Niralamba Upanishad

Don’t think of heaven and hell as the afterlife; both are here, right now. As the Niralamba Upanishad says: Right company is heaven; wrong company is hell. If you are someone who loves to be with people who will take you towards truth, joy, and simplicity, you are already in heaven. And if you surround yourself with people who pull down your consciousness, then verily, you are—right now—in hell.

Niralamba Upanishad: What Is Heaven and What Is Hell?

14 min

Your deepest dream is to just be what you are, what you really are. And the world gives you a thousand dreams, but not this one. Heaven is the moment when you realize that this dream is possible. Hell is when you have already lost your way, and there are voices around that say, "You cannot go back, there is no home." All that forces tell you not to fly too high, the forces that tell you that compromise is the name of the game-the company of such voices is hell. A point comes where there is neither heaven nor hell. There is just an empty stillness- Beyond.

Bondage, freedom and fear of death || Acharya Prashant, on Yogavasishtha (2016)

15 min

आज्ञाभयसंशयात्मगुणसङ्कल्पो बन्धः ।

ājñābhayasaṁśayātmaguṇasaṅkalpō bandhaḥ

Bondage is to imagine that Ātman has qualities like doubts, fear, etc.

~ Niralamba Upanishad, Verse 25

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Acharya Prashant (AP): “Bondage is to imagine that Ātman has qualities like doubts or fear etc. Bondage is to imagine that Ātman has doubt or… read_more

Liberation that we want is an extension of bondage || Acharya Prashant, on Niralamba Upanishad(2020)

10 min

केवलमोक्षा-पेक्षासङ्कल्पो बन्धः ।

kēvalamōkṣā-pēkṣāsaṅkalpō bandhaḥ

Bondage is to plan to devote oneself exclusively to liberation.

~ Niralamba Upanishad, Verse 27

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सङ्कल्पमात्रसंभवो बन्धः ।

saṅkalpamātrasaṁbhavō bandhaḥ

Bondage is what springs exclusively from imagination.

~ Niralamba Upanishad, Verse 28

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Acharya Prashant (AP): 'Bondage is to plan… read_more

आज्ञा मानना भी बंधन है || आचार्य प्रशांत, वेदांत पर (2021)

37 min

“आज्ञा मानना बंधन है। भय बंधन है।”

~निरालंब उपनिषद्

आचार्य प्रशांत: आज्ञा का अर्थ है– विशेषाधिकार किसी का, किसी के पीछे सुनना, किसी को बहुत ऊँचा स्थान दे देना, किसी को प्रथम मान लेना। आत्मा और आज्ञा साथ-साथ नहीं चलते। आत्मा किसी की नहीं सुनती। आत्मा किसी की आज्ञा पर… read_more

जो मंत्रों और मंत्रजाप में रुचि रखते हों, उनके लिए || आचार्य प्रशांत, वेदांत पर (2021)

6 min

प्रश्नकर्ता: आचार्य जी, महामृत्युंजय मंत्र का जाप क्या मदद कर सकता है कुछ वृत्तियों को काबू करने के लिए? क्योंकि वृत्तियों से मुक्ति ही सत्य की ओर ले जा सकती है और यह जाप भी बंधनों से मुक्ति के लिए जाना जाता है।

आचार्य प्रशांत: 'जाना जाता है,' किसके द्वारा? … read_more

कैसे लोगों से बचें? किनका साथ करें? || आचार्य प्रशांत, वेदांत पर (2021)

13 min

नर्क क्या है? ग़लत लोगों का साथ ही नर्क है। स्वर्ग क्या है? सही लोगों का साथ ही स्वर्ग है। ~निरालंब उपनिषद्

आचार्य प्रशांत: संसार के विषयों में रचे–पचे लोगों की संगति ही नर्क है। मैं नर्क से शुरू करूँगा, ज़्यादा क़रीब की बात है। हमें उसका अनुभव ज़्यादा है,… read_more

कैसे तोड़ें इस पागल मन को? || आचार्य प्रशांत, वेदांत पर (2021)

7 min

प्रश्नकर्ता: लगता है कि मन को कस के निचोड़ दूँ। लोहे की रॉड की तरह मोड़ दूँ कैसे भी। परन्तु कैसे मोडूँ इसे, इसे कैसे पटकूँ?

