A medical student asks Acharya Prashant how to concentrate on his studies, as his mind wanders from one subject to another. Acharya Prashant responds by questioning the student's reason for studying. He points out that while listening to him, the student's mind is not wandering to his medical subjects because he has chosen to focus on the present moment. He then asks why the student cannot do the same when a book is in front of him. The speaker explains that the inability to focus stems from not recognizing the value of what one is doing. Value is not inherent in the subject but is determined by the individual. If the student has truly chosen to study medicine, whether for service or personal gain, he must be aware of the value of his choice. An activity that is genuinely chosen and deemed important will naturally hold one's attention. If the mind wanders, it indicates that the choice was not truly one's own but was made under some external pressure or for superficial reasons. A true choice, the speaker elaborates, is akin to loveтАФit is a non-choice because it is not a burdensome process but a natural compulsion. Once a true choice is made, the mind is committed and does not wander. He advises the student to ask himself the fundamental question of why he is pursuing medicine. He must take full responsibility for his decision, understanding that everything associated with his studiesтАФthe curriculum, the exams, the long hoursтАФis something he has invited upon himself. By remembering that he is in his college by his own will and love for the subject, his mind will cease to wander from his books.
