Acharya Prashant responds to a questioner who was taught in childhood that no work is small or big, yet was pressured by his parents to pursue an MBA instead of his passion for singing. Now, as an unhappy MBA graduate, the questioner realizes that some tasks are indeed small and some are big, and he questions why his parents misguided him. Acharya Prashant begins by pointing out the inherent contradiction in the questioner's actions. He explains that to pursue an MBA, one goes to a management institute, and for medical studies, one attends a medical college. This demonstrates an understanding that for any specific field, one must seek knowledge from an expert. He sarcastically asks why the questioner didn't just get his MBA at home, with his father teaching finance, his mother teaching operations management, and his grandparents teaching strategy. This highlights the absurdity of not seeking expert guidance for specialized knowledge. The speaker then extends this logic to the far more significant matter of life itself. He questions why, for something as trivial as an MBA, one seeks an expert, but for the most important decisions in life, one relies on parents who may not be qualified. He challenges the popular notion that parents are the first gurus, arguing that parents themselves often need guidance and life education. By imposing their own ignorance and unfulfilled desires on their children, they misguide them. He asserts that the mistake lies with the individual for seeking life advice from those who are not experts in life. Furthermore, Acharya Prashant refutes the saying that "no work is small or big," calling it a foolish and misleading popular idiom, not a scriptural truth. He states that work is absolutely small or big. Citing the Bhagavad Gita, he explains that Shri Krishna distinguishes between different types of actions (Karma), such as Sakam Karma (action with desire), Nishkam Karma (selfless action), Akarma (inaction), and Vikarma (wrongful action). If all actions were equal, there would be no need for such distinctions, and the faculty of 'Vivek' (discernment) would be meaningless. He concludes by advising that for life's guidance, one must turn to the true experts—the Rishis, the scriptures, and the Saints—rather than relying on family, popular wisdom, or baseless idioms.