आचार्य प्रशांत: मन को तोड़ना है, मोड़ना है पर कैसे तोड़ना है? मन अपनेआप में कोई चीज़ तो है नहीं कि ये है (पास… read_more

Shakti Is Movement, Shiva Is The Destination

9 min

Shakti represents everything in motion, everything that can be experienced, everything in space-time. We move in search of a final destination. That point is symbolically represented by Shiva. Those who are inclined towards having the right kind of movement worship Shakti. Those who have fallen in love with the destination itself, worship Shiva. The fact is that the two are inseparable.

Why Doesn't the Law of Karma Apply to Animals?

4 min

Human beings are in a peculiar situation. They can choose to side with their animalistic conditioning or they can choose something higher. They can choose freedom, joy, love, liberation, compassion. Therefore, humans have a responsibility. Animals don't have that responsibility.

What Does It Mean to Remember God, and Be Lost?

24 min

In our entire life, in this entire world, whenever we have remembered something or somebody, we have remembered that thing, that person, for our own personal reasons. I do not remember you. I remember what I get from you. You are not important. What is important is what I seek to have from you. This is not only loveless but also quite exploitative. It is equally truthless and foolish.

श्रीकृष्ण सोलह हज़ार रानियों के साथ एक साथ कैसे?

16 min

कहानी कहती है कि नारद जी बड़े चक्कर में पड़े — सोलह हज़ार रानियाँ, और जिसके भी पास जाएँ, उसके साथ श्रीकृष्ण को ही पाएँ। सोलह हज़ार रानियाँ अनंतता का प्रतीक हैं। रानियों की श्रद्धा है, और श्रीकृष्ण ही ऐसे हैं, जिनमें सैकड़ों, हज़ारों, लाखों लोग पूर्ण श्रद्धा रख सकें। स्वयं श्रीकृष्ण भी चाहें तो रानियों से अपने-आप को छीन नहीं सकते। यदि तुम सत्य के प्रेमी हो, तो सत्य तुम्हें पूरा का पूरा उपलब्ध हो जाएगा।

Do Ghosts Exist? Bhoot-Pishaach Nikat Nahin Aave

6 min

To the one who believes in ghosts (Bhūta-Piśāca) — for him, they exist. When you are asleep and are engaged in some nightmare, you feel it actually exists. Bhūta-Piśāca Nikata Nahiṁ Āve, Mahāvīra Jab Nāma Sunāve: Mahavira Hanuman, devoted to Shri Ram, is to be taken as the representative of Truth. If you can be close to the representative of the Truth, you will get rid of all nonsensical and horrifying imaginations.

सच से प्रेम हो तो विद्रोह किए बिना रह नहीं पाओगे

43 min

प्रेम विद्रोह होता है। क्योंकि प्राकृतिक स्थिति आपकी — बंधन, माने अप्रेम की होती है। प्रेम जो आपकी प्राकृतिक जन्मजात स्थिति है, उसके खिलाफ़ बड़ा विद्रोह होता है। उसी आग का प्रकाश ज्ञान बनता है। नहीं होगी वो आग, तो कहाँ से लाओगे दम ये कहने का कि, "अगर इसी को ज़िंदगी कहते हैं, तो नहीं जीना! इसी को चाहना जीवन है? नहीं चाहना! यही सब मानना ज़रूरी है? नहीं मानना!" कहाँ से लाओगे साहस?

The Most Difficult Battle to Fight

4 min

Practice means incremental improvement, daily improvement, moment-to-moment improvement. That's what we started this session with. Step by step you have to move — even towards the absolute. No one step can take you to the absolute. Not even a million steps can take you to the absolute. But still, there is no way except the million steps.

God and Truth Are Different Things

9 min

What you call as God is a concept; Truth is not a concept. Therefore, you can have stories about God, various religions, and their miscellaneous beliefs. But you can have no story at all about Truth because it is that which is invariable. Time cannot change it, and it doesn't vary from person to person. Irrespective of your subjective state, it remains as it is. Truth just turns you silent.

सत्य के प्रति प्रेम की शुरुआत कैसे करें?

12 min

प्रश्नकर्ता: आचार्य जी, सत्य के प्रति प्रेम में कैसे पड़ गये?

