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Your pious deeds will not help you || Acharya Prashant, on Ashtavakra Gita (2018)
Acharya Prashant
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6 years ago
Ashtavakra Gita
Morality
Spirituality
Pious Deeds
Ego
Virtue
Action
Realization
Description

Acharya Prashant clarifies that in the realm of true spirituality, as discussed in the Ashtavakra Gita, prosperity, pleasure, and pious deeds all belong to the same worldly dimension. While conventional morality distinguishes between good and bad deeds, spirituality focuses on the doer rather than the deeds themselves. He explains that both virtues and vices are equally part of the ego's conditioning. Stamping a deed as 'good' or 'bad' is a product of social conditioning and mental labels that vary across cultures and time. True spirituality transcends these labels, as even pious deeds like charity can inflate the ego if performed without real understanding. Following conventional morality without inquiry is a sign of intellectual laziness, whereas real wisdom involves seeing beyond these superficial classifications. Addressing the relationship between realization and action, Acharya Prashant asserts that true realization and right action are inseparable. If one claims to have realized the truth but fails to act upon it, then that realization is incomplete or non-existent. Realization possesses a transformative power that takes over the individual's decision-making capacity, making the right action spontaneous and inevitable. He notes that if a person still harbors concerns or 'buts' alongside their supposed realization, it indicates that they have not yet truly understood. Genuine knowing leaves no room for other conflicting concerns, as the realization itself becomes the guiding force that overrides latent fears and societal expectations.