We live in a body, and it needs nourishment. We live in a family and we must take care of them. We live in a society, which need industry to sustain. Action is necessary to maintain the activity. We live in a world, which has many happenings, like disease, starvation, war, terrorism, hatred, racism, extinction of species, and numerous others. We see people immediately around us in pain, real and imaginary. They are all calling for action.

There is many questions surrounds self-realization. What purpose does the self-realization serves? Why should one man be self-realized? Why do many saints recommend it? Should everyone be self-realized?

Let me give an example. Two observers are looking at one issue. One observer might say, I perceive this as a problem in my mind, and prefer to look away as it does not exist. Another might say I too see it in my mind, but the very reason that I see it; it is calling me for action. Ironically, both can claim to be self-realized.

We cannot survive without work. Our action keeps us alive. We have control over many of our action. We choose to act or we choose not to, whether mental or physical, knowledge we acquire or knowledge we discard, things we speak or we don’t, all are actions. Every action has its own consequences. Everybody affected by the consequences of everybody’s action. There is an high proportion of irresponsible acts happening in this world bringing disaster for everyone.

Irresponsible actions originate from mental or sensual passion. As long as passion of our own and others influences our actions, it brings a disastrous result. Our actions may be crippled by our perceived weakness and limitations. As long as our actions are feeble and doubtful, it does not bring result. Passion comes from various mental and sensual stimulations. This is equally applicable to an individual as well as to a community. Dispassionate action based on reality brings liberation.

Our actions must be separate from our passions. Our thoughts influenced by our passions. Sexes, intoxication, comfort, are some of the sensual passion. Ego, identity, knowledge, beliefs, and mental habits are mental passions. They influence our judgments. They create feelings of likes, dislikes, fears, anger, urgency, laziness, strength and weakness, directly influencing our actions.

Getting rid of the sensual pleasure is the easy part. However, the mental passions are the most dangerous one. The mental passion makes a thick wall around people, making it difficult to reach them. People protect the wall furiously, scared of the world outside, people prefer the painful and limited life inside of their mental wall.

Every teacher has his own way to free the disciple from his or her own fortress. Some teacher takes the direct approach to crush the wall and drag the disciples out to the wonderful world outside. The teacher takes no pity on the walls and crushes them to ground dispassionately. The disciple fight and cry like a child, but at the end, he dances in the joy. After liberation, the disciple goes back to his life only to do good to his family, and his society out of love for them.

Self-realization is a need of the society today. A self-realized person can work in any role in the society. Action of a self-realized person is always positive and powerful. They act like a sugar in the milk. They remain invisible but their actions make the world a better place to live.