All action, except that which is intelligently designed to attain God-realization, binds consciousness. It is not only an expression of accumulated ignorance, but also a further addition to that accumulated ignorance. Sometimes the pilgrim becomes so weary of recognizing that each act, instead of unwinding a knot in the inner being, has only tightened it harder, that he wonders whether it is wise to continue a life of action.
In many ways, inaction is preferable to unintelligent action, for it has at least the merit of not creating any further sanskaras. Even good action creates sanskaras and adds to the complications created by past actions.
Action that is aimed at attaining God is truly intelligent and spiritually fruitful because it brings release from bondage. It is second only to that action which springs spontaneously from the state of divine knowledge itself. All other forms of action (however good or bad and however effective or ineffective from the worldly point of view) contribute to a bondage of the soul and, as such, are inferior to inaction.
-Listen Humanity,p177