Non Action Quotes

The non-action of the wise man is not inaction. It is not studied. It is not shaken by anything. The sage is quiet because he is not moved, not because he wills to be quiet ... Joy does all things without concern. For emptiness, stillness, tranquillity, tastelessness, silence, and non-action are the root of all things. ~ Zhuangzi

Reaction and non-action both create karma, but conscious action transcends karma. ~ Sri Sri Ravi Shankar

Wherever God may keep you at any time, from there itself must you undertake the pilgrimage to God-realization. In all forms, in action and non-action is He, the One Himself. While attending to your work with your hands, keep yourself bound to Him by sustaining japa, the constant remembrance of Him in your heart and mind. In God's empire, it is forgetfulness of Him that is detrimental. The way to Peace lies in the remembrance of Him and of Him alone. ~ Anandamayi Ma

In the pursuit of Knowledge, every day something is added. In the practice of the Way, every day something is dropped. Less and less do you need to force things, until finally you arrive at non-action. When nothing is done, nothing is left undone. ~ Martha Beck

There is a thought that poverty is a public policy failure; poverty is man-made by action and non-action: poverty can be eliminated. ~ Benjamin Mkapa

Use justice to rule a country. Use surprise to wage war. Use non-action to govern the world. ~ Laozi

The gentlest thing in the world
overcomes the hardest thing in the world.
That which has no substance
enters where there is no space.
This shows the value of non-action.
Teaching without words,
performing without actions:
that is the Master's way. ~ Lao-Tzu

Fishes are born in water Man is born in Tao. If fishes, born in water, Seek the deep shadow Of pond and pool, All their needs Are satisfied. If man, born in Tao, Sinks into the deep shadow Of non-action To forget aggression and concern, He lacks nothing His life is secure. Moral: All the fish needs Is to get lost in water. All man needs is to get lost In Tao. ~ Thomas Merton

Where there are more restrictions and prohibitions, there is also more poverty. Where there are many sharp weapons, there is also more chaos. Where the people are full of clever schemes, there are also strange outcomes. Where there are many laws and edicts, there is also an abundance of criminals. Therefore, the wise person: Practices non-action so that the people are naturally transformed. Welcomes quietude so that the people will naturally be civilized. Does not interfere so that the people will naturally be prosperous. ~ Lao-Tzu

Describing current human mindsets reflecting our ignorance and cowardice and non action-oriented mentality:

"I'm going to do nothing but escapist drugs and hop from one party or festival to another. I will dance my way out of the harsh realities of Planet Earth. ~ Mark Passio

A follower of the Way (Tao) loses something each day. Loss after loss until arriving at Non Action (Wu Wei). ~ Laozi

Act non-action; undertake no undertaking; taste the tasteless. ~ Laozi

There are few in the world who attain to the teaching without words, and the advantage arising from non-action. ~ Lao Tzu

I did one sci-fi movie. I did 'Gattaca.' I liked 'Gattaca' because that was always the kind of science fiction I really dug, the non-action oriented sci-fi. ~ Ethan Hawke

WU WEI

flow of Life governed by Tao
flow of change

spontaneous
natural
effortless
acting through non-action

connecting with Earth and Moon and Sun
through
being

not inert or lazy or passive
but swimming swiftly
within the current
merging Life with Tao

quiet and watchful
not-interfering
receptive alert directly connected

acting without action
trusting detached without desire
spontaneous natural effortless
Living ~ Natasa Nuit Pantovic

The secret of the magic of life consists in using action in order to attain non-action. One must not wish to leap over everything and penetrate directly. ~ Lu Yen-hsun

*Note to self: anger is a chosen response * ~ Debbie Lynn - 360 Degrees Full Circle

Doing or not doing something - they are similar. Both involve an action and sincerity. ~ CLAMP

You are making a difference in Life. Whether or not you realize it, every action, every re-action, or every non-action impacts Life. The question to ask yourself is not whether you are making a difference, but whether that difference is positive or negative. ~ Donald L. Hicks

Action is life and non-action is death. ~ Abhijit Naskar

Your actions are living affirmations of what you say you believe and feel. 'Affirmative action' is when your actions are in congruence with your beliefs & feelings. You're doing it to make YOU welcome. ~ Derek Rydall

Where there is love, do what you will, it will be right action. It will never bring conflict to one's life. In the flame of love, all fear is consumed. ~ Jiddu Krishnamurti

If God 'foresaw' our acts, it would be very hard to understand how we could be free not to do them. But suppose god is outside and above the Time-line ... You never supposed that your actions at this moment were any less free because God knows what you are doing. Well, He know your tomorrow's actions in just the same way
because He is already in tomorrow and can simply watch you. In a sense, He does not know your action till you have done it: but the moment at which you have done it is already 'NOW' for Him. ~ C.S. Lewis

Action is my first love. When I first started writing, my favorite movies were 'Raiders of the Lost Ark' and 'Aliens', and that sort of thing. ~ David Leslie Johnson

How few there are who are furnished with abilities sufficient to recommend their actions to the admiration of the world, and distinguish themselves from the rest of mankind. ~ Richard Steele

Your actions become your habits. Don't let yourself make a pattern of slipups or they'll become habits! ~ Denise Austin

Patience can't be acquired overnight. It is just like building up a muscle. Every day you need to work on it. ~ Eknath Easwaran

