Let 'Direct observation' not become a convenient excuse || (2015)
Acharya Prashant (AP): There is this question about direct observation and how the world when ‘directly’ observed appears muddled up, appears quite confusing. There is a question that what is all this. One of the aspects of the question is, ‘What is love? When I look at the world around, there is no clarity that emerges about love either.' Let me just say something. ‘Direct observation’ is possible only with eyes that have been cleaned. You have paralysis in a particular leg. Let’s say you have a fracture or something, there is something that is incapacitating the leg. After the leg has been treated, after it's been operated, the physician will tell you to walk on your own and that will enhance the strength of the leg. Right? But you go to a doctor with a fractured leg, will he say that "You go for 'direct observation', you go for 'direct running' and direct running will help you"? What will happen if you go to enhance, if you try to increase the muscle strength when the leg is fractured? What will happen? Your state is going to be deeply worsened. With a fractured leg, you cannot take a walk. You first need to treat what is wrong and only then you can walk. The same is the case with direct observation. Direct observation is every bit an exercise of the mind as is travelling or running, for the legs.
‘Direct observation’ means coming in contact with the world. Are you getting this? If a stable cleansed mind comes in contact with the world, it sees the world clearly. Whereas if a feeble, uncertain mind comes in contact with the world, it further gets infected. The cool morning breeze is very-very good for a healthy man. He’ll run around in it and will increase his strength, it will make him even more healthy. But that same cool morning breeze will kill you if you are a patient.
Why are you coming so much in contact with the world? There is no need. First of all, ensure that you are in that position where you can brave the storm, you have that much strength. Otherwise, your state will be like that of the earthen pot which is not yet ready but comes in the hands of the world. What will happen to it? The earthen pot, the mud pot, a particular shape is given to it and then it goes and gets drenched in the world, the
