If you think you understand then you’re quite unfortunate

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

Questioner: How to grasp what you and the saints are saying? How do I give it a place in my mind? A lot of times I believe I am not able to get it, and feel helpless.

Acharya Prashant: What do you mean by giving it a place? What do you mean by grasping? and What do you mean by getting it? These are the three words, phrases you used.

Where would you give this a place? In your mind. Don’t you see what you are trying to do. You are trying to integrate what I am saying with your pre-existing knowledge. That is what you mean by giving it a place. You get something new from the market and then you try to give it a place in your house. Now does that shake up your house. Does that show you the falseness of your house? or Does that decorate your house even further?

Please see what you are trying to do with what I’m saying. You are trying to give it a place. In other words, you are trying to show it its place. Do you see that’s a statement of insult.

Then you say I’m not getting it. It’s great if you are not getting it. You don’t have to get it. Said so many times. If you think you have understood, then you are quite unfortunate. Why must you get it? You don’t have to get it.

You get it and you have again spoiled your shirt. We are trying so hard to clean it. This place is a laundry. But you keep on getting it. There is no need to get what I am saying. What you call as getting it or grasping it, what is it really? It is just concept formation.

You will walk out happy if you feel that you can sum up all that I have said in a few sentences. That is what you will call as getting it. You will walk out happy if you can repeat my words to somebody or if you can interpret them on your own and tell them to somebody in your own language. That is what you mean by I got what the speaker was saying. Don’t you see all of that is just a repetition of who you already are.

Don’t you see that the agency that sits between you and me is still doing all the talking.

Agency is the one that gets it, the agency is the one that distorts it, the agency is the one that lays claim…