Acharya Prashant explains that austerity is needed only because you are suffering, and this suffering arises from the company of your objects. If you are not suffering at all, then not only is austerity unneeded, but even spirituality and Vedanta are not required. He states that Vedanta begins with suffering, so if there is no suffering, you do not need it. Conversely, if you are indeed suffering, then austerity is necessary. Suffering is described as nothing but the company and attachment involving wrong objects. Austerity is never pleasant because it involves going against oneself. This is because objects are not merely present in your life; they become a part of your being. Therefore, dropping objects is not a simple act but is like 'tearing away a part of your flesh.' Acharya Prashant uses the metaphor of a seed on the earth: initially, there is just company and no attachment. Over time, the seed's roots go deep into the soil, and they become one. Separating them at this point involves pain, and this is austerity. He further illustrates this with the example of a kidney stone, which becomes an alien, foreign part of you. This 'bad union' of the non-self with the self is suffering. You never choose to have a stone; you just consume something that leads to it. Similarly, attachments grow from seemingly pleasant experiences. Austerity, therefore, is the practice of not allowing things to become a part of you, so you can remain the pure Self. He concludes that austerity will always be needed. If you feel it is not, you are either already liberated or not even close to it.
