Questioner: Next question is from Jennifer. Dear Sadhguru, do circle with the COVID-19 confinement,
there has been an increase in jigsaw puzzle, colouring books and knitting (Laugh).
Can such activities which require consistent focus on one thing,
and are repetitive in nature bring a meditative state, that people are unknowingly longing for?
Sadhguru: This happened. Shankaran Pillai was going door to door. Now he's going.
You know, using his enterprise during the virus lockdown.
Selling children's kind of mechanical toy that children can put it together,
which will need a certain level of focus and intelligence.
So he went into a home, a young mother was interested in getting something to manage the child,
and Shankaran Pillai showed this, how this is and what it is.
So, whichever way she tried, it she couldn't put it together.
And she said, "Isn't this a little too complicated, for a child?".
Then he said "No,no, this is a toy, which will teach the child the ways of life.
Whichever way you put it it's wrong". That's what Patanjali also said.
Whichever way you do it it's wrong, the only way is to become one with everything.
So, if I do jigsaw puzzle or crossword puzzle, something something where I can be busy..
Well, if you read a book, or do jigsaw or whatever else, definitely a certain amount of focus is needed.
Normally, if you stay focused, let's say you got interested or involved in reading a book and you stayed focussed,
absolutely focused in the book to a point slowly, the surrounding disappeared,
because the book got interesting. That is called as dharana in yoga.
That means you have focus, you and the book, all that exists. Rest of the world has disappeared.
In that sense, there is some use to it, definitely. But you're using the puzzle or whatever else,
more as a distraction than as a way of focusing. The reason why you're doing this is,
just sitting here by yourself will drive you crazy, unless you're doing something, either on the phone,
or with this or that, you must be doing something otherwise you'll go crazy.
You're using it as a distraction, you're using your focus as a way to distract yourself.
I'm saying this lockdown time, at least, find out how crazy you are.
Atleast get a diagnosis, don't have to go to any doctor
because that is also under... psychiatry is under lockdown.
By yourself ,you sit down for one hour, with your eyes closed, see what all happens in your mind.
After one hour, to whatever extent you can remember this, just write it down.
Because most of it, for most human beings, there is no continuty.
Random, random, random stuff is happening. Write it down. If you trust anybody at home.
You tell them, not you. Your friend, wrote a letter like this to you.
Don't expose yourself, because people will exploit this. If they read it, they will say,
this is the work of a madman, hundred percent. You can take two three opinions. You, yourself will know.
So it's good to find out how mad are you. Yes, very important.
First and foremost thing if you want to go somewhere is, to find out where am i right now.
Even Google demands, where are you. If you ask the route for that place,
even the Google Maps ask where are you. Because without knowing where you are,
we cannot direct you anywhere, isn't it? So how crazy, are you, I think it's good to find out.
Especially at a time like this, a whole lot of people are painting end of the world picture in their head.
So especially such people, and everybody else, you must take a picture of your mind.
It will not come out in any whatever this.. scans and stuff. You have to look at it yourself.
So when you're in such a state of madness, where are you going to go like this and wherever you go,
what difference will it make? Same things pursue you, same problems will continue.
We can change physical atmospheres. But that's not going to change the quality of life.
So, already any number of questions are coming like this. Is this the end of the world,
what will be the scene after the virus, is everything going to change, our lives will change, the world will change,
it'll never be the same again. World anyway is never the same again.
How it is today, it will not be the same way after ten days. After virus, what will happen?
This happened to a group of nuclear scientists. Nuclear scientists club. They were meeting.
One of them, who was particularly pessimistic, said "The way we're going at it within ten years time,
there will be an explosion of cosmic proportions, which will end everything."
Another scientist said, "I'm willing to take a bet on this, that such a thing won't happen. One to hundred.
I will bet on it" So the other scientist says "How are you so sure?".
He said, "See, it's not that I'm sure of anything. It is just that, if I win, I will collect my bet.
If you win (Laughs) there'll be nobody to collect anything."
So, jigsaw puzzles, chess game, all this is good for a little bit of time, but these are all distractions,
it's not a solution. I'm telling you, make use of this time to enhance the life that you are.
How do I do it. There are many ways to do it. There are tools and tools. Right now is not the time to offer.
The first thing is this. Just sit by yourself every day, one or two hours with eyes closed. It doesn't matter.
Doesn't matter what the mind says, doesn't matter your body struggles with it.
Simply sit. Life will change, believe me.