What is my destiny? How do I achieve it? || Acharya Prashant, with IIT-Kanpur (2023)

Acharya Prashant

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Transcript

00:00Good evening, sir. My question is somewhat related to your first answer. So, like Swami

00:11Vivekananda ji has said that you are the creator of your own destiny.

00:15Yes, a bit louder please.

00:20So, like Swami Vivekananda ji has said that you are the creator of your own destiny,

00:25right? Like similar things exist in different literature, but like let's say when we plan

00:31out something to achieve, right? Like, and if you are not able to achieve that, how should

00:37we, like how should we figure out where things went wrong, right? Like, like many times we

00:45plan something thinking that I want to create my destiny, right? Like I'll achieve this

00:50because I am responsible for this and I'll perform my action. But when the results are not

00:57according to what we started with, how do we figure out where things went wrong?

01:04Destiny is not achievement and consumption. That's the assumption you are coming from, friend.

01:13Destiny is not about reaching a great place of achievement. That's how popular culture presents it.

01:26That's not how Swamiji thought of it. Destiny is not about becoming a CEO.

01:34Destiny is not about earning that kind of money or clearing an entrance exam or reaching

01:43a particular post or winning an election. That's not destiny. Swami Vivekananda came from Vedanta

01:52and in Vedanta destiny is Niyati which simply means Mukti, liberation. That alone is destiny.

02:01So when he said that you decide your destiny, he simply meant that liberation must be your choice

02:08and as a result of your choice alone are you liberated. What happens is that there are all these

02:19marketeers and motivators around and they will tell you success is your destiny.

02:24They will tell you becoming big is your destiny or becoming a billionaire is your destiny.

02:30So the word destiny has become conflated with a lot of consumption.

02:35So I am running a particular race and I have convinced myself that becoming the winner is my destiny.

02:46No, no, no, that's not the right use of the word destiny when it comes to somebody like Vivekananda.

02:55He wouldn't have ever used the word destiny in the context of achievement.

03:00Do you understand what destiny is? Your destiny and my destiny and the destiny,

03:09the shared destiny of entire mankind is just freedom from our bondages. That's what destiny is.

03:18Now you are asking what happens if we fail? Well, destiny means something that is inexorable.

03:32Something you will necessarily come to. So you try again. You anyway have to reach there.

03:44The only thing is how much do you suffer in the process and how long do you take in the process?

03:49You want to reduce the time. You want to reduce the suffering. You have a life to live.

03:55You don't want to reach there only when you are 80. Obviously, you do not want to die without being liberated.

04:03You also don't want to be liberated at the age of 80. You want to be as free as possible as soon as possible.

04:12Don't you? So what do you do? You keep trying. You keep looking at yourself as an intelligent being and you ask yourself,

04:21where did I go wrong? Where did I falter? I will be better this time. I will try again.

04:25Because that's the only thing you can do. That's destiny. Destiny, you understand, the inviolable thing.

04:32You cannot get rid of it. You have to reach there. So better choose in favor of your destiny.

04:45Now destiny is something that can at most keep waiting till eternity, but you can never dismiss it.

04:55So make a choice in the favor of destiny. Bow down to your destiny. Surrender to your destiny.

05:04If it has to happen, why keep postponing it? Because that postponement is just suffering.

05:18Are you getting it? Destiny is love. Destiny is what each of us craves, is crazy for.

05:33So how do we know whether we are making the right choices to reach the destiny?

05:41Repeat, repeat, repeat. How do we know if we are making the right choice to reach the destiny?

05:47You have to ask yourself, why are you making that choice? What is the intention of the chooser?

05:55There exists a set of options in front of you. From that set you put your finger on one thing.

06:03What is your intention? And that only you know. That's for you to honestly declare.

06:13I chose that thing because that thing will illuminate me, clear my inner cobwebs.

06:21Or you could say I chose that thing because it is delicious. It will satisfy my senses for a while.

06:29That intention you know very well. You just have to declare it, acknowledge it.

06:39When you are making a choice, ask yourself what is it in the chosen object that you have fallen for?

06:47Will it bring light to you? Or will it just titillate your taste buds?

07:04Not that difficult to answer that question, right? Even if it can't be answered, just keep asking this question.

07:11I am choosing this particular object. That object could be a job, a course or a person. Just ask.

07:20I am choosing this person. What is this person bringing to me? Titillation of my taste buds or light of wisdom?

07:32And be honest with the answer. We are people who can convince ourselves that a gulab jamun is being chosen.

07:44Because it begins with the same letter as Gita does.

07:54Right? So the gulab jamun must have something of the Gita. G for gulab jamun and G for Gita.

08:05So don't fool yourself. When you are falling for a gulab jamun, be honest enough to convince yourself,

08:12to admit to yourself. What convince? To admit to yourself that you have just fallen for the roundness

08:19and the juice and the aroma. There is no Gita in the gulab jamun.

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