We are not given any promises that, because of our noble intentions, everything will be okay. We learn that what truly heals is gratitude and tenderness. We [need] to transform our minds and actions for the sake of other people and for the future of the world. ~ Pema Chodron

ALCOHOL HAS NO BIOLOGICAL CONNECTION TO ABUSE OR VIOLENCE
Alcohol does not directly make people belligerent, aggressive, or violent. There is evidence that certain chemicals can cause violent behavior - anabolic steroids, for example, or crack cocaine - but alcohol is not among them. In the human body, alcohol is actually a depressant, a substance that rarely causes aggression. Marijuana similarly has no biological action connected to abusiveness. ~ Lundy Bancroft

Sometimes I'm doing a big movie, or sometimes I'm doing a TV show, but as an actor, it's almost the same thing for me. If I'm doing action, or comedy, or something more heartfelt, it's a different approach, but it's all acting for me. ~ Hiroyuki Sanada

The entire animal rights movement in the United States reacted with unfettered glee at the Ban in England ... We view this act of parliament as one of the most important actions in the history of the animal rights movement. This will energise our efforts to stop hunting with hounds. ~ Wayne Pacelle

Drop the thought that you cannot affect the future. Tell yourself that the future is not coming TO you, it is coming THROUGH you. The change that is coming to you is that change that you place in your future with the thoughts, words, and actions of today ~ Neale Donald Walsch

Though some choices may slow our journey, every path we take gives us more familiarity with how our actions affect the world around us, giving us more opportunities to learn how to help ourselves and others. ~ Matthew Underwood

Information is power only if you can take action with it. Then, and only then, does it represent knowledge and, consequently, power. ~ Daniel Burrus

If a thing is to be done, there is no time like the hour that has not struck. ~ Amelia Barr

Politics are for the Washington, D.C., policy makers who safely watched the action on a video monitor from thousands of miles away. ~ Mark Owen

Democracy. For something that has no specific dictionary definition, it is as open to interpretation as any holy book is, and as wide open to as many translative abuses, yet without any definitive definition the process means something very different to every person it impacts upon. I would add that until we get an accurate definition the word is meaningless, and when the process is so open to interpretation that the Koch Bros can buy it, legally, without any fuss, that action in itself is not democratic, but neither is it illegal? All that before i hit the dangers of party politics ... ~ Steve Merrick

We can be confident that action which is in accord with a few basic beliefs cannot be wrong and can at least testify to the values we will need to cultivate. These are the beliefs that the human race is a family that has inherited a place on the earth in common, that its members have an obligation to work toward sharing it so that none is deprived of the elementary needs for life, and that all have a responsibility to leave it undegraded for those who follow. ~ Gilbert F. White

When I watch my mind and stay with my body, out of that comes some course of action. ~ Charlotte Joko Beck

His sentences didn't seem to have any verbs, which was par for a politician. All nouns, no action. ~ Jennifer Crusie

Now you say you have to absolutely truthful. Sincerity is the main thing, and truthfulness is the main thing and don't lie to anybody ... and you'll get ahead. Brother you sure will. You'll get ahead right on that cycle of action, right toward zero! It's a trap not being able to prevaricate ... This makes life more colorful! ~ L. Ron Hubbard

If one rejects laissez faire on account of mans fallibility and moral weakness, one must for the same reason also reject every kind of government action. ~ Ludwig Von Mises

You are like a candle. Imagine you are sending light out all around you. All your words, thoughts and actions are going in many directions. If you say something kind, your kind words go in many directions, and you yourself go with them. We are ... transforming and continuing in a different form at every moment. ~ Nhat Hanh

What they ask you for is actions, proofs, works, and all you can produce are transformed tears. ~ Emil Cioran

Reflection and action must never be undertaken independently. ~ Paulo Freire

Objective judgment ... Unselfish action ... Willing acceptance ... of all external events. ~ Marcus Aurelius

I am convinced that military action will not prevent further acts of international terrorism against the United States. ~ Barbara Lee

Our power lies in our small daily choices, one after another, to create eternal ripples of a life well lived. ~ Mollie Marti

The shudder went all through him. Bones pressed me so close that his body ground into mine, jerking my head back with a thick handful of hair until our eyes locked. What had started out as a game was now an open challenge, as well as a direct threat. Any further action would bear results, it was clear from the way his gaze smoldered into mine. All of this should have frightened me, but it was as if my mind were incapable of rational thought. He was a vampire, a hit man, and had almost killed me ... and nothing mattered more than the feel of him. I licked my lips and didn't pull away, and it was all the invitation he needed. ~ Jeaniene Frost

The environmental crisis is a global problem, and only global action will resolve it. ~ Barry Commoner

You know, you have to start with hope ... you don't get anywhere in this country without hope. So it's a necessity. What Barack says is that people have to understand hope isn't just blind optimism. It isn't passive. It isn't just sitting there waiting for things to get better. Hope is the vision that you have to have. It's the inspiration that moves people into action ... There are more people engaged in this political process in this year than we've seen in my lifetime. And it is all because of hope because people believe in the possibility of something unseen. ~ Michelle Obama

A fantasy is nothing more than a dream you were too scared to chase. ~ Shannon L. Alder

If we allow terrorism to undermine our freedom of action, we could reverse at least part of the palpable gains achieved by postwar globalization. It is incumbent upon us not to allow that to happen. ~ Alan Greenspan