Acharya Prashant responds to a question about how to cultivate an intense longing for freedom and an aversion to mundane pleasures, as described by Raman Maharshi. He begins by stating that while freedom is something one can work hard for and target, one cannot be taught to want freedom. He clarifies that the questioner is essentially asking to be taught how to desire freedom, a lesson he asserts cannot be given. The longing for freedom and the aversion to bondage, he explains, must be one's own sovereign, independent, and honest decisions. Love cannot be taught, and similarly, he cannot teach someone to value freedom or devalue ugliness if they do not already do so. The speaker emphasizes that his role as a teacher only begins after a person has firmly decided they want freedom. If that decision has not been made, he does not come into the picture. He rejects the idea of making someone feel aversion to pleasure, stating, "You are having a good time. Why will I spoil the fun?" Spirituality, he clarifies, is not about making people feel bad about their lives. Instead of trying to force a desire for freedom, he advises the questioner to look closely at their own life to see if they are truly alright and getting what they really want. Acharya Prashant provides a list of symptoms that indicate underlying suffering, such as being ambitious, feeling lonely or insecure, having a frequent need for entertainment, being unable to sit still without thoughts or company, and being susceptible to greed and temptation. He explains that the one who suffers is the one who intensely longs for freedom from that suffering. Therefore, suffering itself is the intense longing. The scriptures and spiritual teachers are not meant to arouse this longing; their work begins only after the longing has already started. If one does not have this longing, they are unnecessarily inviting trouble into a life they perceive as decent.
