Reaction in Pursuit of Happyness
I have seen the film (The Pursuit of Happyness) several times and have thought about it from several different angles. He undoubtedly had a staggering will and desire to achieve. His aspiration was matched by relentless perseverance and physical courage. He was rarely discouraged, and constantly moved forward despite all obstacles.

And yet I believe he could have made it much easier on himself if at several points had he not reacted with such intensity. He would get angry, fight over being in line, toss things around, etc. etc. Rather than pushing through some of these situations, he could have stationed himself in calm and silence at key points and attracted the result without the pain. That is one of the reasons I wrote the article above. To indicate the life response power of NON-REACTION. When others, circumstance rub us the wrong way, we should hold back from reacting. It takes strength of nerves to do it, but after a while, it can become a simple routine. The alternative, of reaction, is to traverse a path of continuous difficulty.

Hallmark of True Individuality is Non-Reacting Quality
He who does not react is one who rises above the Mind, as reaction is a characteristic of Mind. Individuality is precious. Non-reacting equality is its hallmark. Roark in the Fountainhead had this capacity. (MSS, with additional)

Non-reaction; Overcoming Frustration
Non-reaction achieves vastly. Not to feel frustration is more powerful. To know that what now frustrates us is a source of our inner rapture is welcome. (MSS)

Difficulty of Non-Reaction, and Yoga
Not to abuse or not to complain is difficult, but not impossible. Not to react or not to feel frustration is more than impossible. In yoga they are welcome initial efforts. (MSS)

Negative Response to Overreaction
A calm detached and non-reactive condition is certainly a fine psychological position from which to face the world. Roy Sir's coinage of the term "Beingness" is somewhat unique as I do not find it in Sri Aurobindo's or Mother's writings. Anyway it is an apt coinage to describe what he has put forth and his examples are very relevant to the point he is putting forth.

I have seem many incidents of what overreacting leads too. Small disturbances get blown up into big quarrels simply because the concerned parties overreact and make much of petty misdeeds. When a Serbian nationalist killed the heir-apparent to the Austro-Hungarian empire it got blown up into such a big issue that the result was the outbreak of world war one which lead to the death of millions of soldiers and civilians.

Petty physical aliments like a mild fever or headache will disappear on their own in a few hours if the concerned individual chooses to ignore the discomfort. I have seen the ailment getting markedly worse when the patient takes it seriously and goes to the doctor in an agitated manner and demands relief.

Something in the human personality responds in an exaggerated manner to contacts of the outside world. It may be the vital's love of drama. If the vital can be trained to absorb the shocks and touches of the outside world in a reasonable and composed manner it will help us attain the calm and detached condition described as "Beingness" by Roy sir in a big way. (N. Asokan MSS)

Beingness and Life Response

There are powerful behaviors that attract sudden good fortune. Among them are having an intense aspiration for something to come about, moving to a higher level of psychological strength, increasing one’s personal level of cleanliness and orderliness, and eliminating negative attitudes toward life, work, and others. When you take to any of these in a higher order, positive conditions quickly present themselves.

Here I will focus on some of the more spiritual-oriented techniques that have equal if not greater power to attract the miraculous. In particular, I will target those psychological approaches that issue from Beingness: that state of stillness where we are silent observers of the world, not compelled to action or reaction.

Don’t React -- From a cosmic perspective, Beingness is the Stability and Calm behind all things: the Stillness out of which Energy emerged to manifest a universe of forms. We too have access to Beingness in our own lives. One approach is to practice the technique of “non-reaction.” I.e. when any form of intensity comes our way -- whether from another person or from the conditions of life -- we simply do not respond. That not only brings a level of peace to the atmosphere, but attracts positive conditions.

