Acharya Prashant addresses the inevitability of death and the cultural tendency to hide it. He notes that our culture distances us from death, advising people—especially women—to avoid cremation grounds or discussions about mortality. He challenges the audience to consider how many of them will certainly be alive in ten years, emphasizing that no one can guarantee their survival. He explains that death is not a dirty secret but a constant reality that should be acknowledged rather than suppressed. He suggests that accepting death at the level of thought prevents the shock when it eventually manifests physically. Responding to a question about guilt over a father's passing, Acharya Prashant explains that no one has control over the physical body or the movement of the world. He points out that if one cannot even save their own falling teeth or aging body, they certainly cannot save another's. He suggests that everything is in the hands of nature. He encourages a thought experiment to realize that in fifty years, the current setting and people will be gone. He highlights that signs of death are visible everywhere—in graying hair, wrinkles, and even the birth of children. The arrival of a new life signifies that someone else will eventually depart, as per the cycle of nature. He quotes Kabir Saheb to illustrate that the world is transient and everything is combustible. He explains that just as liberation is the truth of the spiritual realm, death is the truth of the practical world. Remembering death is essential because it teaches one how to live truly and leads toward liberation. He concludes by urging people to look at their physical beauty and realize its temporary nature. He mentions that the very elements considered beautiful, like body fat, are merely fuel for the funeral pyre. By acknowledging the certainty of death, an individual gains the courage to live a life of height and purpose, moving away from ignorance and toward freedom.
