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Video Information: Shastra Kaumudi, 20.12.2021, Rishikesh, India
Context:
~ Why an IITian loses focus - and what's the purpose of life
~ Why there is so much suffering in life?
~ Do we suffer by our own choice?
~ How to avoid pain and suffering?
Music Credits: Milind Date
~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Be a part of the Live Sessions: https://acharyaprashant.org/hi/enquir...
Want to read Acharya Prashant's Books?
Get Free Delivery: https://acharyaprashant.org/en/books?...
~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Video Information: Shastra Kaumudi, 20.12.2021, Rishikesh, India
Context:
~ Why an IITian loses focus - and what's the purpose of life
~ Why there is so much suffering in life?
~ Do we suffer by our own choice?
~ How to avoid pain and suffering?
Music Credits: Milind Date
~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Category
📚
LearningTranscript
00:00Namaskar Acharyaji. Namaste. My name is Rashi Goyal. I am a second year undergraduate student
00:08of the Department of Geology and Geophysics at IIT Kharagpur. So, my question to you is
00:15when we as an IITian, we had to pass through a phase where we have to be away from being
00:23socializing in order to succeed, in order to clear our JEE advance, we need to be more
00:29focused towards our studies. But as soon as we enter college, we had a scenario in which
00:35we need to be a social person, we need friends, we need people to communicate or express our
00:40thoughts. But due to being a learner from a long time, it puts a lot of stress to adapt
00:47that habit of being a social person again. So, that affects our mental health. So, how
00:54to overcome this habit of not expressing oneself? So, Rashi, what you're saying is when you
01:01were preparing for the JEE, at that time you didn't really socialize, you kept studying
01:10and now when you have entered, yes. Like when during the JEE times, what actually happens
01:18is we avoid attending marriage and parties, we avoid talking, like we spend most of the
01:27time studying. Like when we wake up, we study, we go to coaching class, we do have some exams
01:34or tests and then we came home, we study again, then we sleep. This is whatever schedule is
01:40but as soon as we enter college, we tend to have other things to do, like we need to
01:48make friends, we need to have someone to listen to our problems. Now, didn't you have problems
01:54when you were preparing for the JEE? What happened then? Who did you go to speak to?
02:00Like generally, we used to go to our teachers, like we don't, we, because it was a competitive
02:08environment, so we used to feel like to talk to a teacher is the best thing. But right now,
02:14we talk mostly to, first towards with our friends and then we go to a teacher if it's a major issue.
02:22Okay, let me ask you something. How driven and focused did you feel at the time of JEE
02:29preparation? Now that you have cleared the JEE, you are in a good position to say,
02:35how driven were you? Like I mentioned, I was like completely into studies.
02:44Completely into studies, right? Yeah. And now after entering IIT?
02:48Like I am now a bit relaxed that I had at least. Which semester, which semester are you from Rashi?
02:56Right now, I am in my second year. I will be having my fourth semester from January.
03:03If it's not very personal, may I ask your CGPA? Yeah, it's, right now it's near about 8.5.
03:10And 8.5 means what? DR 5, 10, 15? Sir, I am not sure about that.
03:23You would have been very sure of your percentile and rank when you were preparing for the JEE,
03:32right? What do they call it in IIT Kharagpur? They do not call it DR, departmental rank.
03:36What is it called there? URDR.
03:38URDR, right. So, the tradition continues. See, the thing is you had a purpose then.
03:45So, you did not need to socialize. And that purpose is bigger than the company of any of
03:55these friends and all. Now, you are in IIT and there are so many other things to do,
04:03we all know of them. So, you are saying, oh my God, I just kept studying, I did not develop
04:08my so-called soft skills. I am not very good at communication. I must talk a lot. I must
04:17be attractive to others. I must get the best company possible. And by best, what we mean
04:25is the most glamorous. What do you mean by social skills? You are a human being, right?
04:31You are a human being. If somebody is worth it, there would be a relationship. What do you mean
04:44by social skills? What do you, it is just the absence of a purpose now. Give yourself a purpose.
04:55You do not need to be great at socializing. Let the purpose decide the kind of company
05:05you are to get. And if you have a great purpose, you will get just the right company. What happens
05:12is once you enter IIT, placement is almost guaranteed. So, that bogie is off your mind.
05:26You do not have to clear the JEE once again. And because everybody gets into a relaxed
05:37mode once you enter the campus, therefore, even with very modest kind of effort, you
05:48can have a decent CGPA and a decent rank. That has been happening since ages, that has
05:55been happening across all IITs. So, you will have to agree to what I am saying.
06:04What you lack now is the same fire that you had at the time of JEE preparation. At that
06:12time, it was like, I have to get in and if I do not get in, I am losing on something
06:17very, very important. In contrast, right now your statement is I already have what is important.
