Acharya Prashant clarifies that liberation, not service to a spiritual teacher, must be the primary goal. He explains that the very definition of a true spiritual teacher is derived from liberation; one can only identify a genuine teacher if their presence leads to the cutting of bonds and the removal of ignorance. If a teacher's company does not dispel confusion and darkness of the mind, they should be abandoned immediately without hesitation. He warns that a teacher can either be a vehicle for freedom or a cage of slavery, and one must remain vigilant to ensure that the association is actually leading to mental clarity rather than blind faith or superstition. Regarding the status of a spiritual teacher versus the Supreme Being, Acharya Prashant notes that while the Supreme is theoretically highest, for a seeker, the teacher is often held as supreme because they are the one who provides guidance in the manifest world. He cites saints who suggested that a teacher is even more vital than God because the teacher saves the seeker from the illusions of the world. However, he emphasizes that one should not develop an attachment to the physical person of the teacher. The teacher is merely a messenger; as long as the message is delivered without distortion, they are worthy of being heard. The focus must always remain on the truth and freedom, not on the worship of a human body. Finally, he discusses the role of the teacher's physical form or image in meditation. He explains that since the human mind is naturally inclined to be obsessed with various worldly forms and objects, the practice of focusing on the teacher's image is a technique to withdraw attention from worldly distractions. This 'form-worship' is a temporary necessity for a mind that cannot yet grasp the formless truth. The ultimate success of a spiritual teacher lies in the student eventually moving beyond the need for any physical form, including that of the teacher, to enter the realm of the formless.