#AcharyaPrashant #आचार्यप्रशांत #Philosophy #BhagavadGita #bitspilani
Video Information: 03.09.2024, BITS Pilani Goa
Description:
In this session, Acharya Prashant addresses a fundamental question: are our interests truly our own, or are they unconsciously shaped by biology, environment, and upbringing? Through sharp and relatable examples, Acharya Ji reveals how even our most personal choices are often confined within narrow frameworks we rarely notice. Whether it's the food we like, the music we enjoy, or the goals we chase — most of these arise not from freedom, but from pre-existing conditions we have never paused to question. This conversation brings attention to a deeper inquiry: not what to choose next, but how to look honestly at what is already happening.
🎧 Listen to Acharya Prashant on Spotify:
https://open.spotify.com/show/2QmVEAA
Music Credits: Milind Date
~~~
Video Information: 03.09.2024, BITS Pilani Goa
Description:
In this session, Acharya Prashant addresses a fundamental question: are our interests truly our own, or are they unconsciously shaped by biology, environment, and upbringing? Through sharp and relatable examples, Acharya Ji reveals how even our most personal choices are often confined within narrow frameworks we rarely notice. Whether it's the food we like, the music we enjoy, or the goals we chase — most of these arise not from freedom, but from pre-existing conditions we have never paused to question. This conversation brings attention to a deeper inquiry: not what to choose next, but how to look honestly at what is already happening.
🎧 Listen to Acharya Prashant on Spotify:
https://open.spotify.com/show/2QmVEAA
Music Credits: Milind Date
~~~
Category
📚
LearningTranscript
00:00my question was regarding
00:04Vastavik Ruchi
00:06which means
00:07relevant interest
00:09now
00:10I find it myself
00:13very abstract
00:15to put in my head
00:16what does Vastavik Ruchi mean
00:18more so you've also explained that
00:21Ruchi stems from the ego
00:22and you should choose something that
00:24is beneficial to all of
00:27mankind or
00:29this world
00:30how do you submit yourself to a task that
00:32is beneficial to
00:34all of mankind or something
00:36that is
00:38indifferent to your interests
00:40thank you
00:42see
00:42we'll have to get the
00:46framework right
00:48what we call as our interests
00:52or the usual
00:55quick unconscious
00:56choices
00:57where do they come from
01:00in a macro sense
01:06they come from
01:07our bodily composition
01:09right
01:11in a very macro sense
01:12for example you can
01:21choose
01:22to have this kind of food or that kind of food or that kind of food
01:27in that you can have a choice
01:30but you will never choose to have 500 kilograms of food
01:34you can choose whichever type of food you want but you will never choose 500 kilograms of it
01:44would you
01:45because that's not something that your body will allow
01:48you can choose to have this kind of food or that kind of food or that kind of food or that kind of food or that kind of food or that kind of food or that kind of food you will never respond with the color that stands at 2000 angstrom
02:01you will never respond with the color that stands at 2000 angstrom or 20000 angstrom
02:15would you
02:16you would always respond with some color that stands between 4000 and 8000 angstrom the visible spectrum
02:25now within this very very narrow spectrum
02:30lies the infinite diversity of human choice
02:35does it not
