Acharya Prashant explains that self-knowledge is attained neither through mere engagement in action nor through the total renunciation of action. He emphasizes that true spiritual awakening involves rising above the animalistic level of impulsive desires. While animals act on instinct without questioning their relationship with their desires, humans have the capacity for inquiry. This inquiry marks the beginning of religion, which often starts with the realization that desire leads to suffering. However, he warns that many people mistakenly turn religion into a set of rigid policies or moral codes focused on the suppression of desire. This suppression, or 'daman', often leads to even greater misery than the initial pursuit of desire.
