Acharya Prashant explains that the highest verses of the Upanishads state that the Ultimate is beyond even nectar. He says that those who believe it has a form (Sakar) are mistaken, and so are those who believe it is formless (Nirakar). Similarly, those who live in duality (Dvaita) are deluded, but even those who hold onto non-duality (Advaita) are in a misunderstanding. The speaker emphasizes two words to remember in life: 'different' (bhinn) and 'beyond' (pare). If only one can be remembered, it should be 'beyond.' This concept of 'being beyond' is also what 'Neti Neti' (not this, not this) signifies. It means that whatever you can think of, even the highest or most extraordinary thought, the Reality is beyond that. Anything that is not beyond will be mistaken for the truth, leading to attachment and suffering. The speaker cites the mantra 'Gate Gate Paragate' (Gone, gone, gone beyond), explaining it as a continuous movement beyond any state. He relates this to the states of consciousness, where 'Turiya' is beyond the three states, and 'Turiyatit' is even beyond Turiya. The demand of Truth is such that even the concept of 'Truth' must be considered 'Satyatit' (beyond Truth), because the moment the ego grasps something, it cannot be the ultimate Reality. This constant sense of 'beyondness' is spirituality. Without this understanding of 'beyondness,' one is like a fly stuck in jaggery, with no concept of anything beyond its immediate sweetness. He refers to Kabir Saheb's 'Amarpur' (the immortal city) as a destination that is beyond all destinations, a place where no one comes or goes. The real purpose of life is not worldly success or settling down. The only meaningful work is to use the resources of this world to go beyond it, just as one uses the ocean's buoyancy to cross it, not to build a house on its waves. The speaker concludes that one must not be a coward who avoids life's challenges, nor get entangled in them. The art of spirituality is to enter the cycles of life and yet remain beyond them.
