Acharya Prashant addresses the issue of being easily influenced by others, stating that this is a common story for those who do not have something of their own in life. Until one has their own foundation, they will inevitably depend on others. He suggests that instead of asking why one is dependent on others, the real question should be, "What is it that I should be dependent on, and why am I distant from it?" Using the analogy of an empty room that gathers dust even when locked, he explains that a vacant mind will be filled with external influences. He further illustrates this with the metaphor of an empty plot of land in a neighborhood, which inevitably becomes a dumping ground for garbage. Similarly, if you leave your mind empty, the world will dump its garbage into it. The question is why you left it empty, why you didn't build a temple or at least a wall around it. Our mind is like that empty plot, and anyone can come and dump their trash in it. The speaker explains that distance from the Self (Atma) is an invitation to all kinds of bondages and slavery. A person who is a slave is not enslaved to just one master but to many. At any given moment, one master might seem like the enemy, and all energy is spent opposing them. However, even if that master is removed, another one soon takes their place. The real problem is not the specific master but the inherent tendency towards slavery. This tendency for slavery stems from holding a certain belief (dhaarana) about oneself. Freedom is causeless, but slavery has causes, the primary one being a false belief about oneself that has been accepted as truth. The fundamental false belief is, "I am small and I will perish." This belief, that one is limited in space and mortal in time, is the root of all slavery, regardless of how it is expressed. The solution is not to counter this with an opposite belief like "I am big and immortal." Instead, the way out is to stop encouraging any belief about oneself at all. The "I" is not a subject for thought. One should keep oneself separate from all mental turmoil. Think about anything in the world, but do not establish a relationship between the "I" and that thing. The moment you associate yourself with anything, you become its slave. One must keep their individuality intact and untouched because the Self is unattached (asang). By remaining complete within, which is a state beyond thought and experience, one can be free from the influence of others.
