Acharya Prashant addresses the concept of inner growth by first examining external growth, which consists of earning, accumulating, learning, and gaining knowledge and experience. He posits that the crucial question to ask is, "For whom is this accumulation? For whose sake are we gaining all this?" This inquiry shifts the focus to the self, the seeker, who is at the center of all efforts. All actions are ultimately for our own welfare, and the final output of any process must be the well-being of the self. He explains that "inner growth" is a misnomer because it is not a process of addition but of reduction. We are born with primordial tendencies like fear, greed, jealousy, and ignorance, which are exacerbated by social conditioning. Inner growth is the process of cleaning this pre-existing internal mess. It involves becoming smaller and simpler internally, much like reducing a tumor. This is contrary to the popular notion of inner wellness, which is often equated with stress relief and relaxation. True inner growth, according to the speaker, involves deliberately taking on the right kind of stress, a process classically known as austerity (Tapasya) or spiritual practice (Sadhana). The root of Tapasya, 'Tap,' means to go through heat or fire. Real peace is not the absence of external conflict but the internal strength to do the right thing amidst chaos and turbulence. A person living rightly is automatically living sustainably. An unsustainable life, which pollutes the environment and has a large carbon footprint, is an internally wrong life. Ultimately, inner growth is the only thing that is important. One must be self-aware and constantly question what their actions are doing to their inner self. The speaker emphasizes that a right life and a sustainable life go hand-in-hand. If a person's life is unsustainable, it is also internally wrong and miserable. Therefore, the path to a sustainable world begins with the individual's inner transformation and a commitment to a right life, which naturally leads to right consumption and a smaller ecological footprint.
