Acharya Prashant addresses a student's curiosity regarding death and a tragic incident involving a student who committed suicide to understand the afterlife. He shifts the focus from physical death to the nature of life itself, arguing that one must first understand life to understand death. He defines life not by biological functions like breathing or eating, but by the capacity to respond and understand. A person who does not understand what is happening in their life is effectively dead, even if their body continues to function. Therefore, life is a continuous opportunity to come alive through understanding and consciousness. He explains that most people are already dead long before their physical bodies collapse because they live without awareness or growth. He describes life as a possibility that one must actively choose rather than something merely granted at birth. True life is characterized by the ability to learn, grow, and reflect. He urges the student to focus on the 'death' they carry in the present momentāthe lack of understandingārather than being fascinated by the insignificant event of physical cremation decades in the future. To truly live, one must prioritize consciousness and the constant pursuit of understanding.
