Riding the donkey backwards

It is better to do the wrong thing whole-heartedly than the right thing half-heartedly. Earnestness is the key. “The fool who persists in his folly will become wise,” promised the mystic William Blake.

Effortless living

The apple is not ripened by trying. Neither are we. “Act without doing; work without effort.”

Yes or no

Right action is pre-eminently necessary. But it does not always mean doing something. Sometimes right action is along the lines of wu wei, from the Chinese for “action-less activity.” That’s why Laozi’s question “Do you know how to do nothing?” is not rhetorical.

Life rules

There are two rules: (1) Trust yourself; and (2) See (1).

To trust yourself, be yourself.

Ahimsa

Right action issues from a place of total acceptance. Wrong action has its roots in resistance. Hence, Nisargadatta’s twisty caution: “Leave alone the reforms. Mind the reformer.”