How to develop longing for the Truth?

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

Question: In order to realize the Truth, we say that we have to develop the longing for Truth. But this longing is coming from the same mind which is also desiring the material things. How to develop this longing?

Acharya Prashant (AP): You don’t have to develop a longing.

Longing comes from seeing that all that you have so far done to fulfill the longing, has gone waste.

You don’t have to develop or cultivate a longing.

Do you develop hunger? Hunger exists. At most, you can be more sensitive towards your hunger.

To be human is to be longing. We are a lump of longing. What else are you? You are longing, in person. You are longing, personified.

Now how would you develop longing? Everything about you, every bit about you, longs, and longs both actively and passively.

Why do you think you are alive? Why do you think you wake up every successive day? When the morning arrives, why don’t you just keep sleeping? Why do you wake up? Why do you leave the bed? Because you hope to meet ‘That’, every new day.

Yesterday you tried and were unsuccessful, but probably you learned. Yesterday’s failure was probably a teacher, probably was not, but what is certain is, it didn’t kill your determination to meet, know, realize, be fulfilled, and disappear.

So you can’t sleep for more than eight hours, you will have to leave the bed. And that’s not purely physical reason. You will have to leave the bed because you are longing because there is something to do because there is something pending, something important waiting.

How can you keep sleeping?

Why do you take up new tasks? Why do you change jobs? Why do you enter into new relationships? Why do you make new friends? Why do you visit new places?

Have you never gone into it?

You are longing. Have you seen why do your eyes keep scanning strangers? You are longing for that one, special face, for something that cannot be found in any particular face.