To manage time, see what your mind values || Acharya Prashant, with youth (2014)

Acharya Prashant

Video Information: Samvaad Session, 11.3.14, Moradabad, Uttar Pradesh, India    Context:  ~ How to manage time? ~ How to value time? ~ How to face challenges in life?  ~ How to manage the mind? ~ Can we manage time?  Music Credits: Milind Date  ~~~~~

Transcript

00:00Who will utilize time?

00:21Who wastes time?

00:27So who should be the question be directed to or should we talk about time?

00:38What do you waste?

00:39Do you waste time or do you also waste resources?

00:42You also waste life.

00:44You waste everything that comes to you.

00:48Somebody who is wasteful, would he waste only time or would he waste a lot of other things

00:54as well?

00:58So is time the real issue or is it me that I should talk about?

01:09What should I talk about?

01:12What's your name?

01:14Nitesh.

01:15Sit.

01:16When you say how to utilize time, you have made a very arrogant assumption.

01:24Your assumption is everything is alright with me.

01:30It is just this small aspect of time utilization that I falter in.

01:38Everything else is good, nice, I'm okay.

01:46It's like this, that there is something wrong with my entire physical system.

01:55My blood, my very blood contains a lot of impurities.

02:00And because of that, there are a lot of symptoms that are showing up in my body.

02:08My heart is under pressure.

02:12My kidneys are not functioning well.

02:14My liver is enlarged.

02:17I keep feeling sleepy.

02:19I keep forgetting.

02:20My brain doesn't function properly.

02:23And also because the blood is impure, also I have a few pimples on my face.

02:30So I go to the doctor and I say, Sir, my problem is that I have a few pimples.

02:38Now am I wise if I say that this is my problem?

02:42Is my problem that I have pimples?

02:48What is my problem?

02:51My entire being is my problem.

02:54My very blood is my problem, right?

02:58But what am I focusing on?

03:00Pimples.

03:01Now the doctor can give you a cream that will remove the pimples, but will that solve your

03:07problem?

03:09This pimple gone, another one will come up.

03:13Right or wrong?

03:14Have you not seen that happen?

03:15It clears from here and comes somewhere else or sometimes at the same spot.

03:24We don't even know what the real issue is like.

03:29It's not about time at all.

03:33Don't ask how to manage time.

03:36Don't ask how to utilize time.

03:39Ask yourself, how do I manage myself?

03:46Because it is the self that is wasting the time.

03:50It is the self that is wasting everything that is around it.

03:54There are a thousand opportunities that come to you.

03:59Life itself is a grand opportunity, but the self is squandering all the opportunities.

04:08Not only time, everything else as well.

04:15So we'll go to the more basic question, to the more useful question, and that is how

04:23to manage the mind because it is the mind that wastes time.

04:27We will forget time.

04:30Nobody can manage time.

04:33Time just flows.

04:34Time cannot be managed.

04:36What can be managed?

04:39The self, my own mind, that needs to be managed.

04:44Right?

04:45We look at that.

04:48Now, you need to then ask yourself, Nitesh, what does your mind find attractive?

04:58What does your mind do most of the time?

05:04There are 24 hours in the day for everybody.

05:10Ask yourself, where do these 24 hours go?

05:15Where does my mind spend these 24 hours in?

05:24When you will look at this, you will come across your values.

05:29You will come to know what is it that you prefer in life.

05:36Because whatever you prefer in life, that's what you spend yourself doing.

05:43If I have told myself that the biggest pleasure in life is sleeping, then don't be surprised

05:50if I find that I sleep 11 hours a day.

05:55And why do I sleep 11 hours a day?

05:57Because I have thoroughly convinced myself that sleeping is the highest happiness.

06:04Similarly, if you have convinced yourself that roaming around here and there is the

06:12biggest pleasure that is possible, then don't be surprised if you find that you spend four

06:17hours a day gossiping.

06:21Because you have told that to your own mind.

06:23We are looking at the mind now, right?

06:24We have kept time behind.

06:25We are looking at the mind.

