Acharya Prashant explains verses from the Shvetashvatara Upanishad, starting with one that describes two types of beings (Jivas). One Jiva accepts the beginningless Prakriti (nature)—described as red, white, and black, which creates many beings—while the other renounces it. To elaborate, he uses the famous metaphor of two friendly birds residing on the same tree. The tree represents the body, and the two birds are two aspects of consciousness. One bird, representing the ordinary consciousness or ego, eats the sweet fruits of the tree with relish, engrossed in sensory pleasures. The other bird, which only watches, represents the higher consciousness, the witness (Sakshi), or the Atman. The speaker explains that the bird attached to the fruits, immersed in attachment and aversion, becomes deluded and grieves. The mind, when entangled in the world (the tree), experiences sorrow. The solution is for this Jiva (the eating bird) to turn and look at the other bird—the Lord, the witness. When it realizes the witness and its glory, it becomes free from sorrow. The mind, engrossed in eating, forgets its companion, the Atman, but the Atman always sees both the mind and the body. Acharya Prashant discusses the concept of immersion. He distinguishes between two types: one is like a samosa in hot oil, which becomes consolidated and hardened, representing the ego becoming stronger. The other is like a salt doll in the ocean, which dissolves, representing the dissolution of the ego. The goal of spiritual practice is dissolution, not consolidation. He advises being cautious about one's interests and attractions, questioning whether they lead to the dissolution of the ego or its consolidation. One must choose to immerse oneself in a subject that dissolves the ego, not one that strengthens it.
