Acharya Prashant explains that life is determined by the choice between two kinds of pleasure: the pleasure of great wakefulness and the pleasure of getting drunk. Both are appealing, but the choice made determines one's life. When one realizes that certain things happened through them in an unintentional state, the best repentance is not tears but a firm resolution to never again allow things to happen unintentionally. This resolution, born of consciousness, is the best repentance, as opposed to merely crying over spilt milk. True repentance leads to a great transformation. It is not just about atoning for a mistake but about ensuring the mistaken one no longer remains. The goal is to totally transform the mistaken one, the dweller of the dark lands of sleep, so that he no longer exists. The resolution must be to remain awake, as brightness and light are the true repentance for succumbing to darkness. Any action taken must proceed from realization, and one must be vigilant against all mechanical actions. Acharya Prashant warns against sham guilt, which does not bring about transformation but is merely a defense mechanism of the mistaken one. This false guilt perpetuates the mistake. For example, a person guilty of drinking might drink even more to drown the guilt. If one is truly guilty, a change must occur; the guilty one must be metaphorically sent to the gallows. Guilt that is not transformative is self-deception. Ultimately, what is needed is not confidence but realization. When you have a brutal, honest, and direct realization of what you have turned yourself into, transformation happens spontaneously. It is like discovering a snake on your shoulder; there is no space for idle rumination, only instant action. This action can be a blind reaction or a wise one, but it is spontaneous. What is certain is that with the snake on your shoulder, singing sad songs about your misfortune will not help.