06:28We said we'll find out what do I spend my time doing.

06:32And when I find that out, I immediately come upon my values.

06:37What have I told myself to be valuable?

06:41Whatever you have told yourself to be valuable, you will find that your time is going there.

06:45And if you find that there is something you are unable to find time for, let me ask this

06:52to you.

06:53How many of you see that this happens with you?

06:57You want to find time for something, but you say I can't find time for it.

07:01This is important, but I can't find time for it.

07:05With how many of you does this happen?

07:08Please be assured that somewhere you are convinced that that thing for which you cannot find

07:19time, you are convinced that that is not important.

07:27It is embedded deeply in your psyche that it is not important.

07:33So howsoever much now you are trying, you still find no time.

07:42Had it been really important?

07:47Had you been careful enough to really examine and see its importance, then time would have

07:56made itself available because there are 24 hours in the day for everybody.

08:01How is it possible that somebody finds time and somebody does not find time?

08:08You are the one who is allotting time and you allot time according to your values.

08:13It's a question of values.

08:16What do you find valuable?

08:19I find it deeply valuable that one must sit with the family and watch television.

08:25So don't be surprised if three hours a day you are doing that.

08:32My definition of a valuable friendship is when you talk three hours a day to somebody

08:37on mobile phone.

08:38So don't be surprised if three hours a day that's what you are doing.

08:43You are spending time exactly according to your values.

08:49Not even a second is spent otherwise.

08:55Be convinced time does not slip away.

08:58Time strictly follows your values.

09:02So if you say, I don't know, time just flies away, then you are deceiving yourself.

09:07No, time never flies away.

09:09Every second of it is controlled by your mind.

09:18If you do not find time for studying, the conclusion is obvious.

09:23You do not find studying valuable.

09:26In your value system, you do not accord priority to studying.

09:30That is why you cannot give time to studying.

09:34In your value system, had studying been important, time would have presented itself.

09:43Is this becoming clear?

09:46It's not about time at all.

09:48It's about my mind, the values enshrined in it.

09:57Is this becoming clear?

10:00When you will be clear about what is really valuable in life, then you will find that

10:09all your time is devoted to that which is really valuable.

10:17Become clear.

10:18Know what is really valuable.

10:19Do you know what is really valuable?

10:22Have you ever given a thought to it?

10:25What is really valuable in life?

10:31Have you given a thought to it?

10:34What is really, really important?

10:38Wonderful.

10:40See, stand up, stand up, stand up.

10:48Nice one.

10:49Good, good.

10:50Sit.

10:51See, four or five responses came.

10:54I said, do we know what is really valuable?

10:57There were four or five responses.

10:58Somebody said money, somebody said happiness, somebody said time, then one of you said something

11:02else.

11:03And then there was this girl who says, how do I know what is really valuable?

11:06Now, there are others who are already convinced about what is really valuable.

11:11If money is really valuable, what would you spend most of your time doing?

11:16Dreaming about money.

11:21And that's what you do, dream.

11:35Have money without asking who is it that is having money and how is money benefiting him.

11:44But it must be from some source that you are gathering this notion that money is the most

11:55important thing.

11:56Somebody said happiness.

11:57Yes, good.

11:58But what is happiness?

12:04Is happiness that which you experience on hearing a joke?

12:09Is happiness that which you experience upon achieving a target?

12:13What is happiness?

12:16And then why must be happiness different for different people?

12:21And why does happiness vary for the same man at different times?

12:26Today, something is happiness for you, 10 years back, your doll was the greatest happiness

12:31for you.

12:36But what is the value of such a happiness which keeps changing?

12:48What is happiness?

12:49One has to find out.

12:51I'm inviting you to this because when I was your age, this was the one question that was

12:58so important for me.

13:03What is valuable in life?

13:06I was very clear, I will not commit myself to any path till this question is answered.

13:17How can I just start doing something without knowing that it is really valuable?

13:25I have these few years of my life with me and I have one life.

13:33How can I spend this life doing something of which I am not convinced?

13:38And at the end of it, what will happen?

