The same situation can appear entirely different depending on one’s perspective. A scandal is a good example—while some experience it as a crisis, others see it as a phase to pass through. Swami Prakashanand Saraswati explains that this difference arises from awareness, not from the situation itself.
When awareness is low, the mind fixates on external events—words, opinions, and others’ reactions. Everything feels urgent and significant, making the situation seem larger than it truly is. This is how a scandal begins to take hold of the mind.
Spiritual awareness changes this focus. Instead of getting pulled into every detail, the mind starts observing. It sees that events are temporary. It understands that reactions from others are not always based on complete truth. This shift does not remove the situation, but it reduces its intensity.
One important change that awareness brings is distance. Not physical distance, but mental space. You are able to see what is happening without getting fully absorbed in it. This space helps you think more clearly and act without pressure.
Another change is in interpretation. Without awareness, the mind labels the situation as negative or unfair. With awareness, the same situation is seen as part of a larger process. It becomes something to move through, not something to continuously fight.
Swami Prakashanand Saraswati also explains that awareness reduces our dependency on external validation. When we focus on how others see us, every opinion matters. In a scandal, this becomes exhausting. Awareness shifts attention inward, which reduces our need to control outward perception.
There is also a shift in focus. Instead of asking why this is happening, the question becomes how to move through it correctly. This change in thinking brings direction, thus replacingconfusion with clarity.
Awareness also affects how long the situation stays in your mind. Without it, the mind keeps ruminating on the same thoughts. With awareness, you notice this pattern and can break it. This prevents the situation from occupying unnecessary space in your thinking.
When we develop our awareness skills, a scandal may still exist externally, but internally it loses its intensity. Enhanced awareness does not change the event, but it changes our relationship with it.
Swami Prakashanand Saraswati teaches that awareness is not something emergingfrom outside of us – it is something developed from within. As it grows, situations that once felt overwhelming start to feel manageable. While the situation may remainthe same; the way you see it and respond to it does not.
Radhey,Radhey