Acharya Prashant responds to a question about a verse from Shankaracharya's Bhaja Govindam, which outlines a spiritual path starting with the company of the good (Satsang) leading to detachment. The questioner asks if this path is absolute or if one can choose to skip steps. Acharya Prashant clarifies that one cannot choose to skip the steps. He distinguishes between knowing one is an exception and choosing to be one. Knowing you are an exception is a matter of understanding, which is rare. In contrast, choosing to break a rule is an act of the ego. The ego dislikes being bound by rules and always wants to consider itself special. He notes that while exceptions might be one in a hundred thousand, ninety-nine thousand people believe they are that exception. He relates this to comments on his posts saying, "not absolutely true." While he agrees that the Absolute cannot be captured in words, the issue is that everyone thinks they are the exception to the general rule being stated. Addressing the questioner's personal situation of having skipped the company of the good (Satsang) and now feeling a lack of focus, Acharya Prashant explains the broader meaning of Satsang. It is not merely a physical gathering but refers to the material or company one keeps. This could be a person, a book, a thought, or even nature. The mind is never alone; it is always in the company of something. The choice lies in what kind of company one keeps. Choosing the right company is Satsang, while choosing inferior company is 'kusang' (bad company). He attributes the questioner's feeling of failure and wasted time to the tendencies developed from past bad company. To stay connected to his work, Acharya Prashant advises that one must keep pace, as the work is dynamic and constantly evolving towards betterment. If a person does not also strive for betterment, they will be left behind. He concludes by stressing the importance of measurement. While Truth is immeasurable, everything in the material world can and should be measured. He points out two common errors: trying to measure the immeasurable (like the soul or the absolute) and being lazy about measuring what is measurable (like time, money, or weight). He advises measuring daily activities with numbers, as figures do not lie, unlike the stories we tell ourselves. This practice reveals the reality of how one's time is spent and is the way to improve.
