Problems will continue as long as you want them to stop || Acharya Prashant (2016)
Questioner (Q): There are times when I feel that there is a flickering in observation. For how long it will continue?
Acharya Prashant (AP): It will continue as long as you want it to cease.
It will continue as long as you want it to stop. When you do not want it to stop, it stops. As long as you have problems with it, it will continue.
Q: It is very very strong even when I am just the observer.
AP: Let it be strong. Let it carry you away. Your resistance is what keeps furthering it. Let the storm come, let it carry you away, keep watching. When the bouncer is bowled to a good batsman, he may hook, he may duck, he may play, he may leave but one thing is certain – he must always keep his eyes on the ball.
Keep watching.
It does not matter what you do with it. If it is the requirement of the game, hook it, pull it. If it is the requirement of the game, bend down, duck. But never for a moment you must take your eyes off the ball; keep watching. If it is carrying you away, let it carry you away. If you can evade being carried away, evade. Your powers are a function of time. Your powers will never be the same and infinite. But watching is not a power, watching is nature. You can even watch your powerlessness. You can even watch your helplessness.
Keep watching, how helpless you are. Keep watching that in spite of your resistance, the storm is taking you away. Keep watching and if you desire anything more than that, then you are desiring hell. Don’t desire anything more than that.
The bowler may bowl an accurate bouncer, at a lively speed, it may just not be possible to play it, put bat to the ball. You will have no option but just to bend and watch, watch it go past you, over your head.
In this helplessness, lies great artistry.
It is not possible for everyone to bend down; people take bouncers on their cheeks. Watching the ball is not a symbol of meekness, it is great artistry. It shows keen observation, it shows wisdom, it shows strength. Bending down is not just capitulation, it is wisdom. So, let the storm take you away, you bend down, let it take you away.
But never for a moment must you lose attention; just keep knowing.