02:35so we keep saying you know i like that i like that i like that you know i like that no no no i don't like that
02:41oh i hate him because he likes that
02:43i hate him because he likes that
02:45oh i love him because his likes are similar to mine
02:48but the point remains that all these likes and dislikes are between 4000 and 8000 angstrom
02:56we have never had a human being who likes a color
03:01hmm
03:02that stands at
03:052000 angstroms of wavelength
03:08so at a very macro level
03:11our choices are confined by our physical constitution itself
03:17that we rarely see
03:18hmm
03:21if i ask you you know
03:25all right
03:27which finger do you like
03:28which finger do you like
03:31so you will say
03:32you know somebody will say this one this one this one
03:35hmm
03:35being students a lot of us will like the middle finger
03:38so
03:39but there would be hardly anybody who would say
03:43that i like the 22nd finger
03:44why
03:47because your body itself does not support that
03:50so it sounds in fact so absurd
03:5322nd finger
03:55what does he mean by that
03:57nobody is going to choose that right
04:00the 22nd finger
04:00hmm
04:02so in the macro sense choices are
04:04delimited by
04:06the body itself
04:08what i said about the visible spectrum
04:11is also true about the
04:13oral spectrum
04:14right
04:1620 hertz to
04:1720,000 hertz
04:19if you are hearing something
04:22you are listening to something
04:24very very attentively
04:25what i can
04:28immediately know is
04:30that the frequency would be between
04:3220 and 20,000 hertz
04:35no choice of yours will take you beyond
04:38these two boundaries
04:39or would it
04:40then
04:42you come to the social impact on choices
04:46first of all as you are born
04:49the body has already decided
04:52that from 0 till infinity
04:56you will choose only between 4000 and 8000
05:00do you see what kind of constriction it is of choices
05:034000 to 8000
05:07what percentage is it of the total electromagnetic spectrum
05:12please tell me
05:13please tell me
05:1610%
05:191%
05:220.1%
05:24not even that
05:26so do you see that
05:28you are born into limits
05:30even as you are born
05:33the birth itself has dictated your choices
05:36and we keep jumping and shouting
05:41oh no i need to have free choice
05:43free choice
05:43what free choice
05:44all freedom is between 4000 and 8000
05:47all freedom lies only between
05:514000 and 8000
05:53the very event of birth has taken away choice
05:57so to say
06:00do you get this
06:02now
06:03having taken birth
06:05if you are a hindu
06:10if you are a muslim
06:11if you come from an urban background
06:14if you come from a rural place
06:15if you come from india
06:17if you come from china
06:18if you come from africa
06:19again
06:20even within this
06:22a small spectrum
06:24that is given to you
06:254000 to 8000
06:26boundaries are set for you
06:29are they not
06:30are they not
06:32now
06:34whatever you choose
06:37is now
06:38narrowed down
06:40to a smaller domain
06:41and yet we talk of choices
06:45as if
06:46choices were something
06:48so fundamental
06:49so great
06:50and so liberating
06:52are our choices liberating us
06:55or rather confining us
06:56please tell me
06:57you have been taught
07:02for example
07:02to some of us
07:05let's say
07:06some of us
07:06the sound of the azan
07:10the tolling of the temple bell
07:13and they are different frequencies
07:16are they not
07:17different amplitudes
07:18everything
07:19the whole waveform
07:19is different
07:20and you say
