Acharya Prashant explains that what individuals often perceive as their internal feelings, thoughts, or emotions are actually external in origin. He clarifies that there is no such thing as a truly 'internal' disturbance; everything that arises within the mind is a response to an external stimulus, even if the person is unaware of the cause. He uses the example of a window or the sound of an ambulance triggering past memories and moods to show how the environment dictates one's mental state. He warns that labeling something as 'internal' gives it a false sense of truth and permanence, making it harder to detach from. He further points out how external entities, like advertisers, skillfully manipulate human emotions and desires. When a person feels a craving or a thought, they mistakenly claim it as their own, whereas it was actually planted there from the outside. Acharya Prashant suggests that one should view all emotions—whether joy, sorrow, or anger—as 'imported' or foreign objects that have entered through a 'thief's door.' By recognizing that these experiences are external and not part of one's true self, a person can find great liberation. He concludes that only that which is constant and cannot be taken away can be considered the truth or the self; everything else is merely external.
