Acharya Prashant addresses the question of who his Guru is. He begins by explaining that a Guru does not necessarily have to be a person of flesh and blood. He gives the example of the Sikhs, who consider the Adi Granth, Shri Guru Granth Sahib, as their immortal Guru. He questions the notion that only a physical being can be a Guru, suggesting that books can also serve this role and one can learn by reading them. He then states that there is no single physical person who is his Guru; he has learned from hundreds of sources and continues to do so. Acknowledging that learning from so many sources might lead to contradictions, he clarifies that the ultimate Guru is the Self (Atma). The final learning comes from one's own discretion, consciousness, love for truth, and honesty. Responding to a question about why different religions have different Gods if the truth is one, Acharya Prashant explains that this is because humans create God in their own image. For instance, if one's God has two hands and two feet, it makes one feel good about one's own body. God is imagined to speak the same language as the believer, which pleases the ego. This is why belief systems take root so easily. He reverses the common saying to state, "Man made God in his image." He illustrates this by saying that if dogs and cats were to create a God, their God would not look like a human. A lion's God would not be a vegetarian, and a cat's God would meow. The concept of God is a product of theology and belief systems, while Truth is the subject of philosophy. God is a product of belief systems, whereas Truth is the desired subject of philosophy. He further elaborates that the concept of God is shaped by the culture of the people. In societies where monogamy is the norm, God has one wife, whereas in polygamous societies, God has many wives. He points out that since most of the world has been patriarchal, 80-90% of the Gods are male. If women had more power, there would be more female deities. He explains that stories and myths were created to convey truth to those who could not grasp the formless, attributeless reality. The problem arises when these figurative stories are taken literally. He concludes by stating that Vedanta is the key to unlocking the meaning of all these stories. He quotes Kabir Saheb: "Do not ask the caste of a sage, ask for his knowledge. Value the sword, let the scabbard be."