07:22that's my choice
07:23that's the sound of my
07:24choice
07:25very difficult
07:29if you
07:30are born in
07:31germany
07:32that you would know
07:32of tansen
07:33difficult
07:36you would have heard
07:36of meg malhar
07:37and not too many
07:40indians would know
07:40of bithoven
07:41and mosaad
07:42maybe the names
07:44are heard
07:44but there would not
07:45be a taste
07:46into them
07:46think of choice
07:49as a german
07:51what do you say
07:51i love
07:52i love
07:55i love mosaad
07:57you say
07:58that's my choice
07:59is that a choice
08:00or is that a fallout
08:02of your being a german
08:03please tell me
08:04you are born in india
08:09hardly anyone
08:10does not play cricket
08:11and what if you go
08:14to brazil
08:15or argentina
08:15so is cricket
08:20a choice
08:21or is it
08:22rather an
08:23imposition
08:24of the circumstances
08:26i'm asking you
08:28you say you love
08:30cricket
08:30do you really
08:30love cricket
08:31love
08:32involves a very
08:33very conscious
08:34choice
08:34if cricket
08:36has come to you
08:37only because you
08:38are born in a
08:39particular country
08:39how is cricket
08:41a choice
08:41now cricket
08:43is some
08:44kind of
08:46helplessness
08:48choicelessness
08:49what do i do
08:52being born in india
08:53i'll have to
08:54love cricket
08:54is it choice
08:57then
08:58are you getting
09:01so
09:02the first thing
09:04is not about
09:05asking what do i
09:06choose
09:06it's about
09:07seeing
09:07that all our
09:08choices
09:09are very
09:11conditioned
09:12things
09:13that what we
09:17call as
09:17choices
09:18come right
09:19from our
09:20conditioning
09:20they are not
09:22indicators of
09:23our freedom
09:23at all
09:24in general
09:26you say
09:26i need to
09:27have the
09:27freedom
09:27to choose
09:28the fact
09:30might be
09:31totally
09:31different
09:32the fact
09:33might be
09:34that your
09:35choices
09:36do not
09:37indicate your
09:38freedom
09:38rather they
09:40indicate your
09:41lack of
09:41freedom
09:41when you
09:44choose cricket
09:45for example
09:45in india
09:46does it
09:46indicate
09:47freedom
09:47or lack
09:48of freedom
09:48please tell
09:48me
09:49lack of
09:51freedom
09:51you
09:56couldn't have
09:56chosen otherwise
09:57you had
09:58no option
09:59are you
10:03kidding
10:04so
10:04we are
10:05very interested
10:06in asking
10:07what to
10:08choose
10:08next
10:09but
10:10is the
10:11question
10:11arising
10:12in a
10:12vacuum
10:13are we
10:14not
10:15constantly
10:15every
10:16moment
10:16already
10:17choosing
10:18a lot
10:18is not
10:20the whole
10:20thing of
10:21choice
10:22a process
10:23and if you
10:24are already
10:25choosing
10:25and choosing
10:27from a
10:27particular
10:27center
10:28using
10:28particular
10:29criteria
10:29from a
10:31particular
10:31state of
10:32consciousness
10:32is it not
10:33more important
10:34to ask
10:34why am I
10:35choosing
10:36this
10:36that I am
10:37choosing
10:37right now
10:38or must I
10:39ask what
10:40do I
10:40choose
10:40next
10:40see if I
10:45stand still
10:46here
10:46please understand
10:47if I stand
10:48still here
10:49probably it
10:50makes sense
10:51to ask
10:51which way
10:52to go
10:52probably it
10:54makes sense
10:55to ask
10:55which way
10:56to go
10:56but who
10:57am I
10:58I am the
10:59mover
10:59I am the
10:59runner
11:00I am all
11:02the time
11:02not just
11:03running
11:03actually
11:04sprinting
11:05towards my
11:05desires
11:06my goals
11:07and my goals
11:08are ostensibly
11:09my choices
11:09no
11:09I chose
