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Love is not natural, Love has to be learnt || Acharya Prashant, at BITS Goa (2023)
Shakti
2.3K views
1 year ago
Love
Prakriti
Devotion
Insight
Attachment
Meditation
Truth
Spirituality
Description

Acharya Prashant explains that what is commonly perceived as love is often merely natural attraction, hormonal activity, or biological attachment. He argues that anything that comes naturally to a person, such as physical attraction or maternal possessiveness, belongs to the domain of the body and the animalistic jungle. Real love is not a chemical reaction or a product of puberty; rather, it is something that must be learned and earned through spiritual pursuit. He emphasizes that the word 'natural' should not be used to justify human behavior, as the human mandate is to rise above nature rather than succumb to biological conditioning. The speaker further clarifies that true love is synonymous with clarity and the quenching of the mind's thirst for peace. He critiques the common understanding of love as consumption or ownership, using examples like the consumption of animals or the possessiveness of a mother toward her child. He asserts that love involves the act of clearing away rubbish and seeing the reality beyond the obvious. Without insight, one remains at an animalistic level, believing only in what is visible. Love, therefore, requires the demolition of falseness to reveal the truth. Finally, Acharya Prashant discusses the concept of devotion, stating that it is not exclusive to religious settings like temples. He suggests that a scientist committed to truth or a practitioner dedicated to their craft is performing an act of devotion. He encourages the audience to look beyond formal apparatus and visible symbols to recognize beauty and truth. He concludes that meditation and devotion are present wherever there is a sincere commitment to reality, regardless of the external environment.