Power for Accomplishment
The capacity to accomplish is the capacity to achieve a goal or objective. Regardless of the object, the field, the level or the magnitude of the goal, all accomplishment is governed by a common process, stages and principles. A single process is responsible for all creative acts – from an individual’s smallest, least significant acts to the manifestation of spirit as and in a material universe. That process governs the development of individual character and personality, the growth of businesses and other social organizations, and the political and economic development of nations. It expresses in every act – wherever ideas are conceived, goals are pursued, projects are executed -- regardless of whether they are the creative acts of an artist or scientists or the routine acts of a housewife or laborer. All these are acts that accomplish something. All are levels and expressions of a common process governed by common principles.
At the cosmic level the process of creation is the means by which the infinite, unmanifest and eternal spirit creates out of itself a finite, temporal material universe. An Infinite Being and Consciousness, all-knowing and all-powerful, creates, by itself becoming, a world peopled with apparently inanimate, inconscient objects and unconscious or semi-conscious, mortal creatures. Because that Infinite Reality is the origin, basis and real constitution of everything in the universe, the smallest infinitesimal act of the least significant individual in the most limiting circumstances imaginable is capable of revealing and unleashing the greatest opportunity resulting in the highest accomplishment. Often that infinite potential reveals in apparently chance events such as the first meeting of two strangers under the least expected conditions or the casual communication of a small but significant and life-changing information.
All creation,
all accomplishment originates as an act of consciousness and an organization of
that consciousness leading to the formation of a result.
Creation is a
process of self-conception,
self-limitation and self-absorption
by the Infinite to manifest as and through finite forms. All creation issues
from a conscious or subconscious formulation of an intention of the
consciousness, i.e. a self-conception of what the consciousness wants to become
or achieve. A man may want to become an entrepreneur, earn or marry into
wealth, or have many children. A patriot may dream of his country’s freedom or
prosperity, as
Consciousness
is inherently infinite and capable of infinite alternatives, creation
necessarily involves a decision to limit, focus, concentrate on the realization
of a specific form, objective or course of action. Thus, all accomplishment
involves self-limiting choices. The man may decide to start as an employee of
another firm, rise to an executive position, then strike out to start his own
business. The patriot who chooses to fight for his country may have to renounce
a successful, lucrative career, as many of
The act of converting consciousness into will and energy involves a self-absorption of that consciousness into the forms it creates, i.e. all forms are created by and consist of consciousness self-absorbed. The greatest performances of great actors are those in which they absorb themselves so fully by identification with the characters they are portraying that they forget for a moment who they really are. Creation is an act of self-giving in which one becomes the thing one creates just as the Divine has become the universe. The entrepreneur immerses himself in the effort to build a business, fully identified with his work and his role as leader, apparently forgetful of other potential careers, talents and personal interests he may possess. Thus, every form or action contains self-absorbed within it as a seed the intention and consciousness with which it was created. Each aspect and element of the entrepreneur’s business plan, the people he hires, the location he selects, the name he gives his company, the products he designs, the decisions he takes are infused with his original inspiring conception. Organizations often fail because they drift away from the purity of the original inspiration that gave them birth and is the true source of their energy and vitality.
All
accomplishment is the creation of something out of an apparent nothingness in
the way an artist, musician or poet conceives in his creative imagination a
work of art and then proceeds to manifest it in form and content or an
entrepreneur conceives of a business potential and then creates a company to
exploit it.
Regardless of the type, level, field or magnitude of the issue, the process of accomplishment, whether human or divine, involves the conversion of energy into results. When the energy is focused on achieving a clear direction, it is converted into force. When the force passes through an organization, it is transformed into effective power. The power expresses through skilled action to achieve results. Every stage of this process influences the magnitude and speed of the final outcome. The greater the intensity of the energy, the clearer the goal, the more efficiently the organization channels the energy, and the greater the skill through which that energy is expressed, the greater is the overall result.
Energy is the basis of all accomplishment. Creation is a creation of forms out of energy. Material objects consist of physical energy moving in fixed patterns and relations that appear to our senses as solid, stable objects and to our scientific instruments as atoms and molecules in constant motion. Living beings are characterized by the presence of vital or life energy that expresses in the form of sensations, instinctive impulses, subconscious drives and desires, feelings, emotions, passions, attitudes, behavior, character and personality. Mental energy takes form in our minds as ideas, thoughts, theories, inventions, works of art, plans, dreams, ideals we aspire for and values we strive to attain.
Spiritually, all energy is an expression of will and there is a secret will that manifests and expresses through all forms of energy in the universe. All will is an expression of a consciousness, though the originating consciousness may be inconscient and imperceptible to our senses as in matter, subconscious as in the plant or animal, or superconscious as in spiritual experience. All consciousness is a manifestation of Being. Therefore, behind all energy, all will, all forms and all consciousness, there are beings or a Being that is a manifestation of the Infinite, the Absolute. All creation ultimately originates in the Being, which formulates a consciousness that has an inherent will and power for self-expression. The release of that will generates energy and that energy constitutes the building blocks for the creation as we perceive it in the universe. Thus, the entrepreneur (being), possessed of an aspiration to accomplish in business, conceives or becomes conscious of a new business idea and decides by an act of will to create a business. His decision releases his mental, vital and physical energy and propels him into action. By that energy and through that action he builds according to his conception the forms of a company, products and services, an organizational structure with operating systems, and a market identity to realize his vision.
There is an energy associated with each plane of existence that governs accomplishment on the plane. Any work usually requires some amount of activity on all three planes of human consciousness – mental, vital and physical – and demands the requisite energy on each of them. But the primary determinant of the result will be the intensity of energy on the plane central to completion of that particular work.
