Acharya Prashant addresses a question about the apparent conflict between traditional devotional practices, like singing bhajans, and modern, materialistic life. He explains that for every human being, there are two truths: the body, which he equates with Prakriti (nature or materiality), and the soul or heart, which is Atma (the Self). Prakriti encompasses everything that is part of the material world and the stream of time. This includes the physical body, the mind, all of history's changes and discoveries, science, technology, and civilization, whether Eastern or Western. The speaker states that one cannot deny Prakriti, as doing so would be like denying one's own body. All these aspects, including the internet and spacecraft, are part of this material dimension. In contrast to the ever-changing realm of Prakriti, there is the timeless dimension of the Atma, or Truth. This is the realm of silence (Maun), which is unchanging and eternal. The speaker clarifies that there is no contradiction between these two dimensions; they exist on different planes, much like a truck on a road and an airplane in the sky cannot collide. Therefore, spirituality and modernity are not in conflict. The purpose of a simple, repetitive bhajan, like the one they sang, is not to remember but to forget the mind's constant chatter. By filling oneself with a single word or feeling, all other thoughts are displaced, leading to a blissful emptiness. Acharya Prashant further explains that Bhakti (devotion) and Jnana (knowledge) are not separate paths but are fundamentally one. A true devotee ultimately attains knowledge, and a truly wise person is inherently a devotee. He defines superstition as mistaking a material phenomenon for something metaphysical. Since the bhajan is not concerned with material things, it cannot be a superstition. The ultimate criterion for any practice is whether it leads to peace, which is always accompanied by joy and freedom (Sat-Chit-Anand). This state of absorption (leenta) occurs when one finds something greater than oneself and willingly surrenders to it, which requires self-imposed discipline (maryada).
