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Who is today’s Ravana? What evil does man need to fight today? || Acharya Prashant (2018)
Acharya Prashant
3.1K views
6 years ago
Desire
Man as God
Modernity
Social Evils
Love
Technology
History
Spirituality
Description

Acharya Prashant explains that the nature of the enemy has fundamentally changed in the modern age. Historically, figures like Shri Krishna, Kabir Saheb, and Guru Gobind Singh fought identifiable external enemies such as tyrants, invaders, or oppressive social systems. However, today man has conquered the external world, including space, diseases, and nature itself, effectively becoming a 'god' through intellect and technology. In this democratic and technologically advanced era, traditional villains like Ravan or Kansa no longer exist in their old forms because autocracy has been replaced by the collective will and desire of the masses. The external world has been turned into a servant of human desire, and even social evils like untouchability are fading not due to spiritual awakening, but because they hinder the efficiency of consumerism and productivity. He argues that the new 'Ravan' is not a person outside of us, but the irrepressible and loveless desire within every individual. This makes the modern struggle far more difficult than the battles of the past, as the enemy is now ubiquitous and resides within one's own home, friends, and self. Man has become a deadly god who possesses immense power and intellect but lacks self-knowledge and love. This pursuit of happiness and desire has led to the destruction of nature and the potential end of human history as we know it, replacing it with a predictable, programmed existence. Acharya Prashant concludes that while the future may bring improved bodies, higher IQs, and greater prosperity, it will be a 'sunny' but hollow world where the deep, unreasonable yearning of love and spiritual silence are entirely missing.