Acharya Prashant addresses the question of whether the body, mind, or soul is primary, asserting that the individual who categorizes and divides these entities is actually superior to them. He identifies this dividing entity as the ego or 'Ahanta'. He challenges the questioner's certainty about these concepts, pointing out that most people speak of the body, mind, and soul without actual observation or direct experience, merely repeating learned information. He emphasizes that while we often claim to be victims of childhood conditioning by our parents, we selectively choose which childhood lessons to follow and which to discard based on our convenience. He further explains that true spirituality does not begin with gratitude, but with a deep sense of grievance or complaint against the falseness of life. He argues that forced gratitude, such as thanking God after an accident by saying 'it could have been worse', is a form of dishonesty and self-consolation. According to him, one must first acknowledge their suffering and dissatisfaction honestly. This 'fire of complaint' eventually leads to a state of true grace where no complaints remain, and only then does gratitude become meaningful. He concludes by noting that people often blame their parents for their current state of mind while being parents themselves, suggesting that the responsibility for one's consciousness lies with the individual rather than past conditioning.
