On YouTube
Real Compassion || Acharya Prashant, with IIT-Madras (2023)
Prakrati
459 views
1 year ago
Compassion
Cruelty
Ego
Duality
Self-interest
Veganism
Mind
Description

Acharya Prashant clarifies that cruelty and compassion do not originate from the same source. He explains that cruelty, along with common care and concern, belongs to the domain of the mind and the egoistic center. These dualistic aspects are like the oscillations of a pendulum; while the actions may look different—such as a butcher slaughtering an animal to provide for his family—they are both rooted in the same center of self-interest. In this dualistic framework, what people often call compassion is merely attachment or possessiveness toward those related to them by blood, interest, or accident.