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पुरुषों के विरुद्ध नारी का क्रोध || आचार्य प्रशांत, वेदांत महोत्सव (2022)
330K views
3 years ago
Avidya (Ignorance)
Anger
Spirituality
Education System
Crime
Patriarchy
Compassion
Greed
Description

A questioner describes her personality as introverted, confused, and lacking confidence. She explains that she carries a lot of anger within her, which she believes stems from the patriarchal society and the various atrocities against women she has witnessed or heard about since childhood, such as dowry deaths, rape, and murder. This anger affects her personal life, leading to frustration, self-harm, and even being reflected in her young son's behavior. She asks Acharya Prashant how to channel this anger in a positive direction. Acharya Prashant responds by acknowledging that it is natural to feel that many things are wrong with the world, and everyone has complaints about their life, society, or country. He states that the crucial question is not just about feeling angry, but about understanding what is truly wrong and who the real culprit is. He explains that anger is an upsurge of energy that wants to bring about change. When this anger is combined with knowledge and understanding (Bodh), it becomes creative. However, anger without this understanding becomes blind, agitated, and merely destructive. Acharya Prashant identifies the root cause of all societal ills and individual criminality as 'Avidya' (ignorance or nescience). He argues that criminals are not born but are products of their environment and upbringing. The real culprit is not just the individual perpetrator but the society that fosters such ignorance. He describes Avidya as a mind filled with worldly garbage and devoid of spirituality. Where there is no place for spirituality, he says, the "leprosy of crime" will repeatedly erupt from the body of society. This is not just the questioner's personal story but the story of every household, as crime is in the air because Avidya is in the air. He further elaborates that this Avidya is propagated through a corrupt culture, media, films, and, most significantly, a flawed education system. He calls the current educational institutions 'Avidyalayas' (places of ignorance) rather than 'Vidyalayas' (places of knowledge). He points out that while schools teach subjects like science and mathematics, they fail to impart higher values like compassion, love, and fearlessness, which must be learned. Since humans are largely products of their upbringing, it is not surprising that they turn out to be like beasts when they are not taught these higher values. Acharya Prashant connects this widespread ignorance to various societal problems. He explains that without spiritual understanding, relationships, including marriage, become mere transactions based on greed and lust, fueled by consumerist advertising. He criticizes the hypocrisy where a man sold for money is a 'groom,' but a woman in a similar situation is a 'prostitute.' He asserts that many heinous acts, such as having children without love or consuming meat, are not even legally considered crimes but are grave offenses. The speaker concludes by urging the questioner to direct her anger toward the root cause—the pervasive inner darkness, or Avidya, within everyone's mind. He says the real surprise is not that crime exists, but that in such a corrupt environment, some people remain good, which he calls a matter of divine grace.