When the false becomes a habit, then the Truth would never be a choice || (2016)
Questioner: Why do we have to fill in telephone and email addresses in the form?
Acharya Prashant: So that we may chase you.
(Laughter)
Q: We don’t want to be chased. We like to be free!
AP: (Smiling) No, that is not freedom. If you like to be free, you will block the number anyway or put the email in spam.
See, when one is so habituated to what one is doing, as you said you are and everybody else is, then the Truth is never attractive.
When the false has become a habit, then the Truth will never be a choice.
Never a choice!
It has to then come as a matter of Grace.
Q: But I would probably come here anyway for Satsang!
AP: It doesn’t happen that way.
Q: For me, it does!
AP: See, there are so many others. So many others! With all respect for your intention, there are so many people who come every day. In fact, this is a smaller audience tonight. And if you read what they say after the session, "Gratitude; we loved it; this and that!"
And what happens then?
Do you think most of them return? Only one-third.
In spite of all the good intentions, there is something else that carries them away. When they are here then they have all the good intentions to return, but when they go out into the world, something else becomes more important. That happens; I see that happening every day!
Q: Somebody would be emailing and telephoning us?
AP: No, not telephoning, but emailing. Telephone is usually there to inform you if something regarding this (session) is happening. For example, we would be sending messages to all those who came, regarding the alternate arrangements tomorrow, this needs to be informed to everybody. So, a message would go that you can come to the place, and somebody will guide you to the next thing. More that kind of a thing. (Referring to the change in venue of the session)
We send awareness emails. You talked of scriptures, we send awareness emails that contain snippets from scriptures or a shloka (verse), like I talked of Ashtavakra, and you said that you don’t know Ashtavakra! Now, how do I bring Ashtavakra to you?
The only way is, I pick up a shloka (verse) from Ashtavakra, I explain it and I send that as an email to you.
How would you ever freely choose Ashtavakra, when you do not even know the name of Ashtavakra, tell me? And you are saying, “No, no, I will choose freely.”
You do not even know the name of Ashtavakra, how will you choose him? So that is why we take the emails so that we can bring something to you, to which you are not exposed at all; not exposed even to the extent that you can make a choice. And emails and all are very empowered means. If you do not like something, you can always just click a button and send it to spam or unsubscribe and you won’t receive it anymore.
And when we send these things, it requires effort; it requires certain organization. How are those emails sent? Things like these (sessions) are recorded. Then somebody sits down to edit the recording, then somebody sits down to transcribe the whole thing. And then somebody takes that database of emails, copies it there, and sends them. You must see the miracle happening. It’s not a paid thing and it’s happening. It’s happening because it won’t ever be chosen. You will only choose that to which you are exposed.
You will only choose that which is conventional, which is in circulation. You will choose one of these masters that have become popular these days.
The Truth will come to you, not as a choice, sometimes as a compulsion, sometimes as a coincidence.