Physical activity of any sort demands an expenditure of physical energy, but physical activity alone does not constitute or lead to accomplishment, even when that activity is associated with work. Often enough we find ourselves quite ‘busy’ performing work-related tasks that ultimately do not accomplish anything. Meetings often fall in this category when they are conducted out of habit or with little forethought or without a clear agenda or intention. Play is a form of purposeless activity that may generate enjoyment by the large expenditure of energy or satisfaction arising from social interaction, but does not result in accomplishment in the sense referred to here. Most work involves some physical component for its completion and demands physical energy in some measure, but most instances of human accomplishment are centered at a higher level and require expenditure of other forms of energy.
The vital is the life plane of human interactions, social and personal relationships. Selling is predominately a vital activity. The act of selling involves persuading, cajoling or otherwise influencing another human being to make a favorable decision regarding a transaction. The act is centered in the vital plane and like other acts in life the result is most strongly influenced by the strength of vital energy, though the act may require considerable thought, planning and conceptualization and significant physical activity as well. Negotiating, exercising authority, motivating other people to action, forging lasting relationships, and leading a group of people in purposeful action are tasks that depend largely on the intensity of vital energy. Money is a reservoir of vital energy and therefore actions related to the acquisition and expenditure of money involve large energy flows.
Mind has two essential capacities – to know and to will. Understanding and mastering any subject, developing a plan, inventing a technology, designing an organization, writing a novel or a book of philosophy, concentrating on an idea or thinking originally are essentially mental acts, though they may require a considerable expenditure of physical and vital energy in the doing. Here the quantum of mental energy is a paramount determinant of the result.
Decisions are mental acts of will. Taking an important decision may require huge amounts of mental energy. Often the mental decision refers to tasks that are predominantly vital or physical such as choosing a marriage partner or a career, making a purchase or starting an enterprise. In this case mental energy is not sufficient. The decision must release the requisite vital energy for the act to be carried out. The mental act of will must mature into a commitment, intensify into determination, elicit the endorsement and consent of the emotions and release the vital and physical energy for fulfillment of the decision. If the vital and physical do not fully endorse and support the mental decision, the action may remain incomplete or achieve only limited results after a considerable delay. Resolutions to diet or give up bad habits or do things which one does not like or enjoy often suffer this fate.
At a still higher level there are acts in a spiritual plane which involve the expenditure of a higher energy or consciousness. Silencing the mind, meditation on God, aspiration, rejection of lower movements, consecration and surrender are predominately spiritual acts which can consume an entire day’s energy of the being in a few moments and even leave one physically, emotionally and mentally exhausted as well.
Although every accomplishment demands energy, there are occasions in which our effort to accomplish makes us feel energized. Instead of being exhausted by the work, we feel invigorated by the effort. In fact, all work, all effort, all exercise of will releases energy. But in these instances the amount released is in excess of the amount required. Energy is released in the mind by curiosity to know and willingness to decide, in the vital by interest and enjoyment, in the physical by sensations and movement, and in the spirit by aspiration, self-giving and surrender. Willingness, commitment, determination, enthusiasm, passion, and eagerness are attitudes that release greater energy at various levels.
Anything that increases the energy of the being increases the capacity for accomplishment. Anything that reduces or dissipates the energy of the being in unproductive directions reduces that capacity. Negative thoughts, disturbing events, low energy people, unconscious acts, a lack of physical cleanliness, poor health, and bad habits are various ways in which energy is lost.
Energy alone
may result it movement or activity but it is not sufficient for accomplishment.
It must first be converted into a force that is directed toward a specific
goal. Energy is converted into force when it acquires a clear and focused
direction. The acceptance of a lofty goal or objective, the formulation of a
strategy and plan of action help convert energy into force. U.S. coach Herb
Brookes’ lofty aspiration to win the 1980 Olympic Gold Medal in ice hockey
generated a commanding force that was able to overcome the skepticism of the
Olympic Committee members, the supreme confidence of the Russian professionals,
who had won four successive gold medals and 42 straight games, the doubts and
hesitation of his inexperienced, young amateur American players to inspire his
team to victory.
Energy is also
converted into force by the acceptance of high values or ideals. Here the goal
is not a specific result but rather attainment and maintenance of a high level
of conduct such as honesty or truthfulness. Here a subtle aspect of the process
reveals itself. For while the release of energy is a preceding stage to the
generation of force in our description of the process, it is also true that the
acceptance of an inspiring direction can release or generate additional energy
– release it from the hidden reserves within the personality or fresh create it
for the unmanifest infinite that lies behind all appearances. The inspiring
ideals of the French Revolution released a volcano of energy from the long
suppressed peasant masses and converted into a force that wrought havoc to the
country’s aristocratic class and governing system.
Opinions and
attitudes also influence the direction in which our energies flow and the
conversion of energy into force. For the purposes of accomplish, there are no
right and wrong attitudes. There are only attitudes that assist accomplishment
and those that prevent or retard it. A negative attitude, no matter how
justified by events, prevents the free and unrestricted flow of energies
required for accomplishment the way a red traffic signal stops the flow of cars
at an intersection and prevents its free, uninterrupted movement down the
street. Positive attitudes are like a string of green lights that enable you to
travel at a steady speed for block after block without slowing or stopping.
Open-mindedness, positive thinking, expansiveness, and willingness to change
are green lights for accomplishment. Doubts, suspicions, fears, pessimism which
is passed off as ‘realistic thinking’, shrinking from what is new or
challenging are red lights, which no matter how justified by past experience or
current circumstance, prevent the conversion of energy into force for higher
accomplishment. Herb
The force of energy is mitigated by any factor that tends to blur the objectives, create ambivalence or misdirect the energy. The U.S. Olympic Committee was more concerned about avoiding the possibility of an embarrassing defeat than about winning the gold medal. The businessman who seeks to make a big sale may be hampered by the knowledge that he will have to work extra hard to complete the transaction once it is sold. Most fast growing companies slow down because of increasing resistance to additional work from their own employees, rather than from any decline in market opportunities. A person jealous of his associates may be hampered in pursuit of a goal by the knowledge that other people will also benefit from the success of his efforts. Situations of this type send conflicting signals that channel the energy flow in different and sometimes opposite directions.
