Questioner: How will I dissolve?
Acharya Prashant: By watching the one who wants to dissolve. (Silence)
Who is the one who wants to dissolve? And why does he want to dissolve? And if he is really serious and honest why has he already not dissolved till now? Surely, there is somebody keeping him protected and safe. Who is protecting him? Who is keeping him safe? Maybe the one who says, "I want to dissolve" is equally the one who is keeping himself safe. (making the questioner reflect)
See, there are pleasures in remaining as one is. The ego does not exist for anything. It exists because the ‘I’ derives pleasure from its usual activities. As long as you are not fed up with those pleasures; as long as you do not see through those pleasures why would there be any dissolution at all? The dissolution will not happen because you will not allow it to happen.
Dissolution is a heavy word. What you are actually saying is - I do not want to remain as I am. Right? But why are you the way you are? Because there is pleasure in being the way you are. Unless you address those pleasures, you will not let any change happen. And change cannot be forced.
Change is a byproduct of seeing or realization.
Maybe those pleasures are good for you. Then why force yourself to dissolve? The fellow is having a good time and some teacher or sages urging him to dissolve, dissolve. He says, “I am watching a nice movie and enjoying popcorn with my girlfriend. Why the hell should I dissolve?” So first of all, figure out the arguments that you have against dissolution. We all have pretty strong arguments against dissolution. Maybe those arguments are valid. If they are valid then don’t dissolve at all. There is no need. There is no holy compulsion to dissolve. Stay as you are and enjoy life as most people do happily (said in an ironic manner).
Q: There are so many Gurus and they talk so much. But do they know what they are talking of?
AP: Leave it to them.
See, two things are possible. Either they know what they are uttering or they don’t. If they don’t know what they are uttering, then ignore them. Are they worthy of occupying your thoughts and mind space? If you come across a mad man would you let him dwell in your mind for 4 hours? Ignore them. He is not worthy of consideration. Right?
Now, look at the second possibility. Maybe some of them do know what they are talking of! And if they do know what they are talking of, see if you want to benefit from them. Otherwise, go your own way.
There have been enough teachers who most probably have known what they are talking about. Right? And one lifetime is not sufficient to benefit from them, their numbers are large. So why not just concentrate on them? Why focus on the plethora of New age teachers? There is really no need.
Have you exhausted the Upanishads? Have you exhausted the literature of the saints? If you have exhausted all that and still you have doubts left, then go to some living teacher. Otherwise, sitting in front of a living teacher might be a trick of the ego to avoid reading the basic text. Why talk of miscellaneous names when you have Yajnavalkya, when you have Varuni, when you have Ashtavakra? Have these been exhausted in the first place?
Q: Sir, my question is what is the reason that a teacher has to speak so much?
AP: Leave it to them. Might be he is a fraudster, a trickster so he is speaking just to gain popularity or some money - that’s the obvious possibility. The other possibility is he knows a few things and selflessly wants to share with people. In either case, these things should not be your concern. Your concern is your own liberation, right? And if liberation is your central concern then start from the central texts. Finish them off first.
Q: Does it means that this rule is not applicable to them?
AP: You do not need to think so much about them. Are you worried about your liberation or that fellow’s liberation?
Guru ki karni Guru jayega, chele ki karni chela.
Ud jayega Hans akela.
~ Saint Kabir
Translation: Guru will go according to his doings, the disciple according to his.
The swan will fly away all alone
So you take care of your liberation. If that fellow is indulging in stupidities, he will bear the fruit.
