“Action speaks louder than Words but not nearly as often.”

Good words alone are not enough.You should also do good deeds and that’s how you come to be respected, says Buddhist monk Sumangalo. When we speak of action, we always mean making sure that our conduct; behavior and all our deeds are such that we can properly call each act “Right Action”. An ancient proverb says: “Actions speak louder than words.” Good words ought to be coupled with good deeds. No matter how cleverly we may try always to speak in a good way, we shall fail to disguise our true nature unless our acts are the same as our words. In today’s world, practical aspects of life weigh more than the theoretical. Life is full of hazards and to overcome the obstacles of life, a person must strive to be practical and stop wasting precious time on unnecessary preaching. In other words, he must be man of action in order to succeed in life. Many great personalities of history have put into practice what their conscience told them to do and have acted according to their beliefs. They have not contemplated too much on how to reach their set goals. Precious time must be converted into moments of action for real success in life. Idle talk can lead one nowhere. On the contrary, life should be moulded on the firm basis of action. It must be secondary to the practical aspects of life. In our dynamic world, success and happiness depend on action, not on theory or empty words. It is better to take a step ahead and work hard in achieving your dream rather than feeling proud about it. For example, you are a good student and you keep saying that I will come 1^st in my class, it will not give you the pride and respect that you will earn when this fact actually comes true. The day you come 1^st in class, it will be known by one and all sooner or later. What is noticeable about the achievements of the great personalities in the world is that they always dreamt big but never boasted about achieving something big even though they were highly capable of achieving more than what they dreamt of. These eminent personalities were aware of the fact that they can achieve more than they desire but never boasted about their hidden qualities. Take the example of Abraham Lincoln, Mahatma Gandhi, they achieved phenomenal results in their works but never boasted about the fact that it was their leadership that brought a change in the world. Here the saying “action speaks louder than words” can be aptly applied. Ego and pride can kill any achievement and in cases reduce the value of any achievement to zero. All the people who remain down to Earth have achieved phenomenal success in the history of mankind. Just follow your dreams and try to achieve whatever you desire; your actions will definitely speak louder than words. All of us ought to arrange all our actions so that they will earn us respect from our friends and all who know us. But this is only half the picture. The other side is the importance of keeping our self – respect. If we commit wrong actions, we ought first to think carefully to see if it will bring us joy or sorrow. If we think and act wisely and well, then we shall not need to feel shame for our conduct. Wise thought coupled with wise action brings us the respect of others and keeps us from losing our self-respect. So many say they believe Lord Buddha’s teachings. But when we look at their actions, we wonder if they are telling the truth, because their deeds do not fit in with their words. We must always remember that Buddha’s religion is something to do, not just something to talk about. Among the Tamil people of India, there is a legend about a holy man who became known all over India as a famous teacher and preacher. Thousands of pilgrims came to learn from him. He showed kindness to all, regardless of rank. The goodness of his heart was shown by his actions. Everyone who came to visit this great and holy teacher went away feeling that he had received deep instructions. Yet this great teacher and preacher had never in his life been able to utter even one word. He had been born dumb. The examples he set by his actions was the only sermon he could preach. “Good people shine from afar, like the snowy mountains; bad people are not seen, like arrows shot by night.”

By: Lovely Mohanty