आचार्य प्रशांत: उसका दुपट्टा हरा था। (श्रोतागण हॅंसते हैं) और चूड़ियाॅं खनक रही थीं और कजरारे नैनों की तीखी धार थी। बिलकुल छुरी चल गयी। ऐसे बताऊँ या ऐसे बताऊँ कि कार्बन टेट्रा-फ्लोराइड और अमोनिया मिले और दस एटमॉस्फेरिक… read_more

Question Everything

12 min

The Truth cannot be objectified as a thing, place, person, or book. So, don't be too quick to accept your own assessments, judgments, likes, dislikes, and experiences. Whatever you're seeing is seen by "you" — the Ego — and you are no absolute. Everything must be available to enquiry, investigation, and questioning — and questioning cannot happen if you declare that you’ve already come to the Truth. Never believe that the journey has ended or that the ego itself is the Truth.

‘अप्प दीपो भव’ – आख़िरी शब्द हैं

7 min

‘अप्प दीपो भव’ — ‘अपने प्रकाश स्वयं बनो’ — यह एक बहुमूल्य वक्तव्य है, लेकिन आख़िरी है। उससे पहले बड़ी साधना करनी पड़ती है। ‘कोई गुरु आवश्यक नहीं है’, यह जानने के लिए भी कोई गुरु चाहिए। जब पूरी साधना, पूरी दीक्षा हो जाए और शिष्य की विदाई का समय आए तभी गुरु को कहना चाहिए — ‘अप्प दीपो भव’। और तभी शिष्य के कान में ये शब्द पड़ने चाहिए। भूलना नहीं, ये ‘आख़िरी’ शब्द हैं।

गीता: ऊँचाइयों से प्रेम करने वालों के लिए

31 min

गीता एक एलीट डॉक्यूमेंट है, उत्कृष्टता है इसमें। इससे प्यार वही कर पाएँगे, जिन्हें ऊँचाइयों से प्यार है, जिन्हें एक्सीलेंस चाहिए। और जिनको ऐसे ही बीच में पड़े रह जाना है — मिडियॉकर — उन्हें गीता रुचेगी ही नहीं। जीवन में जो भी ऊँचे-से-ऊँचा, श्रेष्ठ-से-श्रेष्ठतर हो सकता है, वो निष्काम कर्म से ही मिलेगा। घोर कर्म करना है, जज़्बे से खेलना है, दिल से चाहना है, डूबकर जीना है — ये श्रीकृष्ण का उपदेश है।

You Are in Prison

11 min

Never forget who you are — you are someone in prison. Talk of exits, and if doors do not exist, blast the damn walls. That's the reason why you need power. You should honestly and realistically seek freedom from your current bondages. Your responsibility is not to acquire something more. Your responsibility is to drop a lot of things. Drop what you know to be needless and harmful.

बल सत्य से आता है

20 min

बल सत्य से आता है। जब आपको सत्य पता ही नहीं तो आप में बल कहाँ से आएगा? आपको किसी ने बोल दिया 'धर्म हिंसा तथैव च।' आपने कहा, 'हो सकता है लिखा होगा।' आपको किसी ने बोल दिया गाँधी जी बहुत अच्छे आदमी थे, राष्ट्रपिता थे। आपने मान लिया। आज आपको बोला जा रहा गाँधी जी और नेहरू से ज़्यादा बुरा कोई नहीं था, इन्होंने देश बर्बाद करा। आपने वो भी मान लिया। तो थाली के बैंगन हैं, जो जिधर को लुढ़काना चाहे लुढ़का सकता है।

Spirituality Is Basic Honesty

9 min

The distinction between spiritual life and worldly life is a false distinction. Spirituality is not morality or a set of commandments. It is never instructive. You do not need great formulations or special practices. Spirituality is basic honesty. Just see and acknowledge what is going on, and then the right action follows. Nothing else is needed.

जहाँ ज्ञान है, वहाँ विद्रोह भी होगा। (गुरु गोविन्द सिंह जी पर)

30 min

प्रश्नकर्ता: प्रणाम आचार्य जी, कल गुरु गोविन्द सिंह जी की जयन्ती है, तो हम उन्हें आदर्श रूप में कैसे स्थित करके अपने जीवन को बेहतर बना सकते हैं? जैसा कि आपने भी बोला है कि युवा के पास ऊर्जा तो है लेकिन सही आदर्श नहीं हैं, हमने आदर्श ग़लत लोगों… read_more

How Can The Common Man Make Better Decisions In Life?

14 min

First of all, we have to realize what our life is like. You know, I can’t change something without firstly understanding its processes and its actuality. I must know what this thing called my life is. We keep living without knowing a thing about life. And we’re blinded by names and identities.

