On YouTube
मुंबई-गोवा हाइवे, आचार्य जी की ड्राइविंग, और रोचक बातें || आचार्य प्रशांत (2024)
1.3M views
10 months ago
Journey of Life
Mysticism
Freedom and Discipline
Oneness
Nature
Sufism
Advaita
Liberation (Mukti)
Description

Acharya Prashant, while driving from Mumbai to Goa, explains his choice to drive over flying. He states that one has to pay a price to travel with the sea, even if the road is rough. He points to the sunset over the sea, describing it as a place where the infinite meets the finite. He remarks that this is India, a place that has something which promotes mysticism. He notes that even Islamic mysticism found its most fertile ground in India. This, he says, is because of the understanding of the recycling law of nature, and the current climate crisis is a result of not understanding this law. He then draws an analogy between driving and life. A good driver, he explains, does not give jerks; the more composed a person is, the more effortless their driving becomes. When the road of life becomes difficult, it is important to maintain a minimum speed of work and not let it fall below a certain level. He humorously adds that if you don't, you might become an electric pole in your next life. He reflects on the journey of life, stating that this journey has been ongoing since the first moment of creation and is not going anywhere; it is simply happening. It is correct to say, "we are going," and also correct to say, "we are coming." However, it is wrong to ask from where we are coming or where we are going, because the one who is going never reaches a destination, and the one who is coming can never say where they came from. He explains that he is the traveler, the expressway he is on, and the one watching the journey. Acharya Prashant further elaborates on driving as a beautiful combination of the desire for freedom (mukteksha) and discipline (anushasan). The discipline is that one cannot break the road and run away; one must turn when the road turns. The desire for freedom lies in having the steering, accelerator, brake, and clutch in one's own hands. He then playfully breaks down the word "nazara" (scenery) into "na jaa raha, na aa raha" (neither going, nor coming). He connects this to the Indic concept that there is a truth beyond the body, which is the highest possibility for man and the universe. This truth permeates the universe while also being present in the body. This is different from non-Indian, Abrahamic concepts where the creator is situated outside the body, in the skies, separate from the creation. This separation leads to violence because if the creator is separate, then the creation is not worthy of the same respect. In India, the understanding that the ultimate reality is within every being, including animals and plants, is why there is so much vegetarianism and non-violence, as seen in movements like the Chipko Andolan. He concludes by stating that all practical questions of life must be answered from the ultimate perspective (paramarth).