Understanding doership, confusion and sureness || Acharya Prashant (2016)

Question 1: Acharya Ji, you often say, “If you want it, pay the price.” And on the other side, you also say, “If you are the doer, it cannot happen.” These two statements cause confusion and put me into trap.

Please guide.

Acharya Prashant Ji: The doer is characterised by accumulation. Whatever the doer does, is with the intention to accumulate, to become more of himself, to gather. ‘Paying the price’ means – de-accumulation. De-accumulate, give it away.

That is what – ‘paying the price’ means.

These are two different qualities of action.

When you are the doer, you will never be prepared to pay the price, because ‘paying the price’ means – giving away. And when you are the doer, you are always gathering rather than giving away.

So look at yourself.

What is your action resulting in? If it is resulting in more of yourself, a bigger you, more stuff to think about, more stuff to carry and boast of, then you are the ‘doer’.