Acharya Prashant explains that suffering is the sole criterion to determine if a spiritual seeker is on the right path. The entire purpose of spirituality is to liberate one from suffering. Therefore, bondages are considered undesirable only because they are the cause of suffering. To gauge one's spiritual progress, a seeker must assess the extent of their inner restlessness, anxiety, and suffering. He points out that it is often difficult to recognize our own suffering because we have cleverly used language to deceive ourselves. We give suffering embellished and respectable names, such as 'vision' instead of 'ambition,' and associate it with notions of glory and necessity. This perceived glory provides a kind of pleasure that conceals the underlying pain, preventing us from realizing its true extent. To see this clearly, one must be very honest and ask if their actions and way of life are driven by compulsion. The speaker elaborates that the biggest compulsions are those of time, space, and coincidence. We are forced to wait for desired outcomes, be in places we don't want to be, and depend on chance, all of which are forms of bondage. The very presence of desires and ambitions indicates suffering, as desire is always for the future. If we were not bound by the compulsion of time, we would fulfill our desires instantly. The presence of desires, ambitions, fear of loss, and dependency on external circumstances are all indicators of our suffering. If the mind is not yet established in its center, it remains insecure and will be continuously attacked by suffering.