Feel grateful when your confusions get exposed

The following is an excerpt from a samvaad (dialogue) session with Acharya Prashant.

Questioner (Q): It has been a long time that I have been listening to you and I have been engaged with a lot of words and everything. And so many words and so many misunderstandings have come and gone but still, the restlessness remains; but still, the will to consume remains. Like I am sitting here right now, it is of great disturbance to me that I am thinking that I want to eat a burger.

Acharya Prashant (AP): Is this the first time that you have wanted to eat a burger?

Q: No.

AP: Is this restlessness something recent? It has always been there, right?

Q: Yes.

AP: Were you as tired of this restlessness two years back?

Q: Not at all.

AP: You have this ancient restlessness, right? But till two years back, you were not even tired of it. You were raveling in it, correct?

Q: Yes.

AP: Today, you express frustration at it. Don’t you see there is already a big change?

You have wanted burgers all your life, but have you ever felt so uneasy at wanting a burger? Don’t you see that things have already changed?

Q: Even chasing things or having a big thing.

AP: Yes.

Q: But why doesn’t this just end?

AP: Why didn’t you ask this two years back? Two years back you didn’t even want it to end. Two years back, you thought that this itself is the good life. Two years back, you were alright that it is continuing. Today, that you have realized that it must end, you are becoming impatient that it must end right now.

Q: Sir, that means he was better off two years back.

AP: No, that only means that right now what is happening will prevent this stuff from ending. You see, if you are impatient about stuff, then if it doesn’t happen too quickly, you give up. You were totally tolerating all your non-sense till two years back. Now, you say that “Why is the non-sense not ending?” And you cannot tolerate the wait. And if you cannot tolerate the wait, what will happen?