Acharya Prashant addresses the apparent contradiction between two statements: "Whatever you do, do it totally," and "Whatever you do, you remain unaffected by the doing." He begins by deconstructing the common interpretation of "doing something totally," which people often equate with a quantitative expansion in time, energy, or resources. For instance, investing 50 units of resources instead of 5 because one wants to do it "totally," or walking ten miles instead of one. This common understanding equates totality with a stretch or an expanse, driven by a desire for fulfillment. The speaker clarifies that the true meaning of "doing something totally" is not about the extent of the action but its origin. It means to act from a "point of totality," a state of inner completeness that is not fractured or desirous. When one acts from this inherent fullness, they are not seeking anything from the action's outcome and thus remain untouched and unaffected. In this way, being total is the same as being untouched, which reconciles the two initial statements. This is contrasted with the conventional approach where acting out of desire for fulfillment inevitably leads to being affected by the results. Living totally is not about a flamboyant lifestyle but operating from a point of internal satisfaction, beyond the dualities of pleasure and pain. Acharya Prashant further explains that this point of totality is beyond the mind's grasp; it cannot be remembered or forgotten. It is a state of faith, a certainty that needs no external proof, much like a bird that sings at dawn with an innate certainty of the coming day, even without seeing the sun. This totality is something to be surrendered to, not known or grasped by the mind. He also redefines the concept of being a "witness," stating that it is not about being a detached observer of life's drama but about knowing that you are a participant. Claiming to be a separate witness is a form of self-deception, merely another role. A good actor is one who knows they are role-playing, which allows them to perform their role with justice without being consumed by it. Ultimately, the speaker concludes that all suffering arises from concepts. Holding a concept that life is just a play prevents one from living fully, while believing it is entirely real prevents one from letting go. The advice is to stop trying to define life and simply live from that unchangeable center of totality. This state is beyond all circumstances and definitions, and it is the freedom from the need to feel either hollow or full. It is a state of non-duality.
