Understand the difference between problem and suffering; become free of internal stress - By Sri Krishnaji

Is it possible to become free of anxiety and stress?

Yes, it is possible to become free of anxiety and stress, but for us to become free of anxiety and stress, let's first understand the difference between problem and suffering. We all strongly believe that the second we have a problem, we need to get stressed about it. We need to understand that problem is an external situation, stress is an internal experience.

So if you look at life, we all have problems. We have financial problems, relationship problems, health problems. Every one of us have problems and we all suffer too. But to become free of the suffering, to become free of anxiety and stress. We need to understand that when we are in that state of anxiety and stress, we are obsessively thinking about ourselves.

We have moved away from the problem. So let's say for example, you are in a job and you're fired. The problem is you need to find another job, but you are suffering. You are in stress, you are anxious. The reason you are anxious and you're stressed is because now you're thinking about your monthly bill.

You're thinking about what you'll go and see your partner. You're thinking about your pleasures. You're thinking about what's going to happen to me if I don't find a job. So you are going over me, me, me, what's someone going to think about me. You're also thinking this guy or this person who did not deserve this job has got it but I deserved it the most and I lost it.

So instead of fixing the problem. But just to find another job, you are actually going over a thinking process, which is all about you. And when it is about you, you will be tremendously stressed because you are concerned about whats going to happen to you. You are not concerned about fixing the problem anymore.

So if you can bring attention to that inner world and see the truth that it's become about me, me, me, me, if you can meditate even a few seconds on it, you will become completely free of that anxiety, you'll become free of the stress and you will have this tremendous intelligence come into you, which will actually be an intelligence that will guide you to find a solution to find the job or to fix the problem.

Unfortunately, we are not able to fix our problems because we are caught up in this conflict. We are caught up in this inner world, a stressful, which is all about oneself.