Force acts
through structure to accomplish work. The powerful aspiration of the Indian
masses for freedom could not act effectively to achieve the goal of
Life evolves by consciousness, consciousness evolves by organization. Organization converts force into productive power, the way the nervous and muscular system of the body translate the mind’s intentions into power for physical actions. Without organization, even the most powerful force will achieve the minimum results. Organization can magnify and multiply the results by any level of force 10, 100 or 1000 times. Imagine what would be the level of information possessed by the average human being were it not for the organization of knowledge through what we call science and education. Until the invention of the printing press and the founding of scientific associations such as the Royal Society, individual scholars and inventors had no way to benefit from the countless similar efforts of their ancestors or to pass on their achievements to the rest of the world, except by personal instruction to small groups of disciples. The publication of scientific information in journals, the discussion of scientific issues by national groups of scholars, the registration of inventions as patents, the collection and dissemination of information and ideas by libraries and universities, the training of teachers and teaching of students through national educational systems, and the compilation of encyclopedias were a few of the means by which society has organized the pursuit of knowledge and education so that the cumulative discoveries and experiences of humankind over centuries can be passed on to successive future generations of youth in a highly organized, systematic and effective manner. The simple organization of a library provides access for an entire community to information that each individual would otherwise have to acquire on his own at huge expense.
Organization is the application of mind to arrange ideas, objects, materials, people, processes, and activities in space and time. Organization exists at the physical, vital, mental and spiritual levels. The power of organization derives from the power of mind to create order. Ideas are organized into theories. Information is organized into subjects and fields of knowledge. Our views of different people and things are organized into ideals, values, opinions, beliefs and sentiments. Our emotions are organized into feelings, attitudes and motives. Our physical bodies are biological organizations simultaneously performing innumerable functions for the sustenance, maintenance, growth and activities of our lives.
The tremendous advances of civilization in productivity and prosperity over the past five centuries are the result of the organization of human ideas and energies to produce greater results. Technology is the organization of material processes according to a mental concept. Markets and financial institutions organize production and trade. What we call money is a complex organization created and supported by countless social institutions, laws, regulations, customs and cultural practices. Law is a codification of public conscience backed by legal, judicial and political organizations that govern the conduct of individual behavior and public affairs within and between nations. All human accomplishment is the result of effective organization of human ideas, attitudes, energies and activities. The more efficient and effective the organization, the greater the productive power and the results achieved.
All forms are organizations of energy. Words are organizations of sound energy. Ideas are formations of thought energy. Companies are organizations of human energy brought together to produce and delivery products and services. Atoms and molecules are organizations of material energy. Since all finite forms are frontal appearances of the infinite, no form can give full and perfect expression to the infinite potential that is inherent in everything. As the exponential improvements in the processing speed and storage capacity of computers been made possible by a more and more refined and perfect organization of energy flows through the microscopic transistors on a silicon chip, the scope for improving the effectiveness of organization, of releasing greater power from what appears as finite, limiting circumstances, is without limit.
Accomplishment depends on the quality of organization that converts force into productive power. The effectiveness of social organizations, such as companies, NGOs, and government institutions, depends on the clarity of the organizational structure which allocates authority and responsibilities to people at different levels and in different specialized functions; the policies, procedures and systems that govern how activities are carried out and monitored; the knowledge, skills and attitudes of individual staff who take decisions and perform tasks; the coordination of functions between departments and divisions; the integration of functions between levels; the relationship between the organization and the society in which it functions, including its relationship will many other types of organization. It also depends on the ideas, ideals, values, attitudes and understanding with which the organization was founded and with which it operates. Values such as discipline, freedom, truthfulness, transparency, efficiency, honesty, credibility, punctuality, speed, cleanliness, orderliness, regularity, standardization, safety, maximum utilization of time and space, accountability, cooperation and harmony are among the most important that directly impact on the productivity and effectiveness of the organization.
The
organization of society-at-large is based on the fundamental ideas and values
on which it is constituted. American society is based on values of physical
freedom and individual liberty supported by the application of information,
education and technology channeled through practical organization for economic
production and commercial interchange on a national scale. The
The organization of physical facts and processes is relatively easy because of their sensible forms, fixed designs, definable and quantifiable characteristics. Therefore humanity has progressed the furthest in the definition, classification, and organization of physical forms. When it comes to human beings and social processes the challenge is much greater. Here we are dealing essentially with fluid energies, not stable objects. Each individual possesses his own varied assortment of skills, attitudes, opinions, beliefs and impulses. The language we use for directing interactions is often ambiguous in its meaning. Each instruction, policy, plan, regulation, rule and law is subject to individual interpretation and misunderstanding. Electrons, stones and stars behave in fairly predictable ways when they are subject to certain conditions and physical impacts. But human beings vary widely in how they respond to the same command, suggestion, incentive, threat, instruction, request, opportunity or challenge. The behavior of atoms and molecules is confined within predictable parameters, even when certainty is not attainable, but human behavior is subject to such a multiplicity of influences – conscious, subconscious, physical, social, nervous, emotional, mental, subtle, and spiritual – that predicting and controlling human behavior is extremely difficult. Therefore, it is not surprising that potential scope for improving the performance of any organization is virtually unlimited.
For these reasons, the science of management, like all other social and human sciences, is in its infancy. The fundamental principles and processes of human behavior, of which accomplishment is one, are yet to be codified. Great insights have been derived from practical experience about how to enhance and elevate the functioning of various aspects of human social organization. But even when combined into a comprehensive body of knowledge, they remain a list of partial strategies and remedies applied to individual parts, not an integrated knowledge of the whole which a living organization is.
