u/Maximum_Ratio_3286

This is a Zen Koan with deep meaning hidden underneath.

My learning from Acharya Prashant's session on Zen Koans:

The first thing that I realised was when he explained the whole concept of the Koans, which is to deliver a shock to pre-existing notions in a way that the receiver would awaken from a situation they were stuck in (due to an unexamined belief).

Something that is so subtle in meaning but can be perceived in a completely distorted manner at the gross and literal level. And the result of this is that the Koan becomes useless to one's life.

The clear point I learned in the session was about having images or ideas of the Buddha (also applicable to Atma/Shiv/Truth). As long as it is in the realm of perception, either in a physical or mental form, it is a formation of the ego, and hence, the image will fail to be of much use. A long and structured explanation so succinctly put in a simple line "If you meet the Buddha, kill the Buddha". The Buddha isn't an image to be constructed to adhere to. The point is for the ego to see itself as the collection of false identities that it is, and hence anything that it can concoct as its perception is by default also a falsehood.

The "kill" is not a physical act, but rather the killing of the mental image that we have created. This is also a powerful tool that we have to tackle the easy manipulation that the so-called "Babas" perform. They adopt certain behaviour patterns to appear in a way that gives them credence. And this appearance should itself be a clear sign to reject their manipulation.

So a truly religious person would never fall for an appearance, or any belief that can be used to control them.

A late morning collection of oat milk, fruits, nuts, and seeds!

The impact AP is having on real lives often goes unnoticed, here's what Kavita (AP Gita student) went through and shared on the community:

"Pranam Acharya Ji, I don’t know where to begin, but after listening to you, my life has taken a 180-degree turn, and I want to tell you about it.

I come from such a small village that it can barely even be called a village. People of one particular caste live there. The whole village is more or less their extended family, with just 12 to 13 houses belonging to others. Eating non-veg and drinking alcohol is completely normal there. The state of education is terrible, and girls’ education is considered something that will ruin them. Hardly any girls study, and even the boys study very little. The atmosphere is so bad that superstition, orthodoxy, and lokhdharma are deeply ingrained in the village.

I grew up in the middle of all that.

I have three elder brothers and I am the youngest. I have always studied in government schools. I was good at studies, so teachers would often tell my family, “Let her study further.”

The environment affected my parents too. Along with fixing my eldest brother’s marriage, they fixed mine as well, when I wasn’t even 14 years old and was in 9th standard. I didn’t understand much at that time, but I was scared that my studies would end. The man was 12 years older than me, had barely studied up to 5th standard, and was a rowdy, goon type fellow. Four days before the wedding, I got my first period. When I went there, he wanted a child from me. Two days later I came back, because the next day I had my annual exam.

I finished my 12th, and when I was in the first year of my B.Sc., everything shut down because of COVID. My family again wanted to send me there, because my sister-in-law is his real sister, so that she could come to my village with me. I cried a lot and refused everyone, saying I didn’t want to go, but in the name of society, honour, and all kinds of other reasons, they forced me to go. I was 18 then.

The same situation repeated there. He again wanted a child, or to speak honestly, he only wanted sex. I cut my hand slightly with a knife, and he ran away in fear. I cried the whole night and at four in the morning I called my brother and said, “Come and take me back; otherwise by evening I will be dead.” He came in the morning and brought me home.

There was only one thought in my mind: if they send me back there again, I will definitely die.

Then I started searching a lot on YouTube about women’s lives and a pattern-bound life. That’s when I came across your video for the first time, Acharya Ji. From that very day I started listening. Time passed. Slowly I learned to speak openly, and I clearly refused to go back there.

Then I did my M.Sc. Your teachings were with me, so life became a bit lighter. To cover my expenses, I also started teaching. That man would often call and abuse my father, saying all kinds of filthy things. Over the years my family also understood that he was not at all a good person. Because it was a child marriage, nothing was properly documented, but even then, I got a divorce through the court.

I am alive today only because of you. Otherwise, troubled by all this, I would have died long ago. These things used to keep revolving in my mind all the time. Only after listening to you and understanding your teachings did I gather the courage to talk about divorce openly at home and then stand in court and speak for myself.

Today I am 24 years old. I am still studying. For the last six months I was working from home for the Foundation. And now for the past month I have been working from the office. I am trying that what I have received, I don’t merely sing of it, I roar it."

The look in his eyes = instantaneous melting!

Tried out a new pasta recipe today. Perfect quick dish with low effort!

Charred broccoli and shredded baked tofu as toppings on pasta with arabiata sauce.