Thinking and Doing

Is there any value is just thinking? Unless thinking happens, can there be doing? What’s the link joining these two? The Dhammapada is supposed to be the words spoken by The Buddha (his thoughts—that’s what Dharma means), and “pada” means the foot, in other words, the doing part: Walking the path. Dharmmapada=thoughts in action. And here is what he said in the Dhammapada:


“All that we are is the result of what we have thought. If a man speaks or acts with an evil thought, pain follows him. If a man speaks or acts with a pure thought, happiness follows him, like a shadow that never leaves him.”
 



Unfortunately, we often keep these two separate: Lots of thinking and not much doing, or too much doing without enough thinking. Thinking and doing—good partners and terrible foes. There is a direct causal link here that can’t be denied. Bad thoughts translate to bad doing, and good thoughts come out as good actions. How very wise but how different from our present age when so many believe that they can think whatever they want without matching actions. No result is obvious hypocrisy, recognized or not.