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पुनर्जन्म तो होता है, ये रहा प्रमाण! || आचार्य प्रशांत, अष्टावक्र गीता पर (2024)
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1 year ago
Rebirth
Ego-tendency (Aham-vritti)
Ignorance (Moodh)
Thinker (Vicharak)
Wise (Gyani)
Detachment (Vairagya)
Ashtavakra Gita
Kabir Saheb
Description

Acharya Prashant explains that there are three categories of individuals: the ignorant (Moodh), the thinker (Vicharak), and the wise (Gyani). The first two are taught, while the wise do not need instruction. The ignorant person, operating from personal ego, believes they are special and that their individual self will be reborn. This misunderstanding leads to irresponsibility, as they think they have infinite time for good deeds to secure a better next life. The speaker humorously notes that given their sins, they should be reborn as insects, questioning the logic of someone being reborn as the same person in another village. The thinker, however, understands that it is not the individual but the 'vritti' (tendency or pattern) that is reborn. They recognize that their thoughts, desires, and behaviors are part of a universal system, common to all beings. This realization fosters 'vairagya' (detachment) from their desires. The doctrine of rebirth serves as a tool to induce this detachment in the thinker. When a thinker observes someone dying with their "eyes and mouth wide open," their own eyes truly open to the reality of their own mortality. The wise person (Gyani) is beyond this, knowing they are 'ajanma' (unborn). For them, the concept of birth and rebirth is irrelevant. The speaker clarifies that the concept of rebirth is a teaching method. For the ignorant, it is misinterpreted, leading to a lack of urgency. For the thinker, it reveals the futility of desire and leads to detachment. He compares this to the Panchatantra, where animal fables are used to impart wisdom. He quotes Kabir Saheb: "Do tomorrow's work today, and today's work now. In a moment, dissolution will happen; when will you do it then?" This is for the thinker, but the ignorant believe they have an infinite future. The speaker also cites William Blake's "Auguries of Innocence" to illustrate the universal nature of suffering, which the thinker perceives. He concludes that understanding the shared nature of existence and suffering is key to moving beyond personal desires and towards wisdom.