How to become a child again? || Acharya Prashant, with youth (2015)

Question: Sir, how to become a child again?

Speaker: The child is there, let it loose. Why do you cage it? Why do you suppress it? Why must you act so mature and grown up? Why must your face be so thoughtful? Why must you appear so serious and absorbed? Why cannot you act a little stupid?

There is a difference between being childish and being childlike. The child is innocent but not stupid. Do you understand the difference between innocence and stupidity? My teacher once said to me, “Bholepan mein aur bhondupan mein antarr hota hai” (There is a great difference between being innocent and being stupid). The child is bhola (innocent).

Here is a simple key to follow. If your thought stands in great opposition to something, then there is a fair chance that it is opposing nobody else but the child. Even action seems like coming to you but your entire defense mechanism starts opposing it. Then pause for a while and inquire, it is quite likely that it is the child that is being opposed.

The mind and its stuff is what has come to you in the process of growing up. This is the parent that is sitting here (pointing towards his head). In psychology one of the basic things that they teach you is the three ego