The physical sciences are all based on the precept that the atom is the fundamental unit of matter and that all material objects consist of combinations of atoms interacting with each other in known ways. Atoms combined to form molecules, molecules combine to form more complex structures ranging in size from tiny grains of sand to clusters of stars. The laws governing the interactions of these particles are also consistent from the microscopic to the astronomical scale. The basic precept of all biological sciences is that the single cell is the basic unit of all living organisms and that all larger living organisms are combinations of cells to form organs and systems that are integrated into larger units of life. There are also common laws and processes governing the survival, development, reproduction and evolution of all biological forms. But when it comes to the social and psychological sciences, a common basis in concept, principle or process for the emergence of true science has not yet emerged.
Although it has yet to be accepted, we do find a basic unit that all fields of human science share in common, which is also the basic unit for accomplishment – the individual act. The act is the microcosm of all human achievements. Acts combine to form activities. Activities are interrelated to form systems. Activities and systems combine to form social organizations. Here too there are common principles and processes that govern the relationship between acts, activities and organizations.
The atom may be the smallest unit of what we know as matter but it is not the smallest detectible material particle. Atoms consist of a wide variety of subatomic particles which also function and interact according to known principles. So too, the cell is not the smallest detectible particle of living tissue. Cells consist of various observable structures and activities that also function and interact according to known principles. The same is true of the individual act. Acts are the microcosm from which all human events are constituted, but the acts themselves consist of many more subtle aspects that govern the nature and results of the act. We have already referred in this article to some of these subtle aspects – thoughts, feelings, sensations, urges, emotions, motives, ideals, and values.
Physicists have
discovered that the greatest power in the universe is not the power of the
largest structures, but rather the power of its smallest unit, the atom. The
energy released by an atomic explosion is exponentially greater in magnitude
per unit mass than anything generated at the scale of atoms and molecules, yet
it releases less than 10 percent of the total energy contained within each
atom. The same is true of acts and organizations. Organizations consist of a
countless number of acts, activities and systems, but by far the greatest, most
powerful source of energy is that concealed within each individual act. All powerful
social movements and great social accomplishments derive their power from the
attitudes, emotions, and values that they inspire, not from the mere number of
people or activities they involve. Among these the subconscious sentiments and
sensitivities that form the basis for what we call culture are the most
powerful. Tapping that power which is
buried within every act is the secret to an endless and infinite multiplication
of human accomplishment.
Human personality is a composite of physical, vital, mental and spiritual energies, each functioning on its own plane and interacting with and influencing the others. So too, social organizations consist of multiple levels and layers of organized mental, vital and physical energy flowing through the structure of opinions, attitudes, relationships, activities, systems, values, sensitivities and skills, each interacting with and influencing the others. Each social organization is a partially organized, partially fragmented and compartmentalized amalgamation of semi-autonomous parts. Its effectiveness depends on the extent to which all these parts are integrated around a centralized governing consciousness to serve the purposes for which the organization was constituted. In the best of cases, this integration is very partial and the scope for improvement is enormous.
Society
channels social energy for its survival, growth and development through the
structures of social organization. Individual human beings channel
psychological energy for their survival, growth and development through the
structures of human character. Character represents the organized structure of
human personality in and around which knowledge, ideas, opinions, beliefs,
values, sentiments, emotions and desires are integrated to serve the central
motives of the personality. The more formed and developed the character, the
greater the individual’s capacity to transform energy into effective power. But
like the organization of social institutions, the development of character is
in most cases very partial and incomplete. Rarely do we find an individual
who’s every thought, feeling and act are consistently organized around a
central purpose. When we do, it is most often a negative instance in which an
unscrupulous character of extreme selfishness or personal ambition is willing
to sacrifice every principle in pursuit of his goal. Historian Paul Johnson’s
biographies of towering Western intellectuals such as Byron, Rousseau, Marx and
Freud reveals that those espousing great ideas and ideal often fail to meet the
very minimum human standards of character in their personal lives. But positive
or negative, character determines the capacity of the individual for concerted
and persistent action in pursuit of a goal. The ideal of the English gentleman
was a man who always kept his promises and was incapable of speaking anything
that was not true. It was on the strength of that character that tiny
Character is a fixed and limiting structure that generates consistency but prevents creativity. Beyond organized character lies the unformed, unorganized field of personality and the deeper plane of true individuality from which all fresh, creative initiatives originate.
Skill is the final link in the chain between energy and results. Organized power is converted into results through skilled action. Skill can be defined as the capacity to channel energy in a controlled manner to achieve the maximum quantity and quality of result in the minimum interval of time. Skills exist at all levels from the physical to the spiritual. Physical skills govern the way in which nervous-muscular energy is channeled to control the movements of the body. Social skills govern the way vital-emotional energy is channeled in our behavioral interactions with other human beings, especially during the communication of thoughts, feelings and intentions through the spoken word and gesture. Mental skills govern the way our minds control the movement of mental energy to process observations, information, thoughts and ideas through such faculties as memory, thinking and imagination. In the analogy of the hydroelectric power plant, skills are the final link in the chain represented by the hair-thin tungsten filaments in an incandescent bulb, TV picture tubes, the tiny transistors on a silicon chip, and the pixels on an LCD display that convert electrical power into usable results. In the absence of this last link, power is not productive.
The scope for
elevating the performance on any act rises on a scale from one to a thousand or
more. Consummate skill can equal in power that of an entire army or government.
When FDR assumed the presidency in the midst of the Great Depression and
confronted a public panic by bank depositors that threatened to decimate the
Skills at any
level can be refined to achieve higher levels of perfection. But real
perfection is of the spiritual plane. Here it is not merely the physical or
emotional or mentally energy that is called into play. Beyond these there is a
deeper center of being which is spiritual. Values
are spiritual skills which govern the way the energies of our central or
spiritual being are channeled and expressed through thought, word and act in
pursuit of the ideal and perfect. Elevating the values with which any act is
performed, that act is imbued with spiritual power and energized to deliver far
greater results. Combining keen commercial skills with a commitment to
fairness, truthfulness and service to the community, Quaker merchants in early
Energy is generated and released by an aspiring will. It is directed by self-conception and translated into force. Force organized is transformed into productive power. Power channeled and expressed through skills generates results. This is a summary description of the process that governs accomplishment from the microscopic scale of the individual act to the universal scale of national and international events.