11:10my goal
11:10I choose
11:11that thing
11:12I want
11:12that thing
11:12I am
11:14already running
11:15towards something
11:16and that
11:18which I am
11:19running towards
11:19I am quite
11:20convinced of it
11:20am I not
11:21I want
11:22that thing
11:25I want
11:25that trophy
11:26I want
11:27those marks
11:27I want
11:28that job
11:28I want
11:30him to
11:30respect me
11:31I want
11:32that boy
11:33or girl
11:33I am
11:34already
11:35very confident
11:35of the
11:36direction
11:36in which
11:36I am
11:36running
11:37and then
11:37this speaker
11:39comes in
11:40and you
11:40ask
11:41sir
11:41what should
11:42I move
11:42towards
11:43my answer
11:46will be
11:46but you
11:47aren't
11:47standing
11:47still
11:48what should
11:49I move
11:50towards
11:50is a
11:51question
11:51that
11:53behoves
11:53someone
11:54who is
11:54standing
11:55still
11:56only he
11:57can ask
11:57I do
11:58not
11:58know
11:58since I
12:00do not
12:00know
12:00so I am
12:00standing
12:01still
12:01so please
12:02tell me
12:02which way
12:02to go
12:03if you
12:06do not
12:07know
12:07which way
12:07to go
12:07what do
12:08you do
12:08first
12:08thing
12:08you
12:10stop
12:10don't
12:10you
12:11now
12:13is the
12:13time
12:14of the
12:14GPS
12:14but
12:15let's
12:16say
12:17you are
12:17in the
12:17year
12:172000
12:18and
12:19you
12:19needed
12:20to
12:20stop
12:20for
12:21instructions
12:21students
12:24won't
12:24know
12:25they
12:25are
12:25not
12:25born
12:25then
12:25but
12:27the
12:27elder
12:27ones
12:28would
12:28so
12:30what
12:30do
12:30I
12:30do
12:30if
12:32I
12:32am
12:32rushing
12:33towards
12:33a
12:33particular
12:34direction
12:34on
12:34a
12:34road
12:35how
12:36do
12:36I
12:36ask
12:37anybody
12:37for
12:37instructions
12:38or
12:38help
12:39and
12:40if
12:40I
12:40want
12:41to
12:41know
12:41the
12:42way
12:43what
12:43is
12:43the
12:43first
12:44thing
12:44I
12:44do
12:44I
12:45stop
12:46and
12:46I
12:46say
12:47Jaipur
12:48jana hai
12:48kaise jau
12:48ya kahin
12:52ko bhi
12:52jana hai
12:52bhaiya
12:53idhar koi
12:54restaurant hai
12:54you
12:56stop
12:56and ask
12:56right
12:57the
12:58first
12:58thing
12:58is
12:58to
12:58stop
12:59without
13:01stopping
13:01you
13:02are
13:03just
13:03a
13:03slave
13:04of
13:04the
13:05unconscious
13:05choices
13:06that
13:06you
13:06are
13:06pursuing
13:07and
13:08if
13:08you
13:09don't
13:09stop
13:09and
13:10you
13:10ask
13:10that
13:10fellow
13:10bhaiya
13:11kaha jana hai
13:12he
13:12won't
13:13respond
13:13or
13:13would
13:14he
13:14even
13:15if
13:15he
13:15responds
13:16would
13:16you
13:16get
13:17his
13:17response
13:17you
13:20would
13:20be
13:20gone
13:20by
13:21the
13:21time
13:21his
13:21response
13:22comes
13:22is
13:25that
13:25not
13:25so
13:27we
13:27are
13:27not
13:27sitting
13:28at
13:29the
13:29origin
13:29zero
13:29zero
13:30we
13:30are
13:30not
13:30standing
13:31still
13:31in
13:35a
13:35great
13:36unconscious
13:37momentum
13:38we
13:38are
13:38flowing
13:39the
13:41first
13:41thing
13:41is
13:41to
13:41stop
13:42flowing
13:42the
13:44first
13:44thing
13:44is
13:45to
13:45drop
13:45out
13:46of
13:46the
13:46flow
13:46a
13:50great
13:50stream
13:51is
13:51carrying
13:51you
13:52along
13:52the
13:55first
13:55thing
13:55is
13:56to
13:56somehow
13:57manage
13:57to
13:58come
13:58ashore
13:58and
14:01then
14:01you
14:01sit
14:01there
14:01for
14:01a
14:02while
14:02let
14:03your
14:03mind
14:04be
14:04settled
14:04and
14:04then
14:04ask
14:05yourself
14:05here
14:06this
14:06is
14:06me
14:07this
