Acharya Prashant explains that the current state of the ego is not sudden but the result of millions of years of evolution and habit. This condition is a product of time, and because the seeker identifies with this false self, liberation will necessarily take time. He clarifies that while truth is timeless and cannot be dissolved, the false self also does not truly exist; however, because the seeker perceives the false as real, they experience suffering and a desire for dissolution. The speaker emphasizes that as long as one identifies with the false, a quick movement into truth is not possible. To overcome this, Acharya Prashant prescribes a two-fold path of spiritual practice. First, one must constantly fight against their own false self and egoic tendencies. Second, one must side with the saints or lovers of truth. He warns that pursuing one without the other is dangerous: siding with saints without self-struggle leads to spiritual pride, while fighting oneself without the company of the truth leads to madness and despair. He concludes that since the seeker is convinced they are a product of time, they must invest their time rightly in these two practices of self-defeat and devotion.
