Acharya Prashant explains that self-knowledge, devotion, and realization are highly practical disciplines that begin with the direct experience of internal unrest and incompleteness. He emphasizes that because this restlessness is an internal condition, one does not need an external benchmark to validate its existence. The success of any spiritual process or teacher must be measured by the same practical criteria: whether the individual's restlessness has actually been reduced. He asserts that the final proof of any method's efficacy lies within the seeker; if the mind's wandering, suspicion, anger, and worries have cooled down, then the process is beneficial. He advises that one should not be swayed by a teacher's reputation, the number of followers, or the grandeur of ceremonies, but should instead focus on the single-pointed aim of spirituality, which is ease and peace. If a process results in peace, one should continue with it regardless of doubts; if it does not, it should be dropped no matter how authoritative it seems. Acharya Prashant concludes that the duration and intensity of one's spiritual practice depend entirely on the individual's love for peace and the real. Just as breathing is essential for the body, the thirst for peace determines how much patience and effort one is willing to invest in their spiritual journey.
