To see diversity is to see choice, and the ego relishes that || Acharya Prashant (2014)

Acharya Prashant (AP): Aloneness is to see that alone, to see that alone is love. As we are configured, as the mind is conditioned, it only works in differences. It works only in differences. It looks at nothing but the differences. Its very world exists because of differences. It perceives something as something, because the thing is different from its neighbour. So, the wall is wall because it is not the sky. It has to be different.

But the more differences you see, the more frustrated you will be. And that's the whole issue with the intellect. The more intellectual you are, the more you can see the differences. Because you will go deeper and deeper into what the world is, and the deeper you go, you only find differences. That's your normal mind.

And then there is a religious mind. It has started seeing the oneness behind the differences. The normal mind goes into a clothes shop, and it sees all kinds of differences. Have you not seen it as women who can identify forty five different shades of red? And there are colours for each shade. So, there is blood red. Then there is the blood of the chicken, so chicken blood red. Then there is the blood of the goat, so goat blood red.

Such eyes, even in red, they can see diversity. And they will be highly displeased. “This was not the exact shade that I wanted.” This is a recipe for frustration. The shade will change. One exposure to sun and shade will change. What will you do? One exposure to sun and shade will change. What will you do?

And how does a mystic look at clothes? He says, “Forget about shades of the same colour. Even different colours do not matter. Ultimately, I know what is this shop all about. This is about material to cover the body. What is the difference? There is no difference. There is no difference between this and that. How does it matter whether we wear this or whether we wear that? There is no difference.” He sees no differences.