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चाहो, खूब चाहो, सिर्फ़ उसे जो चाहने लायक है || आचार्य प्रशांत, दिल्ली विश्वविद्यालय सत्र (2021)
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4 years ago
Ambition
Spirituality
Mithya
Progress
The Great (Mahat)
Bhagavad Gita
Advaita Vedanta
Shri Krishna
Description

Acharya Prashant explains that ambition is a very good thing, but it depends on what one is ambitious for. There is nothing wrong with ambition, but its direction must be such that it benefits you. Spirituality is not against ambition; rather, it tells you what is truly great, or 'mahat'. 'Mahat' means big. Once you know what is truly great, you can desire it, and that is true ambition. Spirituality is the science of real ambition. What is commonly called ambition is often not ambition at all. Chasing after very small, worthless things cannot be called ambition. It is due to delusion, influences on the mind, and corrupt conditioning that we start to believe that small things in the world are very big. For example, a child's highest ambition might be to get street food. When that child grows up, they start chasing slightly bigger versions of that same desire and call it ambition, but there is no real ambition in it. Ambition is when you chase the 'mahat' (the great). If you do not know what is big and what is small, you cannot be ambitious. Chasing the small, thinking you are moving towards something great, will get you nothing. Spirituality does not stop you from the path of ambition or progress; it teaches you to have a clear desire for the right goal. When the goal is right, you move towards it with all your heart and soul, and nothing can stop you. Spirituality is the scripture of supreme ambition. Our definition of progress ('tarakki') is flawed. Progress ('pragati') means movement in the right direction, to a higher plane. Simply moving in any direction is not progress. Just as achieving height by climbing a water tank is different from reaching the height of Kedarnath, the context of achievement matters. One must always question whether the height achieved is that of Kedarnath or a mere water tank. Regarding the world being 'mithya' (unreal), Acharya Prashant clarifies that this does not mean the world is non-existent. It means the world is not as you perceive it; your understanding and interpretation of it are false. The statement 'Brahma Satyam, Jagat Mithya' means that the world is also only Brahman, but the way you see it is false. One must investigate and peel away these false layers. When all inner and outer veils are removed, what remains inside is the Self (Atma) and what is outside is Brahman, and they become one. In the context of the Bhagavad Gita, Arjun's attachment and his reasons for not wanting to fight are 'mithya'. Krishna's advice is to remove this false understanding, after which right action (Dharma) will happen on its own.