Science and Spirituality Always Go Hand in Hand

5 min

The most common thing in spirituality and science is 'an honest urge to know the Truth.' Science observes the external universe, and spirituality observes the mind. These two have to be in tandem. The one thing that enables true knowledge in any field is honesty and integrity.

Which Is the Best God to Pray to?

14 min

The one you love must be worthy of worship, and the one you worship you must be in love with. If there is a difference between the two, then there is a problem, a big problem. If you can’t worship your lover, then drop him or her, whatever, I don’t know. And if you can’t love your gods, those gods must be thrown away.

How to Abide in The Shiva Truth? On Ribhu Gita

11 min

So 'know', don’t try to know about Shiva. Shiva is not furniture. Shiva is not a tree. Shiva is not a cloud, not even the sky. How will you know Shiva? Do you know of anything that has no shape, no form, and is eternal? How will you know Shiva? But know, do know. What can you know? This world and yourself. Know that. That knowing is Shiva-ness. Shivatva.

श्रीकृष्ण कब अवतरित होंगे?

7 min

जब-जब तुम सच्चाई की ओर नहीं बढ़ते, तब-तब जीवन दुख, दरिद्रता, कष्ट, रोग और बेचैनियों से भर जाता है। अधर्म अपने चरम पर चढ़ जाता है, और विवश होकर तुम्हें आँखें खोलनी पड़ती हैं। तब मानना पड़ता है कि तुम्हारी राह ग़लत थी, और ग़लत राह को छोड़कर तुम्हें सत्य की ओर मुड़ना पड़ता है। अतः जब तुम अंधेरे को पीठ दिखाते हो, तो श्रीकृष्ण को अपने समक्ष पाते हो। यही श्रीकृष्ण का अवतरण है।

What To Do When Life Seems Hopeless?

5 min

Do the utmost that you must in any situation, and you will find only the joy of right action. Tears are for those who turn away from their responsibility. If you were truly dedicating your energy rightly, how would you have any left to weep? So fight so hard that you either win or perish. If you win, the glory is yours. If you perish, at least all suffering is gone.

Kumbh: Truth Beyond the Myth

28 min

Amrit is at the center of the story. And where can we get Amrit from? By self introspection. The more a person knows himself, the more he will become free from himself. Free from death. What you think of yourself is known as death. And the more you look at yourself, the more you understand that what I think of myself is all futile. I'm actually not that. Negation, Neti Neti. Amrit does not mean gaining something. Amrit means being free from death.

Desirelessness: Relevance Beyond Achievement

6 min

Desirelessness is not about not wanting anything. “The one who is preaching Nishkam Karma is right in the thick of action.” Nishkam Karma is not for absconders. Nishkam Karma means, I am a human being, I have discretion, and my desire will follow my discretion. I’m not an animal. I’ll not blindly run after instinct. Not that I won’t have desire, but my desire will be secondary to my discretion. That’s desirelessness. Desirelessness is not when you do not have desire. Desirelessness is when you do not give desire the top position. When you do not put desire at the helm, when you do not make desire the master — that’s called desirelessness.

Sir, I Feel Addicted to You

10 min

The ego seeks security from the world and even when it comes to the truth, it still wants to somehow uphold its security. It is all right if one wants to guarantee one's security against the world. But when it comes to truth and beauty, that's when one should just drop the defenses. It is all right to be immersed. It is all right even to be drowned. It is all right even to die. What is the point in conserving something that is anyway imperfect?

हम झूठ के खिलाफ़ विरोध क्यों नहीं करते?

12 min

हम कभी जीवन के तथ्य को स्वीकार नहीं करते कि हमें सत्य से डर लगता है और हम अपनी क्षुद्रताओं और झूठ पर जीना चाहते हैं। फिर हम बड़ी तिरछी चाल चलते हैं। झूठ को सत्य का नाम दे देते हैं और कहते हैं कि सत्य के समर्थन में हैं। सत्य के खिलाफ़ तो सारा संसार खड़ा है, लेकिन इतनी भी आबरू और हिम्मत नहीं होती कि हम खुलकर कह दें कि हम सत्य के खिलाफ़ हैं। हमने झूठ को ही सत्य का नाम दे रखा है और झूठ का समर्थन कर रहे हैं।

Why Do We Insult Our Scriptures?

