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अपने शहर में रोटी-रोज़गार नहीं - अब दूर जाएँ, या जूझ जाएँ? || आचार्य प्रशांत (2021)
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4 years ago
Chanakya
Policy (Neeti)
Spirituality
Migration
Responsibility
Dharma
Karmabhoomi
Description

Acharya Prashant addresses a question about the conflict between Chanakya's advice to migrate from a place with no opportunities and the desire to work for the upliftment of one's underdeveloped homeland. He begins by clarifying that Chanakya was a policymaker ('neeti-kaar'), not a spiritual master. Therefore, his advice is based on policy ('neeti') or strategy, which is perfectly correct for an ordinary person. If one cannot earn a livelihood, staying in that place will lead to further degradation, as one might resort to demeaning work for survival. It is better to move to a place with more opportunities. He explains that policies and guidelines are necessary for ordinary people. A spiritual person, however, does not operate by these policies and often goes against the current. While an ordinary person is like water that flows from a higher to a lower level, a spiritual person is like vapor that rises from low to high. A spiritual person will go to a place where others would hesitate to go. However, Acharya Prashant cautions that in this regard, a spiritual person and a lazy person can appear similar. In a place where no ordinary person should be, 99% of the people who remain are likely lazy individuals who lack the energy to migrate. They stay out of lethargy, hoping for things to get better on their own. There might be one person, however, who stays not because he couldn't go to a better place, but because that place needs him. This person, for whom thousands of better opportunities were available, chooses to be in a place of hardship and trouble out of a sense of responsibility. This is the work of a spiritual person. The choice, therefore, depends on who one is. If one is an ordinary person, Chanakya's practical advice is sound. But if one possesses spiritual bravery and fearlessness, then it is their responsibility to go to difficult places, face the challenges, and bring about transformation. Acharya Prashant concludes that to rise above the ordinary and live life to the fullest, one must move beyond the scriptures of economics ('arthashastra') and policy ('neetishastra') to the scripture of Dharma ('dharmashastra'). Chanakya's advice is practical and useful for most people, but for a higher life, a higher principle is needed.