Acharya Prashant addresses the question of how to become a good person, a good companion, and a good citizen. He explains that when you want to be a good companion, you surely want the well-being of that person. Similarly, when you talk about being a good citizen, you certainly want the well-being of the nation. A nation is not its soil, rivers, or mountains first; it is primarily its people. Therefore, wanting the well-being of the nation means wanting the well-being of its people. Whether it's for a companion, the people of your locality, city, province, or the entire nation, the fundamental point is the well-being of human beings. The core of the matter, he states, is to first know what constitutes a person's well-being. The desire to do good for others is a beautiful aspiration, but we can only do good for others when we know what well-being is. Therefore, the first part of the question, 'how to be a good person,' is the most important. If one understands this, the other two aspects are automatically resolved. To be a good person, one must first find out where one's own goodness lies. What is beautiful and auspicious for you? To know this, you must first know who you are. He advises observing your daily routine to understand what you do from morning to night. Acharya Prashant cautions that without knowing oneself, any attempt to do good for others will only result in distributing what one already possesses, which might be darkness and suffering. He uses the analogy of a lit candle, stating that only a lit candle can light another. What you give to others is what you have within yourself. People often suffer because of their loved ones, not their enemies, because while the intentions of loved ones are good, they distribute what they have, which is often their own misery. He explains that while one can sacrifice material things like a piece of bread, one cannot give peace if one does not possess it. Peace, unlike bread, is not diminished when given away; it is infinite. This is the meaning of the Shanti Path verse, 'Purnamadah Purnamidam'—from the whole, if you take out the whole, the whole still remains. To truly do good for others, one must first do good for oneself. This is the supreme self-interest that is necessary for altruism. He suggests that the first responsibility is towards oneself. To fulfill this, one must give oneself time, which means sitting with oneself. Sitting with oneself means being free from the company of others, both physically and mentally. It is the right to be free from the constant worry about others and oneself. This is achieved through 'satsang' (good company)—the company of someone in whose presence the need for other disruptive companies diminishes. This is the path to solitude and self-knowledge. Once you become a more sorted, loving, and enlightened person, you will naturally do good for everyone in your life, be it as a father, mother, neighbor, or citizen, because your every relationship will then be righteous and fulfilling.