27 min

In modern times, reading and respecting the Shastras is often seen in a derogatory light. An Asura disregards the scriptures, saying, “What I know is right. My own experience determines the Truth,” rejecting them because they will not allow him to do what he wants. We have come to a point where we are not merely ignoring but actually insulting the scriptures. If you're sincere about knowing life, why avoid a document with deep insights into it?

शिव भी, शंकर भी, शक्ति भी .. शिव के सहस्रों नाम

6 min

जनमानस में तो शिव और शंकर एक ही हैं, जिनके सहस्रों नाम हैं। सब नाम सुंदर हैं। पर अध्यात्म की सूक्ष्मताओं में जाकर अगर हम इन नामों का अभिप्राय समझें तो उनका सौंदर्य और बढ़ जाएगा। ‘शिव’ अर्थात आत्मा, सत्य मात्र। आप कहते हैं ‘शिवोहम्’, ठीक जैसे उपनिषद कहते हैं,… read_more

भूले मन..!

2 min

*भूले मन..!समझ के लाग लदनियां..! थोड़ा लाद..अधिक मत लादे.. टूट जाये तेरी गर्दनिया..!..*

*भूले मन…भूखा हो तो भोजन पा ले.. आगे हात न बनिया…!*

*भूले मन….प्यासा हो तो पानी पि ले.. आगे घात न पनियां…*

*भूले मन….कहे कबीर सुनो भाई साधो.. काल के हाथ कमनियां…*… read_more

How to Meet Others’ Expectations?

6 min

People expect because they feel that something is missing from life. They expect from the world, from others, from situations, from luck, and also from themselves. The root of all these expectations is an inner feeling of lack of fulfillment. Meeting others’ expectations is a false treatment where you allow illusions to persist. If you love your dear ones, bring the Truth closer to them.

Living Without God: Principles For A Purposeful Life

8 min

Any belief is stupid because all beliefs come from a lack of investigation, and a lack of investigation comes from deep fear and a feeling of insecurity. If you are insecure and afraid, then you will not dare to ask questions and investigate. And it is from that fear and insecurity that the concept of God has arisen. Now, God and reality are two different things. God and Truth are not the same thing. The mark of religiosity or true spirituality is an abiding faith in the truth.

Prakriti, Attention and Truth

5 min

You rather have to be relaxed and just receptive. It comes to you. You don't have to chase it. You simply have to unlock your door, and these two are very different approaches. What does the devotee do? He just opens his doors and waits, calmly waits. He doesn't want to enforce his will. Non-resistance. Active pursual would all be within yourself. You are actively pursuing the beyond within yourself.

Two Types of Hope

4 min

Most of the times, we are preoccupied with the first kind of hope, which says, “Get something, get something.” That kind of hope will keep me dependent and afraid. The second kind of hope which says, “I just want to get rid and discover my true nature, discover my aloneness and freedom." In this hope you say, “I am already a diamond. Just that a lot of dirt has gathered on the diamond, and I want to get rid of the dirt.

Gita Is Not This

7 min

To qualify an entrance exam, and work towards it, without thinking of the results, that’s not what Karma Yoga is. Karma Yoga is not about setting tangible worldly targets and going after them. It’s a moment-to-moment thing in which you are very conscious whether the objective of your action is personal ingratiation or larger welfare. You are acting all the time, you are not acting merely when you act towards a distant and a larger cause.

God's Presence Everywhere: What Does It Really Mean?

6 min

Gita and philosophy and Vedanta have nothing to do with God. They are in search of Truth, not God. These are different things — Truth and God. Secondly, all the objects that you look at, you look at them in search of something. In search of the Truth, you look at all these objects. In that sense you could say, I am looking at everything in search of the absolute. To the ego, everything carries a promise, a possibility of the absolute. That does not mean that all the objects that you look at contain the infinite or something.

उपनिषदों का व्यापक महत्व

10 min

भारत में

उपनिषद् भारत में भले ही घर-घर में लोकप्रियता न रखते हों, पर लोकप्रियता बहुधा श्रेष्ठता का मापदंड नहीं होती। उपनिषदों के दर्शन ने आदिकाल से ही भारत और पूरे विश्व में श्रेष्ठतम चिंतकों को प्रेरित किया है।

उपनिषदों के दर्शन और चरित्रों को हम अनगिनत भारतीय ग्रन्थों में… read_more