How to Eliminate Distractions and Focus on Your Studies? || Acharya Prashant (2024)

Acharya Prashant

‍♂️ Want to meet Acharya Prashant?  Be a part of the Live Sessions: https://acharyaprashant.org/en/enquir...    Want to read Acharya Prashant's Books?  Get Free Delivery: https://acharyaprashant.org/en/books?...   ➖➖➖➖➖➖   #acharyaprashant   Video Information: 29.07.2024, Vedant: Basics to Classics, Greater Noida   Context:  ~ What is the first question that must be asked before starting anything?  ~ Why is it important to know the benefits of studies before starting?  ~ How can one focus on studies?  ~ How can distractions be eliminated during study?  ~ What do teachers and parents need to discuss about studies with their students/children?    Music Credits: Milind Date  ~~~

Transcript

00:00My name is Shivkanth Bhan. I'm in grade six and about to be 11 years old. My question

00:13is about study and focusing. My first question is like, how do we stop focusing in something

00:21else when you're studying? And how do we like, focus on the thing that you're doing is important,

00:29but we do not like it. There's this and there's this. In general, if you have to make a split

00:48second decision, which one would you go for? Water. The red one? No, the blue one. The blue one. Do

01:01you know what's in the blue one? Yes. What? Water. No, you're guessing. There's no water in this.

01:08There's no water at all. A baseless guess. Just take the situation as it is exactly. This is fresh,

01:19delicious watermelon juice and this is just an opaque can. You know nothing about this. In the

01:31natural way, which one are you likely to opt for? Watermelon juice. Why? Because I don't know what's

01:50in the blue can. Right. Now, if I tell you that the best kind of juice ever possible on this planet

02:05is there in this. In fact, I don't tell you. You come for yourself and discover that. Would you

02:16still opt for this? Yes. Why? Because if you tell me what's in that, it cannot be true. I said you

02:29come over and know it, test it for yourself. Then I will choose. Which one? I would choose the blue

02:49can because I tested it. You tested it and what did you find inside it? I found tea. The best thing

03:02in the world. The best thing in the world. All right. So you see, your choice has changed, right?

03:11Yeah. Initially, you probably wanted to go for this because the benefit from this was very

03:22apparent. You understand apparent? Visible. Visible. So it appeared like a natural choice to opt for

03:31this. And here because the benefit is not visible, so one does not want to opt for this. So when it

03:45comes to your studies, you talk of distractions. What is it besides the studies that you start

03:53focusing on? Like, like, somewhere like, like, what am I going to do? Like, and what am I?

04:08Something that I like besides study. That's what. Give me an example of something that you like

04:14besides studies. Like, what am I going to do in the future? No, that's a thought. That's a thought.

04:19If you have to study, what is it? What is it that you instead sometimes start doing?

04:28Like singing. Singing. Yeah. Yeah. So, right. So when you sing, the, the benefit, the pleasure,

04:42the fun that you derive from it is very visible. Just like this thing is visible here. Right?

04:49Yeah. Yeah. Studies is much like this, this can, this container. It is opaque. You understand opaque?

05:01Opaque? Yeah. Opaque? No. You cannot penetrate through it, through your eyes. You cannot see

05:12through it. That's called opaque. So obviously there is something inside it, but you cannot see

05:19what is inside it. Since you cannot see what is inside it, you will not choose this one because

05:28you just don't know what's there in it. This one, it's very visible what's there in it. Therefore,

05:34one goes for this. So if one feels that this choice has to be re-examined or reversed, whatever,

05:43what does one do? One comes closer to this, just as you did a while back. One comes closer to this

05:51and tries to look into it. What is it within? The best thing in the world. And once that is seen,

06:01then there is no going back, no falling for this. We do not like studies because studies are a bit

06:11like this. We do not immediately see what is within. What will we get from this? Oh, what is

06:17it? Oh, this is a blue can. That's all. That's all. A blue can is the exterior. What is the

06:26interior? Similarly, studies are the exterior. What is in it for you? That we neither ask nor are told.

06:38Our teachers do not pay enough attention to telling us why one must study. And sometimes even our

06:49parents tell us to study without exactly clarifying what is it in the studies that's

06:59beneficial to us, that's delicious. Other things, the benefit you get from them is very apparent.

07:09Very apparent. It can be easily seen. So the other things become very tempting because you

07:18can very easily see what's there. So you are tempted. In studies, you cannot see the benefit

07:25contained within. So you remain, it's all very iffy. Okay, probably there is something within,

07:34you know, he said so. I don't know. How to test? Come close. Give yourself to the process of

07:43studying deeply at least for a week and see what comes from there. Or engage your parents in a

07:52conversation. Why must one study mathematics? No, no, no. I'm not asking you to teach me

07:59mathematics. No, Papa. Hold, hold, hold. No, don't teach me mathematics. Tell me why mathematics?

08:07Similarly, the teachers. No, no, don't teach me history. No, no, no, no, no. Don't teach me

08:16history. Tell me why history? And when that why is clear, then there is a great chance that an

08:27inclination will arise from within. Because it's natural for us to know, to learn, provided we can

08:41see the benefit. So don't ask your parents to assist you with your homework. Assuming you get

08:53homework. These days, many schools, there is no homework. I don't know. Or with anything. Don't

09:00ask parents you to assist with this, that. Rather ask them, first thing, why should I do this? Why?

09:08And without knowing why you should do that, don't do anything. What's the point? You're not an

09:18automaton. You're not a machine. Not a puppet. You deserve to know. And if they don't tell you,

09:28then you opt for this one. You say, I like this and I'll go with this. If you don't want me to go

09:35for this, then you convince me of this. But I won't be pressurized. Right? You see, this is still

09:47full. What does that mean? I haven't touched it. Yes. I've gone for this. It's almost empty now.

09:55It's really delicious. And sitting over there, you'll never come to know what's in here. You'll

10:07have to come over and try this for yourself. That's the way of learning.

10:13Okay. What okay? Do you understand?

10:25Whenever you are faced with options, whenever you are to make a choice, first learn about the options.

10:48That's the only way to let the choice emerge. Then you don't have to make a choice. The right

10:56choice then emerges. Your job is to just learn about the options. What is inside this? If I

11:06don't know what is inside this, how will I choose this or refuse this?

11:18Thank you. So, once you are off the screen, ask Papa, what did I thank that man for? Life does

11:46not proceed this way. He said, beta say thank you and he said thank you. That's against what I taught you

11:54these 10-15 minutes. You have to ask, what is inside this? Probably what I taught you is still

12:04like this can. You have not been able to know the insides of that. Once you see the insides of that,

12:10then you will deserve to thank me and then you need not thank me because my job is done then.

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