Acharya Prashant responds to a question about how the 'I' (ego), which seeks liberation, can set the highest goal for itself. He clarifies that the 'I' is not a principle, an imagination, or an abstraction. Instead, the 'I' is the name of our life, our moving, breathing reality. This 'I' seeks liberation precisely because its reality is filled with many bondages. If there were no bondages, there would be no talk of liberation. The pain of these bondages is what motivates the 'I' to seek liberation. If one were free, healthy, and joyful, there would be no need for anything else; it would be pure bliss. The need for change arises because something is wrong or amiss. The starting point of spirituality is to know what is wrong, what the problem is, what is false, where one is stuck, what is not understood, and where the delusion and fear lie. This requires looking at one's own life and recognizing the illness. The treatment begins from this recognition. Looking at one's life means observing the state of the ego (aham), its true, daily experienced condition, not some bookish knowledge. When the questioner notes that the 'I' changes daily, Acharya Prashant explains this is like changing one illness for another. A fundamental virus within causes various symptoms that change—body ache one day, vomiting the next, then blurred vision or a headache. The symptoms change, but the root illness, which is the 'I' itself, remains. The 'I' constantly latches onto different things, thinking it's finding a cure, but it's just another form of illness. This provides temporary relief from one kind of pain, only to lead to a new one. We are running from one illness to another, one pain to another. The objects of attachment change, but the tendency to attach (vritti) does not. The solution is to first diagnose the illness by honestly accepting one's troubles. Spirituality is not a fashion. If you don't know your trouble, you cannot be treated. Reflecting on past experiences, such as a failed relationship, can provide deep lessons. The fact that one can still be pressured by others indicates that the seed of desire or susceptibility is still present. To become "seedless," one must either repeat the experience to learn the missed lesson or wisely reflect on the past. By deeply understanding one issue, one can understand life itself, as the same tendency (vritti) is at play in all pursuits, whether for a spouse, money, or a passport. The punishment for not learning is repeating the mistake. One mistake is enough to learn from and be free of all mistakes. Therefore, one must pay attention to what has happened in their life so far.
