On YouTube
न नौकरी न आशा - क्या करे युवा? || आचार्य प्रशांत, दिल्ली विश्वविद्यालय सत्र (2022)
359.9K views
3 years ago
Ignorance
Spirituality
Self-inquiry
Ego
Rebellion
Youth Issues
Vedanta
Social Conditioning
Description

Acharya Prashant responds to a question about the various problems faced by the youth, such as depression, suicide, and societal divides like 'India vs. Bharat' or 'Hindi vs. English medium'. He states that these distinctions are superficial. The real issue is not one's circumstances but the fundamental ignorance within a person. Whether one is from a Hindi or English medium background is a matter of circumstance; neither is inherently better or worse. He explains that a person will remain troubled if they act without understanding. One person might commit suicide for failing at a task, while another might live in lifelong depression despite succeeding, because the root cause of suffering is the same: inner ignorance. The speaker asserts that while external situations can be painful, we are responsible for our own inner suffering, which stems from not knowing who we are and what we should do. Consequently, social-level sloganeering or revolutions cannot bring about fundamental change. When asked if spirituality offers a solution, he clarifies that only spirituality is the solution. He argues that the system is a product of the human mind, and if the mind itself is unconscious, any system it creates will be flawed. He likens changing external systems without inner change to an intoxicated person changing their direction but remaining intoxicated. Acharya Prashant further explains that spirituality is not about seeking peace but about seeking truth. The primary truth begins with knowing oneself. This involves inquiring into the origin of one's thoughts, emotions, and desires. He questions how we can call a thought or desire 'mine' when we have not consciously chosen it. He points out that anger or desires simply arise in us, and we claim ownership without understanding their source. This is a state of unconsciousness. He concludes by calling for a rebellion, but one that is not blind and directed outwards. The first and most important rebellion must be an internal one, a fight against the conditioned self or ego, which he describes as a foreign entity that we have mistaken for our true self. The ego, however, resists this internal battle. The modern age mistakenly encourages the fulfillment of desires rather than questioning their validity. Acharya Prashant emphasizes that before one can live by their own will, they must first have a will that is truly their own, born of consciousness and self-knowledge, not one that has been unconsciously adopted from external influences.