February 6, 2025
Principle 2. The Principle of Action and Reaction. First Week.
“When you force something towards an end you produce the contrary.”
Last time: My Path So Far.
This time: Two Tales and a round of Find It!
This Week:
We start this month’s series of meditations by focusing on the general structure and implications of the principle. To that end we’ll suggest a story or two and maybe even a joke that hopefully will help to illuminate some aspect of this principle of valid action.
I tend to think of the first meditation of each month as a time to consider the general contours of this principle and its possible applications. I find it helpful to start by asking myself whether at first glance the principle seems useful and in what ways. Does it help me reframe my relationship to the world around me? If so how?
I try to start each of these meditations by looking at the name of the principle as it sometimes gives very useful orientation to the intent of the author. In this case: “Action and Reaction”.
We also continue with our games. This week an inning of looking for things (events, objects, writings, pictures, lyrics, etc) that express the principle or some aspect of it. The examples are out there.
Like with all these weekly practices the goal is not just to deepen our understanding this particular principle, but also to begin to reflect more deeply about our daily behaviour and how it moves us toward greater unity or greater contradiction. I don’t think this is a minor point.
At our next meeting we can discuss our discoveries about, and our difficulties with, this week’s reflections.
Personal Reflections:
Here’s some raw material that I hope you will find useful in your own reflections.
Everyone sets goals, some big and some small. Everyone has plans, or projects — even when they don’t use those terms. We all want certain things just as we want to avoid other things. But this principle is one of the ones that address the question of how should I approach those goals? How can I best move in the direction that interests me? I want someone to behave in a certain way but perhaps they don’t see things the same way I do. What do I do? Should I try to force them to comply, try “nudge” them, or manipulate them? Or perhaps through direct communication try to get them to see the advantages of what I’m proposing. Whatever way I choose I can try to get my way, but obviously the long-term results – the situations I’ve created – may be very far from what I set out to produce. It’s a very different perspective than the one that says, “the ends justify the means”.
Of course, what we mean by “forcing” will vary according to the specific situation. If you have to lift something you’ll need to exert yourself more if its a heavy weight than you would lifting a feather – what is forcing in one case is just the right effort in another. It takes discernment to apply this, or any of the principles, in a useful way.
This Week’s Game
Find It.
The rules for week’s game are simple, and summed up in the name of the game, Find it. The stories we traditionally use every month are examples of playing this game.
During this week keep your eyes and ears (and memory and imagination) open for things around you that illustrate the principle. Here’s a few more examples, of course each one captures only an aspect of the principle.
Let ripeness appear
In its own time
For the full flavour
Of the fruit.
A green Jackfruit
Can be softened by
Blows
But not made sweet…
From the “Songs of the Bards of Bengal”
And one from Aesop’s Fables
The North Wind and the Sun were disputing which was the stronger. Suddenly they saw a traveller coming down the road, and the Sun said: “I see a way to decide our dispute. Whichever of us can cause that traveller to take off his cloak shall be regarded as the stronger. You begin.” So the Sun retired behind a cloud, and the North Wind began to blow as hard as it could upon the traveller. But the harder he blew the more closely did the traveller wrap his cloak round him, till at last the Wind had to give up in despair. Then the Sun came out and shone in all his glory upon the traveller, who soon found it too hot to walk with his cloak on.
A different aspect is offered in this more modern example from the American author Tom Robbins.
“Are you aware that rushing toward a goal is a sublimated death wish? It's no coincidence we call them 'deadlines.”
What examples will you find?
Coming Up:
Next week we’ll continue with our exploration of this Principle of Action and Reaction. We’ll focus on how applying this principle in my past did, or could have, changed the outcomes of events. And of course, we’ll play a round of the Name game.
Remember:
You may agree with me or not, but in any case I will affirm that this is the only way forward: If you want to grow, you will help those around you to grow.
Internal Landscape IX:26, Contradiction and Unity
Worth Repeating:
The Principles are not meant as isolated bits of wisdom, any more than they’re meant to form a conventional moral code. They are the framework for a dynamic meditation, and the rudiments of a practice that you can practice in every moment of your life.
Want More:
Join us at our weekly meeting. Every Wednesday at 6:30 PM ET.
Ask me for a Zoom link, or find it on our Facebook Page
Note:
Thanks, once again to Rafael Edwards for this week’s illustration.
These notes have been posted on Facebook (Community of Silo’s Message Toronto Annex) and sent to our email list. You will also find them along with other comments, and reflections on my website: dzuckerbrot.com
To be continued…