Acharya Prashant addresses the notion of accepting everything as it is. He begins by stating that to accept what is happening, one must first know what is happening. He challenges the idea of blanket acceptance by pointing out harsh realities, such as the daily extinction of 200 species on Earth, and asks if this is truly acceptable. He highlights a common hypocrisy where people apply the knowledge of the world being an illusion to matters that don't directly affect them, yet remain deeply concerned about their own bodies, families, and possessions. This selective detachment, he argues, is a form of hypocrisy. The speaker clarifies that the wisdom of the world being illusory is meant for those who are detached even from their own personal lives, not for those who use it as a convenient escape. He explains that the fruit of enlightenment is not just detachment but also compassion, and these two qualities go hand-in-hand. No enlightened person would say that because the world is an illusion, all species should be allowed to perish. He cites the example of Buddha offering his own flesh to save a goat, questioning if Buddha was ignorant. This, he says, is a story that teaches a lesson. He asserts that this kind of intellectualism is a dangerous form of hypocrisy. Acharya Prashant further discusses the concept of 'choiceless awareness,' often associated with J. Krishnamurti. He explains that choicelessness is a state of the Self (Atma), which is beyond choice, whereas the mind (consciousness) is always faced with choices. The duty of the mind is to make the right choice. He states that choicelessness is the ultimate result of consistently making the right choices, which leads to the dissolution of the ego, the chooser. When the chooser is gone, what remains is choicelessness. He warns against the contemporary spiritual trend of 'acceptance,' which he sees as an excuse to avoid the difficult path of rebellion against one's own bondages. The spiritual journey, he emphasizes, begins with rejection ('Neti-Neti' or 'not this, not this'), not acceptance. Acceptance is the final destination, not the starting point. The beginning requires a total revolution against one's own chains.