14:07is
14:07life
14:07what
14:08do
14:08I
14:08do
14:09with
14:09it
14:09but
14:10that
14:11question
14:11cannot
14:11be
14:12asked
14:12when
14:13you
14:13are
14:13already
14:13hurrying
14:14towards
14:14a
14:14particular
14:15direction
14:15are
14:16we
14:16not
14:16already
14:16hurrying
14:17please
14:17tell
14:17me
14:17so
14:19when
14:19you
14:20are
14:20already
14:20hurrying
14:21how
14:22to
14:22get
14:23an
14:23answer
14:23forget
14:25about
14:25an
14:25answer
14:25how
14:26even
14:26to
14:26ask
14:26a
14:28first
14:30thing
14:30is
14:30to
14:31have
14:31the
14:31courage
14:31to
14:32stop
14:32and
14:34if
14:34you
14:34cannot
14:34stop
14:35permanently
14:36stop
14:36at least
14:37for a
14:37while
14:37it's
14:38called
14:38taking
14:38stock
14:39just
14:40to
14:40take
14:40stock
14:41stop
14:41and
14:43then
14:43say
14:43okay
14:44this
14:44is
14:44what
14:44I
14:45have
14:45been
14:45doing
14:45I
14:46am
14:4618
14:4620
14:4625
14:4735
14:47whatever
14:48what
14:50is
14:50going
14:50on
14:50what
14:50is
14:50really
14:51going
14:51on
14:51it
14:55is
14:55very
14:56difficult
14:57to
14:57think
14:58on
14:58the
14:58go
14:59it
15:00is
15:00very
15:01difficult
15:01to
15:02see
15:02clearly
15:03when
15:04the
15:04mind
15:04is
15:04clouded
15:05with
15:05desires
15:06and
15:06ambitions
15:06the
15:09more
15:09you
15:09are
15:09desirous
15:10the
15:10more
15:11you
15:11are
15:11goal
15:11oriented
15:12the
15:12more
15:12ambitious
15:13you
15:13are
15:14the
15:14less
15:14you
15:15will
15:15know
15:15what
15:16you
15:16are
15:16actually
15:16doing
15:17desire
15:19will
15:19simply
15:20obfuscate
15:20your
15:20vision
15:21is
15:24that
15:25making
15:25sense
15:25the
15:27thing
15:27is
15:28we
15:28stick
15:29to
15:29our
15:29choices
15:29we
15:32hold
15:32on
15:32to
15:32them
15:33like
15:34dear
15:34life
15:35like
15:37the
15:38monkey
15:38does
15:38to
15:38her
15:39little
15:40one
15:40you
15:41know
15:41and
15:45sometimes
15:45the
15:46little
15:46one
15:46is
15:46dead
15:46and
15:48yet
15:48the
15:48mother
15:48monkey
15:49is
15:49holding
15:51it
15:51to
15:51her
15:51chest
15:52thinking
15:54that
15:55there
15:55is
15:55some
15:55danger
15:56out
15:56there
15:57somewhere
15:57and
15:57she
15:57is
15:57looking
15:58suspiciously
15:58she
16:00is
16:00not
16:00even
16:00looking
16:02at
16:03herself
16:03to
16:05see
16:05that
16:05the
16:06baby
16:08is
16:08already
16:08gone
16:08I
16:16invite
16:16you
16:16to
16:17look
16:18impartially
16:19at
16:19your
16:19choices
16:20this
16:21impartial
16:22looking
16:22is
16:22at
16:23the
16:23foundation
16:24at
16:25the
16:25center
16:26of
16:28all
16:28wisdom
16:29otherwise
16:32life
16:33is
16:33just
16:33about
16:34being
16:36blindly
16:37attracted
16:37to
16:37something
16:38and
16:39then
16:39investing
16:40all
16:40your
16:40time
16:41money
16:41energy
16:42into
16:43chasing
16:44that
16:44thing
16:44is
16:45that
16:45not
16:45how
16:46it
16:46happens
16:46please
16:46tell
16:46me
16:47you
16:48get
16:49attracted
16:49by
16:49something
16:49and
16:50then
16:50you
16:53just
16:53run
16:53after
16:53it
16:54you
16:56just
16:56run
16:56after
16:56it
16:57money
16:57goes
16:58into
16:58it
16:58time
16:58goes
16:59into
16:59it
16:59energy
16:59goes
17:00into
17:00it
17:00life
17:01goes
17:01into
17:01it
17:01and
17:04if
17:04you
17:04get
17:04that
17:04thing
17:05you
17:06rarely
17:07find
17:07it
17:07satisfactory
17:08enough
17:08and
17:08what
17:09next
17:09the
17:10next
17:11thing
17:11and
17:15life
17:15is
17:15limited