The approach is simple enough: when someone expresses a thought or emotion, particularly when it touches our sensibilities, appearing negative in thought or feeling, we should not react. The same for any other intensity or disturbance that comes our way. For example, if your spouse returns home irritated and directs those energies towards you, remain still, despite the onslaught. Do not react with emotion, which will only intensity and further disturb the atmosphere, (and elicit further negative response). Likewise, if your boss abuses you, a provocative news story appears on TV, or your children cloyingly demand your attention, do not react with commensurate intensity. Each time you take that higher tact, not only will the sense of balance be maintained, but sudden good fortune can follow. E.g., your spouse may suddenly surprise you with good news, a boss may withdraw all vitriol for weeks on end from that point forward, a negative news event will suddenly turn positive, and so forth. If you can also repress your reactive thoughts and feelings, then positive conditions are likely to follow.

Don’t Assert, Initiate -- Beingness is the ability to look out on the world as “Silent Witness,” observing all that occurs through calm detachment. You care about what is before you; you consider it mindfully; but you remain stationed within as silent witness to all. In that state, you do not initiate or assert, but wait for life to take the initiative. You can then respond as necessary. Practically speaking this method of non-assertion can be practiced from the mental to physical levels.

At the mental level, try to refrain from expressing a thought or opinion, allowing others to speak first. This will enable the flow of events to take their right course. Similarly, if you are in a discussion or communication, try to withhold what is on your mind. What may very well happen is that soon after the other person will express the very idea you wanted to convey. This is to practice a form of restraint known as “Silent Will.”

We can also practice non-assertion and restraint at the physical plane -- i.e. at the level of action. For example, in the course of our day, we can take a moment to consider the utility of sending out an email, or making a call, or otherwise communicating with someone. When we do, we might find that much of it is trivial, or egotistic and self-serving, or a way to stimulate ourselves through social contact, or is simply unnecessary in the wider scheme of things. At least 50% of our actions are of this kind. For the spiritual individual, such initiatives tend to deplete one’s energies, while producing little utilitarian result. Moreover, each time we restrain ourselves this way, positive conditions tend to present themselves.

Don’t Complain -- Beingness also implies not taking to the negative. One is stationed within as witness to the world, avoiding wrong action. One example is to view a problem or challenge outside one’s self and not complain about it.  Complaining is a sign of a wanting attitude, psychological weakness, and wrong response. A spirit-oriented individual on the other hand gains power from right attitude, inner strength, and positive response, not complaint or grievance. Therefore, the next time you feel the urge to blame someone for something, restrain yourself. Not only will you create a more harmonious atmosphere, but powerful positive conditions will present themselves.

For example, one man stopped complaining about his spouse’s lack of organization in dealing with her finances -- a problem that had persisted for years. Several days later, he was startled to learn that she suddenly found a financial institution to handle all of her financial arrangements, while substantially reducing her debt. It was a Godsend, ending years of disorganization and frustration.

Accept All -- Finally, the spirit-oriented individual expresses Beingness -- i.e. of the Being, or ‘Sat’ in Sanskrit -- by accepting and embracing everything that comes his way. If a boss asks him to come in and work on a weekend in addition to the normal workweek, he simply accepts without challenge. In fact, one man did this very thing while working at a retail outlet, attracting the biggest sale of his life. At each point that we embrace the given conditions of life, we move to a higher plane and open to the infinite potentials of life.

There is a nice example of this in the film The Devil Wears Prada. There a young aspiring journalist accepts the fact that she has to work temporarily in a different field to sustain herself on the way to achieving her career goals. As a result, life responds and she secures a job as a secretary for a world famous fashion mogul. Moreover, at each point the young heroine embraces the demands of her powerful, often ruthless boss, she rises up further still. Even when the young woman’s sensitivities are challenged -- e.g., she is asked to change her personal wardrobe and reduce her physical weight, a humiliating request indeed -- she embraces it, catapulting her to the very top of her profession. That is the power of embracing the all, reflecting the spiritual dimension of Beingness.

To accept all that comes is to embrace the universe of possibilities. It is to move from one’s limited domain to a wider sphere where our hopes and dreams are realized. It is to shift from the turbulence of life to the stillness and stability within. It is to express the spiritual dimension of Being in our everyday lives, attracting extraordinary circumstance from the world around us.