When the main
components of the process are present in the necessary measure, the act
achieves the intended result sooner or later. But each stage and element of
this process is also governed by principles, conditions and corollaries that
can play a crucial role in augmenting or reducing the results of any
initiative. Attention to these secondary aspects can make the difference
between an ordinary achievement over the course of a lifetime and an
extraordinary accomplishment within the span of a few months or years. Even one
of these factors, if developed to maximum intensity, can make possible an
achievement that appears unimaginable beforehand, such as FDR’s reversal of the
banking crisis or
This process of accomplishment is influenced positively or negatively by innumerable factors, such as the faith, passion and enthusiasm of those who are related to the act; the presence or absence of complementary or contradictory beliefs, opinions, and attitudes; the overall strength of personality and the values of the person who initiates; the sanction and receptivity of the environing social context; etc. The sincerity with which the act is performed is one among these contributory factors.
Like other human attributes and attitudes, there are several types and degrees of sincerity. Physical sincerity may be defined as the unqualified, unhesitating willingness to responsibly perform the physical actions required to achieve a result. Americans are said to be sincere in their work because they are willing to physically exert themselves to whatever extent is required, whereas people of some nationalities prefer to make the minimum effort demanded of them and depend on others to generate results for their benefit.
Vital sincerity is the state in which a person’s inner feelings endorse what his understanding has accepted as right and his external behavior reflects. In common parlance, we may say the person is genuine. Americans who espouse the ideal of equality but secretly harbor a sense of superiority over blacks and people of other races or nationalities are lacking in vital sincerity. In contrast, The Mother says that the Russian people were sincere in the basic human values that they aspired for, even though in practice their form of government was the antithesis of real freedom, equality and fraternity.
Mental sincerity is achieved when the mind accepts and the mental will endorses what the understanding knows to be true and right. Acknowledging and espousing high ideals which one is unwilling to live by or applying standards of conduct to others that one is unwilling to apply in judging oneself are instances of mental insincerity. The scientist who publishes investigative data that refutes a theory he has been strongly advocating for his entire professional career exhibits mental sincerity. The individual who can impartially present facts and arguments in favor of those who oppose him may be said to be mentally sincere.
Sincerity at any of these levels has a tremendous power to evoke positive responses and elevate the level of accomplishment. But beyond these, there is a still greater, extraordinary power that is rarely unleashed in its purity – the power of spiritual sincerity. Spiritual sincerity, when it is organized as power, exercises mastery over all other forces in social life – military, political, economic, social, monetary, cultural, religious, psychological – and has the capacity to accomplish even under conditions which would otherwise defy accomplishment.
This statement raises a number of fundamental questions: What is the definition or conception of spiritual sincerity that has this supreme power? What are the conditions or characteristics by which it can be recognized? To whom or what should one be sincere in order to acquire this power? What does it mean for sincerity to be organized? Since sincerity is only an attitude and accomplishment involves action, what is the role and relative importance of action in determining the results? Since many of our goals involve action in a wider field of life which depends on the responses of other people and institutions, how can an individual’s attitude of spiritual sincerity exercise power over the social collective?
Let us begin with a definition of spiritual sincerity. The word sincerity is commonly used to refer to an attitude that most people believe they possess when seeking any result. Therefore, an explanation is required to distinguish common forms or levels of sincerity with the organized spiritual sincerity that is all-powerful. The young man who studies seriously in order to learn a subject or get high grades so he can get selected for a good job is sincere in his pursuit of knowledge or a career. We can say he is sincere to himself and his goals. Similarly, a member of a family undertaking a task for the benefit of the family, rather than for his own individual benefit, is sincere to the family. A member of an organization performing work for the benefit of the organization, rather than for his own monetary or career benefit, is sincere to the organization. A patriotic citizen dedicating himself to the nation’s defense or upliftment or service is sincere to his country. An Olympic athlete who trains rigorously to the point of exhaustion and abstains from any act that may impair his strength or distract his attention is sincere in his quest for a medal. An idealist may strive sincerely to live his life in conformity with the ideals he has accepted and in doing so he is sincere to those ideals. All of these are commendable attitudes that enable a person to achieve in life much more than a person with similar talents and capacities who lacks genuine sincerity. But none of these are what we mean by spiritual sincerity.
The Mother’s definition of sincerity is to be true to the Spirit, to the will of the Divine. Spiritual sincerity is the attitude of doing a work because one believes it is the will of the Divine and for the sake of the Divine, not for one’s own sake. It is this spiritual sincerity which when organized has the power to accomplish any goal.
In order to
clarify our conception of spiritual sincerity, it will be useful to note the
many factors or elements than can detract from it. The sincere corporate
executive who dedicates himself to improve the performance of the company may
resent the fact that other persons receive credit for the work he has done or
simply do not contribute as much as he does to elevate the company’s
performance. Such attitudes are quite understandable, but they vitiate and
diminish the results achieved by his otherwise sincere effort. In the measure
the executive asserts the authority of his position in the company, seeks
recognition or rewards for his contribution, or feels self-satisfied and proud
of his contribution, he is serving himself or his career, rather than the
organization. In the measure he feels superior to those who contribute less, he
is serving his ego, not the company. The patriot may risk his life and lose his
limb sincerely defending the country, but his sincerity is diminished in the
measure he feels self-pity for his loss. The idealist may sincerely forego
opportunities for personal advancement in order to serve his ideal, but if he
takes pride or feels important because of the nature of the work he does, the
quality of his sincerity and its results will be impaired. A spiritually sincere act is one done purely for the sake of the
Divine, not for personal benefit or for the sake of the ego.
