Acharya Prashant redefines non-violence, explaining that it is not merely a code of conduct but the absence of perceived boundaries and limitations. He asserts that violence is fundamentally the act of seeing others as separate from oneself. This sense of otherness creates a mind that views the world as an enemy or a stranger, leading to a feeling of being small and powerless. Spirituality, therefore, is about belonging to the entire existence rather than being confined to narrow identities like household, caste, or ideology. A truly non-violent person feels at home everywhere and does not experience the feeling of being uprooted or alienated. Regarding the concept of duty, Acharya Prashant argues that duties only exist where there is otherness. He uses the example of a workplace versus a loving relationship to show that duties are specific, limited, and often transactional. In a state of love and clarity, one does not act out of a sense of duty but out of a natural response to the situation. He concludes that because both duty and violence are rooted in the perception of otherness, following duties can actually be a form of violence. While a duty-bound person may appear orderly on the outside, their mind may remain in a state of turbulence and rebellion. True non-violence is action born of clarity and love, not the fulfillment of prescribed duties.