13:47If I see that I have wasted my time in a pursuit that had no value at all.

13:55Is that not horrible?

13:56Your 70th year, you are dying and you are realizing that I have spent my life doing

14:03something that had no value.

14:06Tell me, won't that be horrible?

14:09And I'm telling you 99.99% of this world faces that horror daily.

14:22Your so-called grown-ups, the so-called successful people, the so-called super achievers, they

14:29all are realizing this every second that they have wasted their life doing something which

14:39is not valuable at all.

14:44Why are you quick to jump to conclusions?

14:49Why do you want to quickly commit yourself?

14:52Why can't you investigate?

14:58And she's put it so nicely.

15:00How do I find out what is really valuable?

15:04How do I find out what is really valuable?

15:06Good, very good.

15:11So you have something to start with, right?

15:12What's your name?

15:14Naveed.

15:15You already have something to start with and that is coming from outside.

15:21You have already been told what is valuable.

15:23What is valuable?

15:24A huge car is valuable.

15:28A 10-story mansion is valuable.

15:31That red light, those beacons, they are very valuable.

15:3910 muscle men on your side, they are valuable.

15:45A bank statement that has 10 zeros behind it is very valuable.

15:51And all these things have been told to you by your so-called well-wishers.

15:55They have already filled you up with what is valuable and you are chasing that without

15:59examining whether it is really valuable.

16:02Naveed is so right.

16:09How can I inquire what is valuable when I have already been told what is valuable?

16:14The inquiry has been closed.

16:16We have been told that there is no need to inquire.

16:20Getting married is valuable, having two kids is valuable, having a house is valuable, being

16:25respected is valuable.

16:26And you will say, yes, sir, but you know, everybody says that.

16:31Are these not valuable?

16:32Why should I say no?

16:34I'm saying go and find out.

16:36Why can't you find out?

16:41Are these things really valuable?

16:49When you will discover what is not valuable, then that which is really valuable will start

17:00showing up.

17:01It will silently start shining.

17:05But first you will have to reject all that which is rubbish.

17:10But you are mistakenly thinking it to be of value.

17:17First you will have to reject that.

17:21Are you getting it?

17:30So many of you believe fakeness is so valuable.

17:35So many of you believe that living a structured life is so valuable.

17:40Are we not intelligent?

17:42Don't we have our eyes?

17:43Don't we have our mind to examine?

17:47Can't we go close and see whether these things are really any importance?

17:56Will we just believe, take something on face value?

18:06I'm asking you.

18:07You just want to believe.

18:10Then why are you studying science?

18:11Does science tell you to believe or does it tell you to go close and ask questions and

18:15examine and experiment?

18:18Yeah, tell me.

18:23What does science tell you to be superstitious?

18:27Just believe anything.

18:28They have told me that going to the temple every Tuesday is very valuable, very important.

18:35So go.

18:36Do you know why you are going there?

18:37And if you don't know, why must you go there?

18:38Do you even know what a temple is?

18:39Then what are you doing in a temple?

18:40You have been told you must always look good, you must be praiseworthy, people should say

18:59nice things about you, you should be respected.

19:02Do you understand what is praise?

19:04Do you understand what is respect?

19:07Then why should you feel bad when somebody does not respect you?

19:16Without understanding something, why have you given it importance?

19:25Get married, get married, settle down, have a family.

19:32You understand what is marriage?

19:34And if you don't understand, why are you getting restless to get married?

19:40And why do you feel devastated if you feel or see somebody not getting married?

19:52Do you know a thing about what is really important in life?

19:57And if you don't know, then open your eyes and see.

20:01It's not a huge secret.

20:03It's an obvious fact.

20:06If only you will bother to inquire.

20:11You are intelligent, you have the capability, just open your eyes and see.

20:17I assure you, all of you are capable of looking at the facts and being in the truth.

20:24If only you are not afraid.

20:29If only you have not closed your eyes, saying that I already know.

20:44Are you getting it?

21:01No part of this recording may be reproduced

21:04without Mooji Media Ltd.'s express consent.

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