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Heaven and Hell are closer than you think || Acharya Prashant, on Upanishad (2020)
Scriptures and Saints
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1 year ago
Liberation
Heaven
Hell
Happiness
Identity
Holiness
Bliss
Spirituality
Description

Acharya Prashant explains that liberation is a state beyond all boundaries and sorrow, surpassing even the definitions of heaven. He describes three ways of living: hell, heaven, and liberation. Hell is not a place of physical torture but a state where one's false, troubled identity is reinforced through sympathy and consolation. In hell, people focus on what they have, which leads to misery. Heaven is defined as the company of holiness where problems are not solved but dismissed as false. In heaven, the focus shifts from what one has to what one is. Liberation is the ultimate state where one is free from the need to even inquire about their identity, representing the highest quality of life. He emphasizes that hell, heaven, and liberation are choices made in one's current life, not destinations in an afterlife. A significant issue arises when happiness is monopolized by those in 'hell,' leading spiritual seekers to believe that spirituality must be gloomy or dull. Acharya Prashant asserts that it is one's duty to reclaim happiness and experience it at a higher, more refined level. If heaven or the spiritual path feels dry and unhappy, an individual will inevitably be drawn back to the lower pleasures of hell. Therefore, a spiritual person must be truly and highly happy to avoid the trap of seeking happiness in worldly misery. Finally, he notes that those living in a state of hell often brag about their happiness but are secretly afraid of facing someone who is truly happy and honest. They avoid reality and truth because they know their deception will be exposed. True happiness and satisfaction do not fear being tested. Acharya Prashant encourages listeners to elevate the quality of their existence and reclaim words like 'smart,' 'interesting,' and 'happy' for the spiritual life, rather than leaving them to the 'inhabitants of hell.'