If you’re not in sync with the Teacher, you are sinking

Acharya Prashant
4 min readMay 16, 2020

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

Acharya Prashant: Why do you think I would always insist that the audience comes closer to me? (referring to the physical distance between the Speaker and the listeners)

Listener 1: So that we can gain more, as there is no separation and distance.

AP: That’s well said, symbolically. But, really in that situation why is it important that the physical distance is reduced?

L2: If I am closer to you then I am engaged and I am less likely to be disturbed by other things. Sitting at the back, there will be people walking around, shuffling around and moving in and out. And, it’s going to break the flow of our talk.

AP: Yes, and did it take you too much effort to figure this out, or is it kind of obvious?

L2: I have been doing it since second grade. If there is someone distracting me at the back, I will come to the front.

AP: Which means we all know; which means it’s not something very new or very original. And still, if you remember, we used to find it difficult to convince people to come to the front. Do you remember?

L2: Yes.

AP: It would require some persuasion, and some people would even walk away. So, what does that tell us?

L2: People are somewhat unclear of the basics.

AP: Or, are they actually clear. They very well know why they are sitting at the back.

L2: They come into this situation of having ‘fear of surrender’ to come into a connection. As soon as something confronts their belief system or model or patterns, it’s easier at the back, you can kind of sneak your way out very easily. But, at the front, you are stuck!

AP: Do you see how we support our internal conspiracy?

There is something within us which wants us to fail; which is our own enemy and we support it.

I think it was on your facebook page that I read the story about the two wolves. Which wolf wins? The one we feed. Do you see, how we keep feeding the wrong wolf most of the times? In fact, there is one thing I am gaining clarity on…