Acharya Prashant explains that the definition of cheating depends entirely on the plane upon which a relationship exists: physical, mental, or spiritual. In a purely physical relationship, the contract is based on the mutual supply of pleasure. Cheating at this level occurs when one partner is physically unavailable or sleeps with someone else, which often leads to the total destruction of the relationship because its entire foundation was the body. If a person is absolutely offended by physical infidelity, it indicates that their relationship was fundamentally physical, regardless of how they might have labeled it. On the mental or emotional plane, the relationship is an exchange of ego-boosting behaviors and romantic gestures. Cheating here involves a violation of the agreement to please each other mentally, such as saying hurtful things or failing to provide emotional validation. In these cases, the ego feels attacked, leading to aggression and violence. Acharya Prashant notes that many people use emotional rituals as a face-saving mechanism or an alibi to reach the physical act, hiding their animalistic intentions behind social conventions. In contrast, a spiritual relationship is centered not on the partners themselves, but on a shared commitment to a higher truth or liberation. In this context, cheating is redefined as being disloyal to that higher purpose or becoming attached to the partner instead of the goal. Here, love involves pushing and prodding each other toward growth, even if it is unpleasant for the ego. Acharya Prashant concludes that most human relationships remain at the animalistic level, where physical possession is central, and people merely use sophisticated names to hide their biological instincts.
