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Death has a secret to tell || Acharya Prashant, in conversation (2021)
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3 years ago
Death
Impermanence
Duty (Dharma)
Chance
Suffering
Responsibility
Liberation
Description

In response to a question about a young woman who has lost seven to eight family members to accidental deaths in ten years, Acharya Prashant explains that there is no deeper meaning to such a phenomenon. He states that the meaning is obvious and the same for everyone: life is death, and death is always present before us. It is a matter of unfortunate, random chance that it struck a particular family in this way. There is no deeper significance, no conspiracy against anyone, and no one is blessed with special fortune. To think of it as a special misfortune is to be naive, as the sword of death hangs over everyone's head and can fall at any time. The only lesson to be learned from such events is the impermanence of life. We do not know if the sun will rise for us tomorrow. Acharya Prashant emphasizes that we should see our own departure in the funeral pyres of others, as we are all, in the physical sense, "going, going, gone." Life, which we live in the dimension of time, is a limited thing, and we do not even know how limited it is. This realization should make it glaringly obvious that we must not waste time. The fact that we have a limited and uncertain amount of time should make us use it well. When one operates from the right place and is liberated from personal suffering, one realizes a massive responsibility. Away from suffering, there is duty (Dharma). This duty is not to escape into a blissful, personal solitude but to help other beings who are suffering in the world, which he refers to as a "slaughterhouse." This duty, or Dharma, is the only cause and the password out of one's personal prison. By dedicating oneself to this duty, one can help others and remain free from suffering. The day something else takes precedence over this duty, suffering will return. Acharya Prashant concludes by advising to choose the right duty, the right battle, the right cause, and to be absolutely committed to it. He clarifies that one is not here to win, as the battle is endless, but to persevere and not quit. One must continue without any hope of victory or a final target in sight, because the battle is endless and the goal is limited. The focus should be on continuing the fight until the end.