Why does one need to be reminded of his own nature? || With youth (2015)
Questioner (Q): Am I so incomplete, that I need to be constantly reminded of my ‘complete’ nature?
Acharya Prashant (AP): Yes, complete you are. But when you have started believing in incompleteness, what is the option?
What is the option? Being drunk may not be one’s nature. Is it your nature to be drunk, and act like a fool? But what if you have taken alcohol from the world, and are drunk now? What is the option? What else can be done?
The key may be in your own pocket, but if you have forgotten it – it’s your own key, it’s in your own pocket, so close to you – but what if you have forgotten it? You need to be…? Quickly! (prompting listeners) You need to be…?
Listeners: Reminded of it.
AP: You don’t need to be given the key. But you need to be…
Q: Reminded of it.
AP: Reminded that you need not be a beggar. You already have it, just a reminder.
And you may have the most palatial of houses, and the best of cars, but they are useless if you forget the…
Q: The key.
AP: And the key is in your own…?
Q: Pocket.
AP: Which pocket? Not this one (pointing at the pocket of the trouser), here (pointing at the heart) the pocket close to your heart. That is why ‘love’. ‘Love’ is the key close to the ‘Heart’.
You need to be reminded.
See, observe this instance. When the world constantly tells you that you are inferior, do you ever question the world? But did you catch yourself, asking me right now, “Why are you reminding me that I am not inferior?”
The world is all the time reminding you, that you are inferior. And you never question the world.
An advertisement comes and says, “Unless you buy this car, your life is worthless.” Do you ever sue the advertiser? Rather, you go and buy that car.
You are so alright with your own sense of inferiority, that you would never question somebody when he is calling you ‘inferior’. But when there is a reminding process going on, that you are not inferior, you kind of feel a little awkward.
Q: Sir, it is because when it comes so point-blank and direct, we feel bad, and we resist.
AP: Even this resistance shows that inferiority is not our nature. Had inferiority been our nature, then we would have just accepted that, “It is alright Sir. I am inferior. Thank you so much.”
Q: Sir, when something good happens to us, we tend to question it from all sides, that it is too good to be true.
AP: See, this is such a beautiful observation. How can our language have this kind of an adage – too good to be true? We never say, “Too bad to be true.” But if it is sounding good, then, “Ah! Something fishy. Some catch!”
(Satirically) “How can Joy be my nature? Frustration is my nature!"
