Acharya Prashant advises his listeners on how to identify when a spiritual teacher, including himself, has gone astray. He states that if he is ever seen speaking against science or making claims that science would find laughable, it should be understood that 'Maya' (illusion) has overcome him. He explains that Maya and the 'I' (ego) are deeply connected, with the primary illusion of the world being the 'I' itself. If he ever gives more importance to himself than to the Truth, he says he has become a victim of Maya. Maya is defined as the 'I', which makes one believe in the reality of that which does not exist. The fundamental claim of the ego is 'I am,' and spirituality is the process of realizing that this 'I' is a superficial construct. The more a person believes in this 'I', the more they are a victim of Maya. As an example, if he were to claim to be establishing a new religion and dismiss all past ones as garbage, he would be 'gone'. He distinguishes this from the legitimate work of reformers and sages who have historically cleansed the impurities from the stream of 'Sanatan Dharma' (the eternal religion). He likens religion to the river Ganges, which starts pure but becomes polluted by human contact. Similarly, religion, which originates from a pure source like Shiva, gets contaminated when it comes into contact with impure human minds. He asserts that it is more appropriate for him to say that he is the one through whose touch religion gets dirty, rather than claiming religion itself is dirty and needs to be replaced by a new one from him. He warns his followers that if he ever tells them to abandon Vedanta and the Upanishads in favor of his own new words, they should walk away from him immediately. This, he suggests, is a touchstone to test all religious gurus. One should ask where the Vedas and Vedanta are in their teachings. If a guru's only proof for their claims is their personal experience, especially one that cannot be verified and contradicts fundamental principles, it should not be accepted. He cautions against being swayed by gurus who use impressive attire, accessories, and grand stories of divine powers to establish their authority, stating that if he ever resorts to such theatrics, his followers should run away from him.
