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Don’t interfere || Acharya Prashant, on Lao Tzu (2017)
Acharya Prashant
3.1K views
8 years ago
Atman
Lao Tzu
Non-interference
Materialism
Subtle Way
All-pervasive
Truth
Insubstantial
Description

Acharya Prashant explains Lao Tzu's teaching on the superiority of the soft over the hard, clarifying that this softness refers to the immaterial and imperceivable nature of the Atman. While hardness is available to the senses and material perception through resistance, the softest of all things is insubstantial and cannot be grasped by thought, analysis, or words. He equates this softness to the ultimate truth, which is not a matter of conjecture but an absolute reality that transcends the material body and mind. Because people often identify solely with the material, they miss out on the invisible blessings of life such as love, freedom, and understanding, which have no physical dimensions. The speaker describes the subtle way of the universe as being so fine that it permeates everything, much like how certain rays can penetrate solid objects. This all-pervasiveness is the essence of the divine, filling even the smallest spaces within an atom. Because this reality is all-encompassing and constitutes everything that exists, it is considered all-powerful. Acharya Prashant emphasizes that the divine process happens on its own, and human interference—driven by insecurity and accumulation—only serves to impede this natural perfection. He suggests that the highest contribution a person can make is to stop being a nuisance to this divine flow. Finally, Acharya Prashant discusses the concept of non-interference as the key to attaining the truth. He notes that while the truth is one's natural state and very identity, very few people attain it because they remain identified with their personhood and material existence. He warns that fighting against the call of the heart is a battle destined for failure, where even a perceived victory is a tragic defeat. True understanding occurs without effort or interference, and the teaching encourages individuals to stop resisting the subtle way of the universe to realize what is already theirs.