Acharya Prashant addresses the question of why people continue to follow rules established by their ancestors, even when they are uncertain of their validity. He explains that this adherence stems from a lack of clarity and a fear of taking risks. People often play it safe by following traditions because they do not truly understand what is beneficial for them. He uses the caste system as an example, noting that most people are caught in a middle ground where they can neither fully embrace nor completely abandon it. This confusion is evident even among highly educated individuals who rely on matrimonial websites that demand details about caste, lineage, and astrological signs. He criticizes the tendency of educated people to mix pseudoscience with tradition, such as using gravity to justify the influence of planets on human life while ignoring basic scientific principles like the inverse-square law. Acharya Prashant points out that if one truly understood physics and the nature of the universe, they would be liberated from such superstitions. He cites instances of mass hysteria, such as the belief that idols drink milk, attributing these to a lack of fundamental scientific understanding of concepts like capillary action and evaporation. He emphasizes that energy and mass follow conservation laws and do not manifest miraculously. Finally, Acharya Prashant clarifies that he is not suggesting all old traditions are useless. He asserts that while some historical elements like the caste system are decayed and harmful, others like the Upanishads are incredibly valuable. The challenge lies in developing the clarity of vision to distinguish between 'trash' and 'treasure.' He concludes that one must clean their own internal 'eyes' to recognize the difference between what is truly precious and what is merely a redundant social construct.