Being spiritual, sincerity is related and inseparable from every other spiritual quality. Thus, one who seeks to be wholly true to the Divine must also have a complete faith in the Divine power and a total reliance on the Divine. A complete sincerity leaves no room for doubt and no scope for reliance on other powers. An executive who is spiritually sincerity cannot rely on false methods to accomplish any goal. A spiritually sincere idealist cannot have faith in the power of any type of external support or any form of activity for accomplishment. In pursuit of his goal, he may need to use money, interact with people in positions of influence and conduct any type of activity, but his faith must always be in Divine and not in the methods which he employees. He should not even rely on action of any type as essential for accomplishment. He should understand that a sincere attitude is far more powerful than any action and rely exclusively on being true to the Divine, even when in the midst of action.
Sincerity applies to all stages of the process of accomplishment, including the urge that releases energy for action, the commitment to the chosen course, the way the energy is organized into power, and the perfection of the skill with which it is expressed in action. Spiritual sincerity expresses in work through the mental, vital and physical planes. Thus, it is not only the central motive that should be sincere. The idea that directs, the emotions that energize and the physical movements should also express that sincerity. True spiritual sincerity expresses in the mind as ideas that are expansive and creative, in the heart as emotions that are determined, cheerful and calm, in the physical as actions that are patiently, perfectly and gracefully executed.
We stated earlier that organized spiritual sincerity has power over all the planes and forces of life. In order to support this statement, we must first explain what we mean by organized sincerity and how organization generates power. To organize is to integrate the parts into the whole. Every aspect of society related and integrates to some extent with other aspects. Education is related to employment to the extent that the educational curriculum and choice of courses is influenced by the job opportunities they open up and the selection of recruits by companies is influenced by the level and quality of education they have received. To this extent education and employment are inter-convertible.
Money is the
social organization that is most fully integrated and inter-convertible with
all other aspects of social life. Though in its origin its power was restricted
to serving as a medium of exchange for trade in goods and services, money has
gradually acquired far wider power in society by permeating and integrating
itself with every other social activity. Because money is integrated with
political power, those who have money gain political influence and those who
have political power gain access to money. That is why
At the
individual level human behavior is organized with the ego as the center and
every aspect of life is integrated around that focal point. Each interaction
with other people is judged from that perspective to determine whether it is
enhancing or diminishing the ego’s self-importance. It chooses for its friends
those who like it and appreciate it the most, rather than those who are most
worthy of being liked and appreciated. The ego judges and compares itself with
each person it meets to determine whether the other is someone it should look
up to or down upon socially and psychologically. It examines every idea and
proposal from the perspective of whether it offers personal benefits or
involves personal sacrifices. It views every arrangement in terms of its own
comfort and convenience. The ego tends to judge other people in terms of the
character traits and abilities in which it excels and ignores those qualities
in which it is poorly endowed. The ego enlists mind as its subordinate and
compels mind to adopt ‘rational’ arguments favorable to its own advantage,
which is why
To organize spiritual sincerity is to dislodge the ego from the center and replace it with the Divine. Here the Divine Will becomes the focal point for integrating all aspects of life, rather than personal preference and advantage. Each thought, opinion, belief, feeling, emotion, sentiment, impulse and urge needs to be referred to the Divine – consecrated – and replaced by its higher counterpart as far as possible. Such an attainment is nearly impossible to maintain even for accomplished yogis so long as they live in the body and have not transformed their normal personalities. For the rest of us, it is a distant dream.
But it is possible for a normal human being to aspire to spiritual sincerity in one or a few important areas of their lives and to organize sincerity with respect to those areas. We do occasionally find even very selfish people capable of extreme generosity and self-giving with respect to a lover, a child or a guru. It is extremely difficult to consecrate all one’s thoughts, feelings and acts to the Divine, but it is possible to refer important acts related to important events. In that measure these acts come under the influence of organized sincerity. Organized sincerity is to express each aspect, attitude and action relating to a work through the vibration of sincerity.
Power
accomplishes work when it is applied positively and prevents work when it is
exerted negatively. The rich often resent other people acquiring wealth, since
that undermines their sense of superiority and social influence. Employees in
organizations often resent the advancement of colleagues which they perceive as
a relative loss of status for themselves. Similarly, the nuclear powers hang on
to their weapons monopoly, even when they know that it accords them no real
protection, since exclusive possession generates a sense of pride and superior
power over others.
Law is another social organization that has acquired tremendous power by fully integrating itself with all aspects of life. Like money, law can be a powerful instrument for creation and development. Like money, it can also limit human progress to the level sanctioned by present legal concepts and legal institutions. Thus, according to the letter of international law, the International Court of Justice was unable to unambiguously declare the use of nuclear weapons as a crime against humanity, when according to the spirit of the law they represent unmitigated horror.
As money and law have acquired enormous power by virtue of their integration with all aspects and levels of social life, organized sincerity can generate a power for mastery over life in any field where it is established. However, since sincerity is essentially spirituality, its impact can only be positive. The power of law and of money are purified and magnified, when expressed through the medium of spiritual sincerity, whereas the power of spiritual sincerity, being infinite and universal, is limited and abridged by confinement to these or any other planes of activity. The same is true of reliance on any other power or method of accomplishment.
Money has acquired power because it passes through the structure and functioning of social existence. The central reference point for money is society and its power is limited to the organized power of the society. Money cannot prevent a car accident or a natural catastrophe, a heart attack or assassination of a leader, a banking panic or stock market crash, a terrorist attack or a nuclear holocaust. It cannot prevent people from misunderstanding or refusing to grasp that which is logically compelling. Nor can it prevent an ignorant or perverse electorate from electing leaders whose actions are diametrically opposed to its own freedom and welfare – rather money is more likely to be used in support of their election since its social character is still negative.
