Acharya Prashant addresses the concept of past life karma by first clarifying the Vedantic perspective. He states that Vedanta does not speak of a personal past life for the individual person. The idea of rebirth or reincarnation happens at a general, macro level, not a personal one. He explains that while the individual form, such as 'Prashant', will not be born again, the underlying 'I' tendency—which he equates with existence itself—continues to manifest in new forms. This 'I' tendency persists as long as existence does, repeating itself in various forms. Therefore, it is improper for any particular form to expect it is immortal through reincarnation. Regarding the question of suffering in the present life due to past karma, Acharya Prashant clarifies that this is not really the case. He explains that the past has given us our body, which carries a lot of accumulated 'garbage' from the past. He uses a stark analogy, suggesting that the body is essentially the garbage of the past that gets born with every child. The purpose of life, therefore, is to act in a way that reduces and cleans up this garbage. When this is done, what remains is something tremendous, precious, and immortal. However, most people identify with this 'garbage' and mistake it for the Truth, which inevitably leads to suffering. Desires arise from these latent past tendencies, and whether they are fulfilled (leading to frustration) or unfulfilled (leading to disappointment), the result is suffering. Finally, he discusses equanimity, explaining that it is impossible for a person who perceives themselves as incomplete. Using the example of a hungry person, he illustrates that one cannot be equanimous towards food and a book because the feeling of incompleteness (hunger) dictates the choice. Equanimity is only possible for one who operates from a place of fulfillment. Such a person can look at everything without coveting it or being fundamentally desirous. While they can engage in the world and act for the sake of others, they have no burning personal desires because they are already alright. He concludes by noting that this state of fulfillment is very rare and difficult to achieve, and most people continue to operate from points of dissatisfaction, leading them to constantly chase after things.
