Acharya Prashant explains that the fundamental human craving for fulfillment is universal, yet both the East and the West have failed to achieve it through their respective methods. The West has pursued materialism, using goods and technology as a proxy for happiness, while the East has largely turned to formal religion and belief systems, which are essentially a subtle form of materialism. He notes that the 'happiness' measured in global surveys often relies on materialistic metrics that do not reflect true inner contentment. Consequently, even in countries ranked as the happiest, individuals remain dissatisfied because material comforts do not address the core needs of consciousness. Acharya Prashant clarifies that the religiosity commonly practiced in India today is often a trade-based system where people chase gods for the same reasons Westerners chase goods. He emphasizes that true spirituality is found in the wisdom of the Upanishads and the teachings of saints like Kabir Saheb, rather than in customary rituals or physical practices like modern Hatha Yoga. He observes that while India has a rich heritage of profound wisdom literature, the vast majority of the population is disconnected from these teachings. True fulfillment cannot be attained through set processes or the exchange of 'gods for goods' between cultures; it requires a direct engagement with spiritual truth beyond both gross and subtle materialism.