The central reference point for sincerity is the Divine, whose power is infinite, omnipresent and universal. The power of sincerity can be extended to reach any work, activity, person or event, regardless of its relationship to society. When sincerity is organized in the society, it acquires the power to reach or penetrate where money cannot and can exercise dominion over all other social powers.
An attitude of spiritual sincerity may become the central organizing focal point and means of action for accomplishing any goal, but this attitude would still be limited to a single individual. Most types of high accomplishment, such as business and politics, involve achievement in the social plane where the individual seeks to act upon the collective and confronts opposition from other individuals or groups within that collective. How then can an individual’s spiritual sincerity exercise power over the wider collective of which he is only a tiny part?
It is true that sincerity is an individual attitude and it can only belong to the individual. No known collective is sufficiently conscious and motivated to qualify for spiritual sincerity. In fact, it requires a highly developed individuality in order to achieve a true attitude of sincerity. The acceptance of what others say or believe is conformity, not sincerity. Only a formed individual is capable of renouncing his individual preference in favor of the Spirit. The individual who organizes spiritual sincerity relates each of his actions to the divine center within himself and that is a universal rather than individual center of consciousness. Relating to that center, the individual’s action ceases to be individual and its power becomes a universal movement or power capable of acting upon the collective of which he is a part. The Spirit is universal. Constant reference to the Spirit generates universal power.
The last stage
of the process of accomplishment as described in this paper is the expression
of power through skilled action in work. Most Westerners, especially Americans,
are raised with a firm faith in the power of goal-oriented action to achieve
any result. When the city council of
In a similar manner, most people believe that the only way to communicate effectively with other people is to express oneself verbally. However, those who have experimented with spiritual methods in human relations observe that silence can be a far more powerful and effective means for communicating than speech, even when the other person is an unknown party and even when the objective is to effect a specific decision or result through the communication. Experience and experiment testify to the fact that Silent Will is far more powerful than the spoken word.
Spiritual sincerity requires a reevaluation of the premise that physical work is essential for accomplishment. The more one progresses on the spiritual path, the more one finds that the most powerful and essential work to be done is within oneself rather than externally. This is not a reference to yogic methods designed to free the soul from its attachments for the attainment of nirvana or some higher heaven. Detachment and withdrawal from action is natural for these purposes. It refers, rather, to those seeking to elevate, perfect and transform themselves and their earthly existence through spiritual methods.
A spiritual approach to the elevation of human consciousness and perfection of life must be effected predominately by an inner spiritual power which expresses only through token actions in the outer world. Reliance on the spirit requires a progressive relinquishing of individual will and initiative so that the Divine Will can express in and through one. This does not imply a cessation of work. On the contrary, it implies an intensification of work. But here the work is to become more and more conscious of the various strands of one’s own inner consciousness and to offer up each of those strands – mental, vital and physical – to the Spirit. This shifting of initiative from outside to inside progressively reveals to the observing eye the close correspondence between our inner consciousness and the events that occur around us. Then we discover the truth that the inner consciousness has power to move the outer life and make it respond to our will.
The biologists’ search for the formula of life and the conditions under which life spontaneously generates itself is a very limited, physical view of a phenomenon that is essentially not physical, though it expresses in and through physical forms. Spiritually, Life is a universal force, a manifestation of the Consciousness-Force of the Spirit. Our individual lives are only tiny portions of that force identified with and sequestered for a short time by the individual form and the ego, which draws an arbitrary line between what lies within its own form and all that lies outside it. In reality, no such line exists. The life inside and the life outside are one and the same field. They are in constant relationship with each other. There is a constant flow of energy in both directions and a constant mirroring of the inner by the outer.
Accomplishment is effected by the action of an individual center of consciousness on the universal field in which it functions and of which it is an inseparable part. All social development is the result of pioneering initiatives by individuals that are subconsciously identified with the social collective and who make conscious in their own being and action the unfulfilled aspirations and intentions of that collective. The pioneer represents and fulfills the evolutionary objectives of the community by giving expression to new ideas and initiatives. Were it not for the subconscious identity between them, the actions of a pioneer would remain isolated and uneventful. Oneness of identity at the subconscious level gives power to the individual to change the collective.
Accomplishment in society is to effect change in the external environment. It can be attempted through physical effort, enthusiastic or inflammatory oratory, political or military action, scientific or intellectual work. Regardless of the field or level of work, the power of accomplishment depends on the power of the consciousness that initiates the action. If the plane is physical, then the strength, stamina and skill of the physical body becomes of paramount importance. If the plane is vital or social, then the individual’s energy, wealth, social contacts, status, prestige, persuasive, evocative or provocative power as a leader are determinative. If the plane is mental, it depends on the quality, clarity and originality of his thought or artistic inspiration and his capacity to express them in form. All these are expressions of the consciousness of the individual who initiates acting through different levels of his being. Elevating the central consciousness of that individual enhances his effective power at whatever level he chooses to act. Physically, it can improve his health and stamina. Vitally, it can increase his energy and attractiveness. Mentally, it can magnify and refine his intellectual capabilities.
But beyond these levels, the inner consciousness has the power to act directly on the outer world and, in fact, does so unperceived at every moment. Our sudden interest in a subject or need for a particular type of information has the power to attract that information without any initiative on our part to obtain it. A change of attitude toward a colleague thousands of miles away had the power to evoke a response from that person which opened up an entirely new career opportunity. A selfless patriotic urge for a developmental opportunity to benefit the nation evoked collective initiatives by state and national governments, resulting in new public policy backed by huge government expenditure. The act of giving attention in consciousness to a particular issue can project that issue into public view, provided the attention is sufficiently intense and disinterested.
All these types of influence and interaction occur without our knowledge or conscious intention. But they can also be consciously initiated by an individual through corresponding acts of inner consciousness. An individual who wants to overcome a negative attitude in a boss, leader, colleague, friend, relative, family, community or nation can do so by seeking a corresponding point in his own consciousness and willing to change or consecrating that point to the Divine. If the effort is sufficiently deep, sincere and intense, even intractable problems of a cultural, religious, ethnic or political nature can be acted upon effectively. That is to convert the outer work into spiritual work.
