Acharya Prashant explains that to overcome any addiction or lust, one should not run away from it but get closer to it and understand its reality. He uses the analogy of looking under the skin to see the filth, suggesting that a close, microscopic examination of the object of desire will make the lust disappear. He shares an anecdote about a college where his advice to get closer to an addiction to overcome it was misunderstood, leading to him being banned. He reaffirms his principle: whatever you are addicted to, don't run from it; get closer to it, and the addiction will go away. In response to a question about why it is difficult to change oneself, Acharya Prashant clarifies that we are constantly changing things related to ourselves, just as we change things in the world, such as our food and clothes. The real issue is not the lack of change, but the fundamental ignorance of believing that these external, worldly things are 'me' or our 'self.' This identification is a core contradiction because if something comes from the outside, it cannot be the original, true Self (Atma). We are constantly making changes, but what doesn't change is the ignorance that all this is the world's stuff, not 'me'. Acharya Prashant elaborates on the concept of the 'borrowed self,' explaining that everything we consider 'me' is borrowed from the world—from parents, society, and the elements. The moment a child says 'I,' a fraud is committed by claiming ownership over what is not theirs. Quoting Kabir Saheb, he suggests that one should recognize that nothing is truly 'mine' and offer it back to its source, which dissolves the ego. The problem arises when we make external things our own, which makes us debtors to the world for life. The way to break a habit is to know its true source and reality. The power of a habit lies in our identification with it, in calling it 'my' habit. Ignorance is the root cause of addiction, and knowledge of the object of attachment will dissolve the attachment itself. He uses the example of the dairy and meat industries, urging people to investigate the cruelty and processes behind these products to understand their true nature. The default state of consciousness should be one of constant inquiry, not blind acceptance, even if the truth is unpleasant.
