Acharya Prashant explains that stillness is the cessation of all experience, where the mind can no longer capture or sense happenings. The eternal is not an experience, a thought, or a feeling, but rather a 'full absence' that occurs when the individual self and objects are no longer present. He clarifies that we are not the truth, nor do we experience it; rather, truth is what remains when the 'I' is absent. He emphasizes that one should not take themselves as a representative of the truth but should instead honestly observe the facts of their own life and limitations. This honest observation, when free from the desire to protect personal identity or security, allows the mind to function correctly by knowing itself rather than trying to know God. He further discusses that while honest observation brings one to the facts, the mind often resists giving up its falseness due to a need for security. Therefore, observation must be backed by faith—the assurance that letting go of the known will be alright, even if the outcome is unknown. He notes that the Western mind often struggles with this faith because of its historical success in material and scientific progress, which fosters a reliance on the ego's capacity to solve all problems. He warns against seeking 'special' or 'extraordinary' spiritual experiences, labeling them as deceptive distractions. True joy, or Satchidanand, is the release and calming of the mind's constant agitation. This state is reached not by seeking new experiences, but by letting current experiences pass through without attaching identity or special meaning to them.
