Acharya Prashant states that for 800 years before the British invasion, not a single university was built in India. He specifies this period as the 11th to the 18th century. During this time, India was engrossed in emotion and poetry, which was being written with great force. The focus was on literature filled with the past, tears, pain, and sorrow. In contrast, this was the exact period when philosophers were emerging in Europe, and philosophy was reaching new heights. Books on philosophy were being written, and universities were being established one after another. From that philosophy, science emerged. The speaker argues that because the British were not so engrossed in the past and sentimentality, and instead had philosophy and science, a handful of them—not even 50,000—were able to conquer the entire Indian subcontinent. The result of India's focus on emotion is evident. Acharya Prashant asserts that India has never been able to bury its dead past and continues to live in it through traditions and old stories. People either boast about a glorious past, claiming to have been 'world gurus' or a 'golden bird,' while ignoring their present condition, or they lament past sufferings. He criticizes this past-centric emotionalism, stating it has led to India's great downfall. He mentions that while people boast of ancestral mansions, they currently live in slums, and while everyone was a 'nawab' in the past, they are nothing now. To illustrate the importance of living in the present, he cites a story about Jesus, who told a follower, "Let the dead bury the dead. You come with me." This, he explains, is a living perspective towards the present. The present should be so powerful, deep, and engaging that the past loses its significance. One must have the courage to accept the challenges of the present. He concludes that moving forward and not getting entangled in the past is the only solution.
