Acharya Prashant addresses a teacher's question about the significance of 'Guru Dakshina' (an offering to the teacher), especially when teaching underprivileged students for free. He explains that there are two aspects to this matter. The first is from the Guru's perspective. The Guru should show as much compassion as possible and should not harbor any greed or desire to live a life of luxury using the students' money. He commends the questioner for already teaching many students for free, stating that this is a benevolent act. The second, and more crucial, aspect is from the disciple's perspective. The speaker emphasizes the psychology of the disciple. A disciple must pay a price. A student who does not pay a price will not benefit from the Guru, regardless of the Guru's goodwill. This is why the questioner observes that students who are taught for free do not pay attention and eventually leave. There is something within us, the ego, that cannot respect anything obtained for free. We value things based on the price we pay for them. The speaker highlights a paradox concerning Truth: Truth is priceless and has no monetary value, yet to attain it, one must be willing to pay the highest price. While Truth is freely available to all, the seeker's ego only values that for which a price has been paid. Therefore, 'Guru Dakshina' is not for the Guru's benefit but for the disciple's. A disciple will only receive in proportion to the price they are willing to pay. He advises the teacher to be discerning. For students who are genuinely in need, they should certainly be taught for free. However, for those who can afford to pay but are merely taking advantage of the teacher's goodwill, it must be understood that they are only saving money, not gaining an education. Waiving the fee for such students is a great disservice to them, as they will not value the teaching and consequently will not learn. Thus, one must be very careful when offering concessions.
