Who Should Decide—You or the Situation?
Questioner: Pranam Acharya Ji, we talked about, while arranging things, we missed out on the party. So here my question is that I find myself doing that very often, and either I have two extremes: either I want everything well arranged, or everything is just out of order. So, in both the extremes, there is kind of...
So my question is that, is changing that arrangement, or not doing that, while, you know, stopping that, or either going...
Is there a balance to be maintained, or how do we go?
Acharya Prashant: No, the balance will exist, but it is not a man-made balance. The requirement will come from the challenge at hand, the project undertaken. Sometimes the project will require that things be allowed to stay in a mess because energies are to be diverted elsewhere. Sometimes the challenge will require that everything be very orderly.
So, not your mind, but the onerous task in front of the mind should decide the specifics. It should not be about your likes and dislikes. It has to be about what the project needs. The requirement, the mandate of the thing at hand, the job at hand, is the master that will decide for you.
You might be a person who loves cleanliness, but there is something much more important to do right now, talking about physical cleanliness. There is not the moment to pick up the broom, right? So, even if you do not like the way the floor is currently, right now, messed up, dirty, do not spend time in wiping it.
The time has to be spent on something else necessitated by the challenge at hand, or the deep love, whichever way you want to look at it.
Getting it?
I do not relish speeding on the road. I want to hear the engine run really smooth. The sound of the engine revving too much is abrasive to my ears. What if I have a patient in the car? Will I allow my likes and dislikes to govern my speed? Do you get it?
And I might be someone who enjoys speeding. What if I have an elderly person in the car who cannot take shocks? It's not my likes and dislikes that matter. Just see what is needed and do it. No second thoughts, nothing of the kind. I didn't do it because this was, you know, my thought, and I was just not liking it and no gibberish of this kind. It was done because it was needed. Full stop. No more words.
Questioner: If it depends on the task, so sacrificing even the party, but behind that there is still a party going on while doing that, so it's not...
Acharya Prashant: The party is not a physical thing. Yes, I know what you're saying. So, sometimes the party can be backstage. The party can even be at the books counter in the food pandal. It's not always in the front row in the audience. That row is for the ones who can afford to enjoy privilege. The real ones would not be found there, right?
The kings might continue to enjoy in their palaces. The states are being defended at the borders, and the ones who are ensuring that the kings stay safe in the palaces would hardly ever be seen in the palaces. They are far too occupied with something very, very important to come and enjoy the soft and cozy beds and perfumed ambience and whatnot.
But what I'm saying is conditional to that particular situation, right? Do not start using that as a means to always stay backstage. If some people have genuine tasks at hand and they miss the session, that's wonderful. But then most of you miss sessions not because you have genuine tasks at hand, but because you cannot tolerate the session. Even right now, there are so many. I can count the names, who are missing, not because they are performing any important function outside, but because they just can't bear to hear.
