Acharya Prashant responds to a question about whether self-love, in the sense of seeking liberation from one's own suffering, is a form of deep ego. He agrees that this "deep ego" is indeed necessary, explaining that where there is a profound ego, there is the Self (Atma). He states that if the ego were to resolve just once to escape its suffering, the task would be accomplished. However, the ego typically avoids this resolution and instead seeks superficial remedies like ointments, bandages, intoxication, or good food. It never truly demands a complete end to its pain, thereby fooling itself. Acharya Prashant elaborates that this deep desire for liberation is, in fact, love, which is why love and death are intrinsically linked. He describes our ordinary life as one of lovelessness (aprem). The day true love arrives, the death of the ego will begin, clarifying that this is not a physical death. He quotes the saints: "If love and death do not walk together, what kind of love is it?" Love that leaves a person unchanged is not love at all. The arrival of true love is like a death warrant for the old self. It is not about providing worldly comforts but is a "deadly" (kaatil) force that annihilates the ego. He further explains that a person who truly loves themselves, possessing sensitivity towards their own condition, will lead themselves towards the end of the ego. Conversely, someone lacking this self-sympathy will merely preserve their current state with superficial fixes, akin to rubbing oil on the skin of a bone cancer patient or using mouthwash for a rotten tooth. The world (Sansaar) itself is a product of this lovelessness; it is the disease that arises from the lack of love. When love comes, the ego and the world it perceives are erased. The world, as it appears to us, exists only because of the absence of love. Acharya Prashant explains that the only cure for suffering is love and surrender. He advises to be like a motorcycle that, when kicked, starts running, understanding the kick as a call to action rather than an insult to cry over. This requires a combination of patience and impatience: patiently waiting for the right opportunity and then acting with full, decisive force. He concludes by stating that any noble work or mission, if pursued with deep love, will inevitably lead to spirituality. To take any mission to its fruition, one must understand life deeply, which is the essence of spirituality. Therefore, a true activist must become spiritual, or their mission will eventually stall.