06:24Therefore, let me get into other things that offer pleasure and fun and excitement and
06:31the rest of it. No, you have not attained anything yet. Let that be very clear to you.
06:40Clearing the JEE is nothing. Clearing the JEE at best guarantees you bread and butter
06:47and an upper middle class kind of life. It does not mean much. There is a long distance
06:54to cover and especially as a woman in Indian conditions, you have to keep sprinting. You
07:03cannot reduce your pace, you cannot let your guard down. You cannot start seeking company
07:10and socialization and relationships. Because all of this ultimately leads to that one thing
07:20that we can call as the final bondage. Why do you want to go towards that? Be a scholar
07:30rather than the sensation on the campus. But that is what we want to be called, right?
07:38Mr. campus or Miss campus rather than the best scholar out there. And if you have to
07:44do something apart from your studies, there are so many co-curriculars to choose from. I am sure
07:54KGP campus offers at least 10 different kinds of sports and great infrastructure, debating,
08:05dramatics. That is one good thing about being in an IIT campus. You get exposure to so many
08:15things that are usually not available to the common student. Excel in them. Socialization,
08:24etc. carry next to zero value. And as I said, if what you are doing carries value and importance,
08:33socialization, the right kind of socialization will happen on its own. You will get the right
08:39kind of company, be totally devoted to your work and to your purpose. And some person or a group
08:47of persons cannot be the purpose in your life. I say that to everybody. And when I am addressing
08:56a girl, I say that with heightened emphasis. Forget all this, please. I have seen what now,
09:10an entire generation of IITians pass through in front of my eyes. Do not get into that same old
09:25kind of trap. It firstly leads to mediocrity and then it leads to bondages. Learn to excel,
09:32keep the fire burning. If you are in IIT, I am pretty sure your rank would have been in the
09:41top 1 percentile. Obviously, it has to be top 1 percentile or 1.5 or 0.5, whatever.
09:48So, that benchmark has to be maintained. Tell me, since the last 2 years,
09:56what is it that you belong to the top 1 percentile of? J was the last thing you
10:08excelled at, right? Tell me, what is it that you have added to your kitty post the J?
10:15Are you 1 percent, top 1 percent in swimming, 1 percent in debating, in dramatics, in tennis,
10:27in what? And that which you are seeking now will push you, I said, deeper into mediocrity. Do you
10:43want to be among those students of your class who used to obtain 50, 60, 70 percent or 75,
10:5280 percent and were satisfied with that? Do you want to be counted among them, please?
10:58No, sir. Yes. So, maintain the J like spirit throughout your life. You have to excel.
11:08Relationships and such thing, let the mediocre ones count them as their priority. Read, read a
11:21lot. You would have poured into the books and burned the midnight oil. And since entering the
11:36campus, how much have you really read? And even if you have read, I am sure it mostly belongs to
11:44the technical genre, right? Yes, sir. And the entire world's literature is waiting for you.
11:52When will you read that? When will you read that? And if you do not read that,
12:00do not you see you will be missing out on so much? What can the company of a common second
12:13or third year student give you? Do not you want to learn from the great philosophers,
12:19the great writers? Do not you want to be with them? But you see it is the body. We want a
12:27living being, the warmth of another living body. That is what this body craves for. So,
12:36even if you must have that, then let that be secondary to your purpose, goal and work.
12:46Choose the company of those who assist in your work. Choose the company of those who are aligned
12:58with your work. Persons must be way down in your priority. Remember who you are. You are someone
13:15who must excel. You are someone who must know, learn, realize and ultimately be liberated. And
13:23this fact of central identity of yours must govern all your life decisions.
13:33Acharya ji, as you said that we have to explore more on other fronts. I went through one of your
13:53videos wherein you mentioned that the two years of IIM achievement is you did not let the system
14:00set your head. How did you go about doing that? Because as you shared right now, as you answered
14:09Rashi's question, you mentioned that we have to keep the fire burning. We have to move forward
14:16in our 20s and the rest of our life. We should just keep learning. But the core idea or the
14:23core basis that we have got is the capitalistic basis that everything has to have a capitalistic
14:28purpose and not just out of curiosity. Very well said. See most people excel only when that
14:41excellence leads to capital gains. Only when that excellence leads to monetary benefits. You are
14:50right. And that is why so many people stop studying the moment they enter NIT or NIM.
14:58Or they at least are not at their best. That is because it is not studies fundamentally or
15:10books fundamentally or knowledge fundamentally that attracted them. What attracted them was
15:16the prospect of plumb placements. The moment that placement is assured or obtained,
15:22the fire dies down. That should not be there. Remain the same person throughout your life.
15:31The same person that had not yet cleared the JEE, but was raring to clear the JEE. The same
15:42person who was sprinting and putting in 10, 12, 16 hours a day. That you cannot do if you are
15:52studying for the sake of money. Because money will come. And once money comes,
15:59then you will be easily satisfied. Therefore, you must have a very, very high purpose in life.