Organized sincerity acts directly on the corresponding points in our own consciousness to exercise power over the external world. Identifying the inner correspondents for outer obstacles and referring those inner points to the center of organized spiritual sincerity has the power to move social and psychological forces that defy every external initiative. This inward action evoking positive change outside is referred to as ‘life response’.
The Western work ethic associates accomplishment with arduous and prolonged labor and self-sacrifice. Therefore, work and enjoyment are juxtaposed as mutually exclusive activities. Spiritually, the truth is otherwise. All creation, all accomplishment is an act of enjoyment. The infinite Spirit which is pure bliss, ananda, creates or manifests the finite universe for the pure delight of self-manifestation. Delight is the active and manifest expression on bliss.
Human experience is often contrary to spiritual truth. Physical labor can be painful drudgery. Mental labor can be stifling boredom. But it is not inevitable and it is not the highest truth even in normal human experience. The act of human procreation, an accomplishment which creates new life, is considered the most enjoyable of all human experiences. The thrill of inspiring others to higher achievement can be rich compensation to a leader. The joy of creation and discovery motivates the artist, the poet, the scientist, the thinker and the inventor in their lifelong pursuits. The psychological fulfillment of the teacher who learns by teaching others and grows by giving to them can far excel that of those who derive merely material or social benefits from their labor.
The normal gulf between accomplishment and enjoyment arises from the arbitrary division between our inner and outer lives, between our quest for personal growth and fulfillment and our urge for external achievement. The gulf has to first be bridged in attitude and then in practice, by reintegrating the inner and outer activities as described in this paper.
Spiritually, the act of accomplishment results in the greatest enjoyment and those acts that generate the greatest joy result in the greatest accomplishment. We are all in our spiritual consciousness expressions and representatives of the Divine who creates for the sheer delight in manifesting something of its infinite potentials. Accomplishment is enjoyment. That is the truth behind the Indian concept of lila, the divine who creates the universe as an act of play and whose only motive is delight in that play.
This paper began on a highly philosophical note briefly summarizing the process of creation as one of self-conception, self-limitation and self-absorption by an Infinite Being in finite form. That philosophy has immense practical implications. For if indeed this finite, limited, ignorant, impotent world of egoistic beings in constant strife is actually a manifestation of an infinite Truth, Unity, Goodness, Consciousness-Force, Knowledge, Power, Love, Beauty and Delight and if this Infinity is in the process of evolving out of the finite confines in which it is buried, then there must be signs of that emergence visible to our perception, even if the process itself remains concealed from our vision and understanding.
Such signs are in evidence. The emergence of animate life in a field of inanimate matter; the emergence of conscious and self-conscious mentality out of animality in human beings; the development of social institutions, law, civilization and culture out of primitive hunter-warrior groups; the tremendous political, economic, educational, scientific and technological developments of the past five centuries; the historic effort of the European Union to transcend the limitations of the nation-state – all these are partial, macro expressions at the national and global level of the progressive emergence of the Infinite in finite nature.
The same process occurs at the microscopic level of individual human life, action and accomplishment. The same Infinite Being and Power lies hidden within each tiny object, brief passing moment, apparently insignificant event and unrelated person; for Brahman, the Infinite, the Absolute, is equal in all things – equal in quality and in quantity – in the anthill and the solar system. Thus, the most casual ‘chance’ event can have momentous consequences. An unfathomable power lies in potential in every act and circumstance, no matter how limiting or contradictory to our aim the conditions may appear, no matter how overwhelming the forces that oppose, no matter how difficult for human imagination to conceive of a possible solution or an achievable outcome.
Knowledge of this infinite potential concealed within the finite is practical knowledge of the Infinite. Faith in this knowledge gives the power to apply that knowledge practically. Sincerity based on consecration and surrender is the method and means for practically unleashing that Infinite for unparalleled accomplishment.
Historically, human relationship arose out of the advantages of collective action for survival and self-defense. People gathered together, lived and worked together because it was to the advantage of each individual to support and be supported by others. Over time human relationship has evolved from a material and biological expediency into a social necessity and a psychological longing. Relationship, particularly that between man and woman, has acquired social utility, status and cultural sanctity. The family has evolved into an effective social institution for raising and educating the young, for division and specialization of labor. It has also evolved into a means for each individual to seek fulfillment of psychological needs and psychological development through interaction and relationship with one who is a psychological complement.
The human soul is a portion of the All-Soul, one in essence with the Divine Being and with all other souls, as expressed in the Upanishadic formula, “All is in each and each is in all and all is in God and God in all.” The human quest for romance is in its greatest depths and heights a seeking by the surface personality for that experience of oneness with its own true Self.
This quest for wholeness reaches greatest intensity in the pursuit of romantic love between man and woman. Although no single individual can provide that wholeness for another – since that whole is infinite – a person can find in another a complement for all that he is and through interaction, reconciliation and identification with that complement achieve a greater wholeness of personality and fullness of life. That which is positively complementary comes of itself without our seeking it. Life the voltage differential between positive and negative electrical terminals, the quest for complementarity can release tremendous energy and intensity. As completing the circuit eliminates the voltage differential, the intensity of complementarity most commonly subsides when organized as marriage.
At its height,
human relationship becomes romance, but true romance is spiritual not human.
Romance is the soul’s adventure in quest of experience and self-discovery. It
is an adventure of consciousness and joy that thrills in the danger of
exploring the unknown and fathoming greater realities in the world and within
oneself, uncompelled by need, urge or personal advantage. Spiritually, romance
is to convert one’s entire life into a field of self-discovery and accomplishment
allured by the enchanting mystery of the unknown. Romance is the organized
effort of the Eternal in Man, a power, an action and an experience that lies
beyond any organization and can never be organized. At its height it reveals
life as the divine play,
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