In London, Acharya Prashant in Dialogue with Psychologist Dr Melanie Joy: “Animals Do Not Need Our Active Love, Only to Be Left in Peace”

Renowned philosopher and author Acharya Prashant was invited for an extensive two-part dialogue on Monday with distinguished psychologist and author Dr Melanie Joy, who interviewed him across both segments. In the first, Acharya Prashant was interviewed for an upcoming international documentary directed by Emmy and BAFTA-honoured filmmaker Emre Izat. In the second, Dr Joy spoke with him at length in an interview.

Dr Melanie Joy, a Harvard-educated psychologist, is the originator of the term “carnism” and the author of the acclaimed book “Why We Love Dogs, Eat Pigs, and Wear Cows”. She has been honoured with the Ahimsa Award for her work on animal rights and non-violence.

Acharya Prashant explained that for him, veganism was never a decision taken in isolation. “For me it was never about veganism,” he said. “Something opened up within, and veganism was simply its natural consequence. The person within changed, and so the plate changed on its own.” Veganism, ecological awareness and the empowerment of women, he said, are not separate concerns but different expressions of the same inner clarity.

Turning to the ego, he said, “It is not ‘my’ ego, I am the ego.” He explained that as long as we cast anyone as the “other”, exploitation will continue. “First to create the category of the other, and then to show it pity, is the very root of the problem. What separates the human being from the animal is not intelligence, but this enormous ego. When the ego thins, it becomes clear that the animal is not separate from us.”

A poignant moment came when Dr Joy asked about his rabbit companion Nandu, who lived with him between 2011 and 2014. When a genetic condition led doctors to suggest euthanasia, Acharya Prashant chose instead to care for the animal himself. On the claim of loving animals, he said plainly that people do not truly love even the animals they keep; we merely perform love so that others will accept it as such. A true relationship, he added, is possible only where a person stops regarding themselves as excessively important.

Speaking on spirituality, he said that real spirituality is self-knowledge, not knowledge of any particular book or tradition. “Being a scholar of one tradition does not make anyone a teacher. The ego putting on a certain garb or tradition does not make it spiritual.” On widening the circle of compassion, he said, “At the centre of the circle sits the ego. The circle is drawn only to protect that centre. If you wish to care for everyone, you must first cease to be someone.”

Acharya Prashant, an alumnus of IIT Delhi and IIM Ahmedabad, is the founder of the PrashantAdvait Foundation. His work reaches over a hundred million subscribers across social media.

“It is not ‘my’ ego, I am the ego. If you wish to care for everyone, you must first cease to be someone.”

Acharya Prashant, with Dr Melanie Joy