grandeur and glory is not that beautiful.” The disciples are surprised to hear their master compare the lilies with King Solomon, who happened to be the wealthiest king of their times. There was, they thought, no point in comparing an ordinary flower with the wealthiest king of the world. So noticing their confusion and bewilderment, Jesus again says, “These lilies are blossoming here and now. They live and act in the moment. They don’t do anything out of hope for the future, whereas Solomon lives for the future and in the future. And this tension between the present and the future makes everything tense, sick and sometimes ugly. These flowers have no idea of tomorrow and they are fulfilled in the moment. This small piece of land on which they are growing is enough for them, they don’t crave a larger field. The wind that is passing through them, making them sway, is everything for them. The sun that is shedding light on them is more than everything they desire. These bees humming around them give them joy of the world.”
They are contented in being what they are and being is enough, they don’t want to become anything else. Not that another moment will not come for them. It will come and it will come of its own accord. And when it comes they will welcome it and live it as totally as they are living this existing moment. Not that the lilies will not bear fruit, they will, but it will be another action complete in itself and it will arise from their existential moment. That is why they are beautiful.
Wishing you good health & happiness,
Dr. Dwarakanath, Director, Mitran foundation- the stress management people
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