Does meditation lead to a passive life?
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Following is an excerpt from a samvaad (dialogue) session with Acharya Prashant.
Question: When we meditate regularly, we start losing let’s say the desires, or I want to do this and goals and everything. But, than it’s kind of equal to, to become passive in life. So, can you say something about that? Because being passive also it feels like…
Acharya Prashant: You see sir, had you not been told in advance that the so-called meditation will turn off your desires. Are you sure, you would experience a diminution of desires?
I repeat. Even before you entered the process of meditation, had you not been told what the fruits of meditation are? Would you still have experienced those fruits?
If desires are really gone than you know that, that which you are calling as passivity, is the greatest joy of relaxation.
Desires are very much there. The so-called meditation is only used to put a veneer on them. I assure you that, the very same meditation would fail, if you are told that it fails. You are told it succeeds, so it appears successful to you.
But had it really been successful? I am asking you.
Had it really been successful would you call the fruit of meditation as passivity and be worried about it?
When one is really in love, does one treat the fruit of love as a worry?
If you have really meditated, would you treat the fruit of meditation, as a worry?
When you are the one with God, do you treat the gift of God as a worry?
The gift is a worry, only when there is no gift. Meditation is still to happen.
What is meditation?
Is mediation about, sitting in a particular place, following a particular set of physical and mental disciplines, subjecting the body to behave in a certain way, reserving a certain time in your daily schedule for peace? Is this what meditation is?
Is meditation something that can be taught as an activity?
Surely, if meditation is to be sold than, it needs to be taught as an activity. Because if meditation is not really an activity than, how will it become tangible? And if it is not tangible…