Acharya Prashant narrates a recent incident where he encountered a sad young man and a dejected young woman. The man was worried about losing his job, and the woman feared failing in her studies. However, their deeper distress stemmed from a sense of alienation. The man felt his friends were distancing themselves, considering him an untrustworthy outsider. The woman felt estranged from her own family, as if they spoke different languages and she no longer belonged. When asked if they had tried to make their families and friends understand, they replied that they had, but the others were unwilling to comprehend the new reality. The speaker's curiosity led him to discover that both individuals were carrying profound books. The woman had a copy of "Anna Karenina" and identified herself as Anna. The young man carried a collection of spiritual and philosophical texts, including "To Kill a Mockingbird," "Jonathan Livingston Seagull," "A Room of One's Own," "Little Women," "The Bell Jar," "The Bloody Chamber," "Siddhartha," "Nadi Ke Dweep," "Samkhya Sutra," "Brahma Sutra," "Atmabodha," "Tattvabodha," "Kabir Bijak," "Katha Upanishad," "Ashtavakra Gita," and finally, the "Shrimad Bhagavad Gita." He identified himself as Arjun, explaining that his troubles began because he had become Arjun. Acharya Prashant explains that their suffering is a direct result of their spiritual growth. When one walks the path of truth and liberation, their old world, built on pettiness and inferiority, begins to crumble. The relationships based on that old self also fall apart. This is not because they have done something wrong, but because they have started to do something right. He advises them to keep moving forward and not to stop, viewing the difficulties as a blessing from the Truth. He contrasts this with those who remain small and face only small troubles, whereas those who decide to rise and become great face great challenges. He explains that their language has changed to that of Krishna, which others refuse to understand because it would require them to change as well. He further elaborates on the three types of disciples: Sattvic (subtle), who understands the Guru's silence; Rajasic (gross), who needs verbal instruction; and Tamasic (inert), who remains ignorant even when taught, like a black blanket that cannot be dyed. He quotes Kabir Saheb: "What can the poor Guru do if the word doesn't touch the being? Kabir says, on a black blanket, how can color be applied?" He concludes by quoting the poet Dhumil, suggesting that history is a witness to the fact that those who bring light are often broken and insulted by the very people they try to help.