16:07The kind of purpose that can never actually be fully attained. If it can never be fully attained,
16:13you will be working towards it all your life without ever having a final satisfaction that
16:20you have arrived. That dissatisfaction is extremely important. What is that final purpose I am
16:27referring to? It is called realization or liberation. It is called annihilation of the ego.
16:33Annihilation of the ego just cannot happen directly. It has to happen through your life
16:38work. You have to choose your work in a way that it keeps diminishing your ego. And because the
16:47ego can never be fully, absolutely diminished, reduced to zero, therefore, you will have to
16:52keep the fire burning throughout your life. That is the method. Choose such a mammoth goal
17:01that you always have to be on your toes, that you never fall complacent, that you can never
17:08give yourself the liberty to say, now I am done and I can retire. Getting it? This must be sounding
17:21a bit different from the usual things you hear. I understand that, but we are trying to keep it
17:28as lucid as possible. Keep coming, keep coming. You said that we have to take up a goal that we
17:40may never achieve. Yes. Isn't that something which, if we are not here for, if we are not
17:51there to see our life's work, how will that keep the fire burning? Because ultimately we are a
18:00species that looks towards feedbacks. That's what your body does. And that's why I said it's
18:09important to not to listen too much to your body. The body wants attainable goals. The consciousness
18:17is in need of a goal that is extremely worthy, extremely lovable, even though unattainable.
18:28Consciousness has a deep need. Therefore, this is where love comes in. You must fall in love with
18:39what you do. More accurately, you must do something worth falling in love with.
18:52Getting it? The final goal is within. The final goal is annihilation of the darkness and bondage
19:03within. But because it is within, it cannot happen directly, we said. So, you have to choose
19:13a series of projects so challenging that they keep resulting in your betterment.
19:24Externally, obviously, you cannot just choose a project that will never be finished.
19:29So, external projects, they will keep coming and going and may you be successful at all the
19:37external challenges you pick up. But once a challenge is overcome, pick the next one. And
19:47what will be the next one? It will be decided by the previous one that you have just overcome.
19:53So, may you have a great series of successes in the external world and all those successes
20:03lead to your final victory within. What is that final victory within? You must be just preparing
20:10to ask your next question. Sir, but you said that the internal goal can never be fully achieved.
20:15The internal victory is about continuously having worked in the right direction,
20:25in the inward direction. If you can manage to do that your entire life, you are a winner.
20:34And the direction is towards liberation of consciousness.
20:36Towards liberation of consciousness, being hell bent, I want to see what all remains as a bondage
20:46in my life. I want to identify my hidden masters one after the other and keep negating them
20:55continuously. And there are just so many of them. There are just so many of them because internally
21:01there sits someone who is very prepared to be a slave.
21:09Because here somebody is prepared to be a slave. So, masters come in great abundance.
21:17I will keep negating all those masters. I will keep negating the slavery within. I will keep
21:24reducing my tendency to be dependent, to be lazy, to be hungry, to be afraid, to be greedy.
21:34I'll keep identifying where my weaknesses lie. I'll keep challenging overcoming them.
21:39That's the great purpose one must have in life.
21:46Acharya ji, I have a follow-up question. Our great purpose is liberation.
21:52But how do we choose our own path? Or we can say how to not be influenced by our surrounding,
22:02the bonds, our relationship with others, not just family, friends, the society we live in,
22:09our surrounding. How to identify who I am without getting influenced by
22:17others, external factors? When you say you want to identify who you are, if you are honest,
22:24you will realize you are the one who is already influenced by everybody.
22:30Influenced by everybody and driven by the body. So, enslaved doubly, driven by the body
22:37and influenced by all and sundry. That's who we are. So, identifying who we are is not very
22:42difficult. We are social creatures, we are physical creatures and being either of them
22:50is no good at all. That's what. Now, you said how do we identify the right work? You have to start
22:55from where you are. Your goal is liberation. But you are where you are. And whatever the
23:04destination might be, the first step has to be taken from your current location.
23:09Knowing your current location honestly, accurately is very important. Do not keep yourself in
23:17delusion and there will be a tendency to self delude because it hurts to know where you really
23:24are. We might think that we are in an amusement park, enjoying ourselves and when you want to be
23:38want to be a bit honest for a change, you realize you are in a prison cell.
23:50So, knowing where you really are is the first thing and a very difficult thing,
23:59not because it is difficult to know where you are, but because it is difficult to
24:03acknowledge where you are, it hurts. So, acknowledge where you are, you will see how
24:12badly enslaved you might be and then immediately you will know what to do. That is your work.
24:22If I know I am sitting on this sofa
24:24and my leg has been chained to the leg of the sofa, do not I know what to do?
24:41So, my situation decides my immediate work and the situation is invariably of bondage.
24:50We all are in bondage.
24:58So, that answers my question very rightly.