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Sir, are you successful? || Acharya Prashant
11.3K views
1 year ago
Success
Movement
Liberation
Destination
Self-Inquiry
Vedanta
Money
Milestones
Description

In response to a student's question about when he considered himself successful, Acharya Prashant states that he does not consider himself a success, even today. He explains that the question is founded on the assumption that he does, or did at some point, see himself as successful. He clarifies that he does not believe there is an endpoint called 'success.' As long as one is alive, there is continuously more to be done. One can only declare themselves successful if their target is too small and limited, and such a declaration is merely a way of fooling or pampering oneself. Acharya Prashant elaborates that while there can be milestones along the way, which may seem important from a relative perspective, they hold little significance in the absolute sense. He critiques the prevalent idea of 'becoming successful' as a limiting and debilitating concept because it implies reaching a final destination and ceasing all movement. He notes that the idea of success sold in the market is primarily about money, which he dismisses as an invalid notion. Instead, he advises one to look at themselves and ask fundamental questions like, 'Who am I?' and 'Why do I exist?' in the pursuit of complete fulfillment. He emphasizes that the mission of life remains unfulfilled as long as one is breathing. Quoting the Vedantic principle, 'Charaiveti, Charaiveti' (Keep moving, keep moving), he urges a continuous journey without ever declaring oneself as 'arrived.' He advises having a direction in life but never a destination, as the movement towards liberation is an endless, infinite process. The moment one calls oneself successful, stagnation begins, as success is treated like a destination where all movement ends.