Stop Manifesting, Start Questioning
Questioner: Sir, my question is about manifestation. Right now, there's a trend on social media about manifestation. Every influencer is talking about manifestation. And when so many people are talking about it, it raises a question: does it actually work?
Because of that question, I tried it in my own life, and a lot of people say different things. “Write what you want on a wall. Write what you want in a book and read that thing every day.” Some say, “Hold that idea fast in your mind, and over time all the decisions that you take throughout the day will align towards that goal.” Some people even say, “If you want to be a rich person, just believe that you already are a rich person.”
So, is this idea a good idea to have? Is there any Truth to manifestation? Because so many people are talking about it, I thought it could work, and it worked to some extent. Could you please shed some light on this idea and whether it is something that could work or a complete hope?
Acharya Prashant: Understand the entire paradigm here. We'll get into this later, whether it works or not. First of all, what is this thing called manifestation? Manifestation is simply an expression of your desire, right? You desire something and then you imagine your desire has been fulfilled. That's manifestation for the uninitiated.
The question is: what is it that you're going to desire in the first place? What is it that you desire? Do you know what to desire? And what if you actually start getting what you desire? Do you think your life would be better off?
Think of all the stupid things you have so keenly desired. What if your desire had actually been fulfilled? You would have been finished off. But that's what lack of honesty does. You won't want to encounter the ugliness of your desires.
One way is to simply write down the things that you have desired in the past and somehow gotten rid of. You desired something, that thing came to you, and then it took a lot of time, effort, and wounds to get rid of that thing. Has it happened? Because the desiring one is not wise at all.
What would a terrorist desire?
Listener: Destruction.
Acharya Prashant: Yes, that's it. Because you are a terrorist, you desire something. What does the common man desire? Give me more money. What will the politician desire? Finish off democracy and give me power for life. Not just power, secured power, assured power for the entire life. These are the desires that we have. Please understand, first of all. We don't have any wonderful desires. We have very stinking desires.
What does the young lustful person desire? And most people are lustful, at least in their private corners. What does the young lustful person desire? All the available bodies of the other gender, or maybe the same gender; I don’t know. That’s all the person desires, and he’s manifesting. And assume that this trick called ‘manifestation’ has any validity to it, it would be very problematic. No?
What would the rapist desire? And he's manifesting, and the manifestation comes true. Do we ever desire anything that is really good for everybody?
What you desire is, in most cases, harmful for the entire world. Or is it not? You just don’t want a bigger car; left to yourself, you will want the entire road. And what does that mean for the rest of the travelers and drivers? They’re out.
First of all, it is not good even for you. Secondly, your desires are rarely good for everybody. In fact, in so many cases, the desire is just to kill the other person. They say God appeared in front of two or three people and they were asked their desires. The first one said, "Give me this much, this much, this much, this much," and he kept speaking till he fainted, because the list of desires never exhausted itself. So that fellow kept speaking of his desires till he passed out. Anyway, God said, "Fine, Tathastu. May all your desires be met."
The second one was asked, "Now what do you want?" He said, "You just give me double of what you gave the other person." So God says, "Fine, you too can have that."
Then God comes to the third one. "What do you want?" He said, "Withdraw whatever you gave to these two." That's how desires are relative to others.
And manifestation is all about fulfilling your desire, which is a very, very dangerous thing because your desire is good for nobody, not even you.
Is there anybody who, at some point in time, at some fleeting moment, has not desired to kill somebody? Please tell me. Anybody here?
Listener: I wanted to.
Acharya Prashant: He has wanted to. Come on, I know, when it comes to me at least, I know thousands who have wanted to kill me.
What if this desire is fulfilled? Why is it so difficult to acknowledge that our desires are stupid? That we don't know what is good for us, that is one thing. Now, whether it can work, the first part we said: even if it works, so what? Now, whether it can work; see, most people want very, very common things, and that's why there is so much competition in the world, because most people set their sights on just a few common things. And who gets that thing? Usually the one who has put in more effort.
Obviously, luck, connections, mischief, tricks, and all manipulations also count for a lot. But if the systems are more or less okay and you are devoting a lot of your energy towards attaining some object, chances are you may get that object. Does that happen or not? It is not that all your desires remain unmet. If you really, really work hard for something, there is a 50, 60, 70% chance you'll get that thing. Right?
So yes, if you are so concentrated on something, you will probably get that thing, just probably. It is also possible you may not get it. But if you invest your energy and concentrate on something, you'll probably get it. The question remains: was that thing worth it? You gave it so much time, so much respect, did it deserve that? That's the question.
If you are so mad after something that continuously you are hallucinating about it, and that hallucination is called manifestation, then there is a fair chance that you will get that thing that you want, not because the trick has worked, but because you are putting so much into it. You'll get that thing. But are you convinced that the thing that you will get will be good for you? That's the question.
Once you know what is good for you, then you don't need any manifestation or such stupid tricks. Once you know what is really right for you, then there is an explosion of inner energy. Then you don't manifest or imagine it, you work because the thing is right. You don't care for the future. You don't ask whether I'll reach the destination. You say, I need to walk this road. If the destination is met, wonderful. Maybe the road is endless. Maybe there is no destination. That too is wonderful. But this is the path I should take. No manifestation or any such thing is needed.
Questioner: It does not mean all desires cause suffering. There are some things which are worth it.
Acharya Prashant: It depends on who the desirous one is. If you are awakened, if you are wise, then your desires will be wise too. But if you are stupid, then all your desires will be stupid. It depends on your inner condition.
Questioner: So, we must know more to desire better.
Acharya Prashant: Obviously. A mad man can desire 100 things. All 100 desires will bear the stamp of his madness. You cannot say you know 80% of desires are foolish, but 20% are very wise. It is not possible, because the desiring one is mad. Therefore, all 100 desires will be equally stupid.
