Acharya Prashant explains that using meditation as a temporary stress relief to continue in a bad job or harmful environment is counterproductive. He states that this kind of meditation becomes an enabler for the wrong thing. He distinguishes between different types of stress, noting that while some stress is inherent in any life activity, one must know how to choose the right kind of stress, just as one must know how to choose the right thing in any situation. Spirituality, at least initially, is not about avoiding stress. Stress is largely inevitable. A state of peace descends upon a spiritual person only after a while, sometimes a long while, after they have passed through fire. True peace is not the mere appearance of peace, like a serene face seen in popular depictions. A spiritual person will take on mighty projects, which will necessarily involve conflict. We are not talking about fairy tales, but the real world where doing something meaningful involves conflict. Peace, therefore, is the inner ability to continue doing the right thing even when there is a total lack of peace externally. Amidst external noise, chaos, and turbulence, one still manages to stay put. That is peace. In this sense, peace or freedom from stress is indistinguishable from truth and silence. The appearance of a sublime smile and walking around without burdens is just an appearance of peace, which is deceptive and self-deceptive. In response to a question about balancing inner and outer growth, Acharya Prashant clarifies that inner growth is the only thing that is important. It is not one of the things to be taken care of, but the only thing. When one focuses on their internal welfare, the right balance with the external world emerges naturally. One must continuously ask if their external endeavors are contributing to their internal welfare. When one asks if they really need a global trip, another child, or other material things, they will find that the carbon footprint of their existence automatically becomes smaller. Right life and sustainable life go hand-in-hand. A person living rightly is automatically living sustainably.
