Acharya Prashant explains that the world exists solely for the ego and has no independent or absolute existence of its own. He notes that humans typically hold a mental map suggesting the world existed before their birth and will continue after their death, much like a train carriage that one boards and later exits. However, he clarifies that any evidence one has of the world's existence prior to their birth is only available because they exist now to perceive that evidence. He asserts that the greatest error is treating the world as an independent, objective reality. This separation between the self and the world is the root of duality and suffering. When the ego views the world as something separate, it perceives it as a source of both threat and opportunity, leading to fear and greed. Ultimately, the ego is both the observer and the consumer of the world.
