In response to a question about whether sacrifice can be made happily, Acharya Prashant explains that if one were truly happy in the act, the question itself would not arise. The presence of doubt indicates that the sacrifice is not being done willingly but is being coerced. He uses the analogy of someone being forced to donate at gunpoint; while it may be called a donation, the person knows the reality of the situation. He urges the questioner to consider who is the recipient of their sacrifices and donations, as someone is always there to collect what is being given away. One must be aware of who is collecting their sacrifice. Acharya Prashant clarifies that true sacrifice, or 'qurbani', oblation ('aahuti'), or renunciation ('tyaag'), are spontaneous acts that stem from understanding ('bodh') and love ('prem'). They are not social acts. When there is love, sharing is natural, like splitting a single piece of bread. This is not called renunciation; it is simply love, and renunciation is its natural fruit. To call it renunciation would be an insult. Similarly, from a place of understanding, one offers up what is known to be worthless. The 'I' that is sacrificed is recognized as nothing but dirty ego, which is then offered to the fire, like in a 'yajna'. The true meaning of 'qurbani' is the sacrifice of the ego. It involves letting go of something that seemed valuable but was not. Because it was not truly valuable, it could be let go. This does not mean sacrificing something precious, but rather something that one was merely attached to. The sacrifice of one's love means sacrificing the attachment ('moh') and addiction ('aasakti') to worldly things. He explains that only the Supreme Self ('Paramatma') is worthy of true love; love for anything else is a mistake. Therefore, the real 'qurbani' is the sacrifice of this mistaken love for the worldly. Ultimately, the speaker emphasizes that one must walk their own path based on their own understanding. No one else can tell you what to do, as they do not know your inner reality, just as they cannot know if you are thirsty. Even if following your own decision leads to failure or death, it is better to die laughing on your own path than to live crying on a path dictated by others.
