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What is clarity? || Acharya Prashant (2019)
3.8K views
5 years ago
Clarity
Simplicity
Confusion
Knowledge
Faith
Certainty
Reality
Ignorance
Description

Acharya Prashant explains that the world appears confused, chaotic, and nonsensical not because it is so in itself, but because the observer, the seer of the world, is unable to comprehend it with any clarity. He defines clarity as simplicity, contrasting it with the lack of clarity, which he describes as a difficult and complex thing. Paradoxically, he states that it does not require much to have clarity, but it requires a lot to not have clarity. The desire for clarity arises because confusion is suffering. When one knows that reality is one, they do not want to tolerate fluctuating, limited versions of it. One wants to get rid of various viewpoints and competing statements because every version has its limits, and one doesn't like the feeling of not knowing. Clarity is defined as being immediately certain of that which is certain and unchangeable. This is different from being certain about things that are inherently volatile and changeable, like train schedules. Therefore, clarity is not about being cocksure about such things. It has a direct relationship with faith; one cannot be clear without having faith in the heart. Having clarity does not mean one will immediately make sense of everything they perceive. It simply means being certain of the relationship between the seer and the seen. The one with clarity does not walk around full of confidence, claiming to know everything. Instead, they would be the first to admit ignorance because they are absolutely sure of the limits of knowledge. Acharya Prashant distinguishes between clarity and knowledge. Knowledge pertains to the world, which is movable, unreliable, and knowable, while clarity is about something beyond that. He uses the analogy of a movie theater: knowledge is the name of the movie running, while clarity is one's heartbeat. One can know nothing about the movies playing but still have clarity, which is their essence. Clarity is independent of the situation, time, place, or scenario. It is possible to be totally clear while being ignorant of worldly matters, and conversely, one can have great knowledge that earns high marks in an exam but have no clarity at all.