PART IV. — ACTION CULTIVATES TRUE STRENGTH

Practice Instead of Theory

We all know how to theorize. It’s just that we can’t put anything into practice.

Unless you command broad practical experience, you will never be able to hold a position of leadership.

Try! Reflect! Comprehend!
This is a motto of true benefit.
Because they ceaselessly repeat the same actions over and over again without stopping to reflect at all, a great number of the world’s populace remain fools.
For example, in such games as go and chess, if you repeatedly play in a thoughtless and reckless fashion, you will make little strategic progress. Even so, your playing of these games will be more skilled than that of the person who does not bother to try them at all.
Since nothing can be accomplished by thinking alone, boldly take matters in hand. If you simply act, one way or another things will work out for the best. This is a rule to live by.
The idealist vainly asserts, “It’s not that!”, and “It’s not this!”, his brain churning like the pounding of mochi—and so he accomplishes not a single thing. In all the affairs of this world, only by experiencing instead of studying, and by throwing ourselves headlong into life, come to learn and understand matters. The most important thing is to act.
However, because modern education is concerned from the start with merely cramming people’s heads with pointless theories, it is creating people who lack the ability to take action, and who have no latent power, only shallow cleverness. This a truly sorry state of affairs. We must come to understand things naturally through the application of reason to our experiences. To move forward with head alone—feet not touching the ground, and hands in pockets—is liable to cause one to fall flat on one’s face. The so-called idealist may, in a sense, be summed up by, “the head advancing while the feet stay put.” Thus, such people live in a state of constant anguish. They do nothing but fret and fume.
If you take one steady step forward with your foot, your head will naturally follow. But thought unaccompanied by action, and a head unaccompanied by feet, only gives rise to grave danger.
“Don’t get mad; act” is a very useful maxim. If you actually have the spare time to get angry at and resent others, you should take this energy and use it in working for a good cause. If only people work at all things wholeheartedly, learning and understanding as they go, gradually they will gain ability.
There is interest to be found even in the balls of a flea; truth may exist in a sewer drain as likely as anywhere else. To work and to act are things we should take pleasure in. To know any amount of fine theories without actually doing something with them, does not amount to true knowledge, but is merely a knowledge of words.

No matter how fine one’s inborn nature, without the accumulation of physical practice it is worthless. Without exception, we must put something into practice at least once in order to persuade ourselves of it. Armchair theory alone can bring no true understanding.
Of course, the spirit comes first and physical practice second—but unless the two are well-balanced, we cannot hope to achieve anything of worth in this world.
Broadly speaking, people receive physical hardships and challenges in proportion to the level of their spiritual aims/mission.

He who says is like a fart. He who does is like a rock.