17:15soon
17:18enough
17:18you
17:18find
17:18that
17:18you
17:18have
17:19no
17:19energy
17:19no
17:20time
17:20to
17:21chase
17:21things
17:21anymore
17:22what
17:26is
17:26already
17:27going
17:27on
17:28must
17:28be
17:28reviewed
17:29but
17:32we are
17:33more
17:33interested
17:33in
17:33asking
17:34what
17:34next
17:35to
17:35do
17:35dump
17:36that
17:36question
17:36what
17:38next
17:38to
17:38do
17:38is
17:39not
17:39important
17:39at
17:39all
17:40what
17:41is
17:41important
17:41is
17:41what
17:42am
17:42I
17:42currently
17:45doing
17:45what
17:47next
17:47to
17:48do
17:48is
17:49not
17:49important
17:50at
17:51all
17:51what
17:52is
17:52much
17:52more
17:52important
17:52is
17:53what
17:54am
17:54I
17:54currently
17:55doing
17:55what
17:55exactly
17:56is
17:56going
17:56on
17:56right
17:57now
17:57what
17:58is
17:59it
17:59that
17:59I
17:59am
17:59busy
18:00with
18:00day
18:01beginning
18:02till
18:02day
18:03end
18:03that's
18:04the
18:05important
18:05question
18:05and
18:07if
18:08you
18:08can
18:08go
18:09into
18:09that
18:09question
18:10what
18:10next
18:11to
18:11do
18:12emerges
18:13on
18:13its
18:14own
18:14you
18:15don't
18:16have
18:16to
18:16answer
18:17that
18:17you
18:17don't
18:17have
18:17to
18:17plan
18:18that
18:18up
18:18it
18:19happens
18:19happens
18:20on
18:20its
18:20own
18:21if
18:21you
18:21can
18:21understand
18:22what
18:22is
18:22going
18:22on
18:22right
18:23now
18:23the
18:25future
18:25will
18:26organically
18:27spring
18:27from
18:28this
18:28you
18:29won't
18:29have
18:29to
18:30plan
18:30out
18:30a
18:30future
18:30so
18:32following
18:32up
18:33with
18:33that
18:33you
18:34said
18:35that
18:35what
18:37next
18:37is
18:37to
18:38will
18:38organically
18:40start
18:40spring
18:41up
18:41from
18:41whatever
18:41we
18:41are
18:41doing
18:42now
18:42so
18:43again
18:45the
18:45interest
18:46of
18:46the
18:47collective
18:47people
18:48right
18:48is it
18:50automatically
18:51going to
18:51happen
18:51that
18:52what
18:52we
18:53is it
18:54going to
18:54happen
18:54on its
18:54own
18:54okay
18:55that
18:56was
18:56all
18:57my
18:57question
18:57it's like
18:57this
18:58question
18:58where is
19:00this
19:00particular
19:00question
19:01coming
19:01from
19:01it's
19:04coming
19:04from
19:04the
19:05previous
19:05one
19:05were
19:08this
19:09question
19:09possible
19:10had
19:11the
19:12questioner
19:13not
19:13attended
19:14to
19:14the
19:15response
19:15to
19:15the
19:16previous
19:16question
19:16so
19:18where
19:18is
19:19this
19:19question
19:19coming
19:19from
19:20had
19:20you
19:20planned
19:20it
19:20out
19:20came
19:23it
19:23just
19:23came
19:24it
19:25just
19:25came
19:25it
19:25just
19:25came
19:26out
19:26of
19:26attention
19:27he
19:28paid
19:28attention
19:29to
19:29what
19:29was
19:29happening
19:30to
19:31the
19:31previous
19:31question
19:32and
19:32from
19:32there
19:33came
19:33the
19:33next
19:36question
19:37and
19:38this
19:38particular
19:38question
19:39has
19:39certain
19:39authenticity
19:40a
19:42planned
19:43well
19:43thought
19:44out
19:44cultivated
19:44question
19:45would
19:45never
19:46had
19:46this
19:47authenticity
19:48it
19:49happens
19:50spontaneously
19:50trust
19:52it
19:52your
19:53job
19:54is
19:54not
19:54to
19:54plan
19:55out
19:55a
19:55future
19:55your
19:56job
19:56is
19:57to
19:57lovingly
19:58attend
19:59to
19:59the
19:59present
19:59attend
20:01to
20:01it
20:01the
20:01future
20:01will
20:02take
20:02care
20:02of
20:02itself
20:07you
20:07you
20:08you
20:09you
20:11you