The dynamics of how events unfold is a great mystery. Only one who is fully engaged in doing can truly recognise the happening. The healthiest way to apply this understanding is to see the entire past as happening, and the present as doing. If you see the past as doing, ego and regret follow. If you see the present as happening, laziness and unawareness set in. Let the past be happening, the present be doing, and the future be a blend of both.

The wise see the doing in happening and the happening in doing at the same time. One who truly works hard will never say, “I have done a lot.” If someone says that, it means they can still do more, they have not done enough. It is not work that tires you as much as the sense of “doership” does.

All actions happen through consciousness. The world moves because of consciousness, which expresses itself through three shaktis: gyan shakti (knowledge), ichcha shakti (desire), and kriya shakti (action). When these are aligned, life flows smoothly. When they are not, life falls into disarray.

It is foolish to desire something that is not aligned with knowledge, like wanting to own a house on the moon. When there is no knowledge, you get trapped in desire. Sometimes you may have knowledge but fail to act on it, and this too brings misery.

Often, you may say you will do something, you may even know it is good for you, yet you keep postponing it. The desire is there, the knowledge is there, but still, there is no action. This is the lack of kriya shakti.

Ichcha shakti is desire, gyan shakti is the power of knowledge, and kriya shakti is the power to act. Some people have plenty of kriya shakti but little gyan shakti. They act without knowing what to do, and this restlessness does not allow them to be still. At the other extreme are those with little kriya shakti. They may sit quietly, but their minds are constantly at work. Then there are those who lack ichcha shakti, and they have no strong desire. They start one thing, then drop it for another moments later, never completing what they begin. Lethargy is a sign of lacking ichcha shakti. Some people have a lot of knowledge but no desire to share it, abundant gyan shakti but no ichcha shakti. A perfect balance of these shaktis is rare.

Desire, awareness of the Self, and action are all manifestations of the same energy, you. At any time, one of these dominates. When desire dominates, awareness of the Self is at its lowest. This is why philosophers across the world have advocated renunciation and dropping desires. When awareness is dominant, happiness arises. When desire dominates, stress and sorrow take over.

When action dominates, restlessness follows. But when your actions and desires are aligned to the Divine or the welfare of society, consciousness is elevated and the knowledge of the Self dawns. There is the Big Mind and the Small Mind. Sometimes the Big Mind wins, sometimes the Small Mind. When the Small Mind wins, there is misery. When the Big Mind wins, there is joy. The Small Mind promises joy but leaves you empty-handed, while the Big Mind may bring resistance at first but ultimately fills you with joy.

(Writer is a is a globally renowned spiritual leader, humanitarian, and peacebuilder. He is also the founder of The Art of Living foundation, according to the Art of Living)