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वो माँ है - जो तुम चाहोगे वो दे देगी || आचार्य प्रशांत, वेदांत महोत्सव (2022)
172.2K views
3 years ago
Prakriti (Nature)
Adivasi (Tribal)
Consciousness
Natural Happiness
Spiritual Bliss
Mahamaya
Mahamukti
Choice
Description

A questioner asks about the lifestyle of tribal people in Bastar, mentioning their practices like hunting, treating illnesses with animal bones, and having different social norms regarding marriage. He asks whether their way of life is appropriate and if their actions, like hunting, constitute violence, and whether they need something like Vedanta. Acharya Prashant responds by explaining that these tribal people are the children of nature. He describes nature as an excellent mother who nurtures her children in her lap, including humans, animals, birds, insects, and plants. She takes full care of them. He points out that their very name, 'Adivasi', means they are the original inhabitants, existing since primordial times, even before modern civilization, culture, or scriptures. Nature has taken such good care of them that they have remained like children, just as they were in ancient times. Nature keeps them in her lap, feeding and nurturing them. However, there is a danger in this. Nature is such an affectionate mother that she never lets her child go far. While it is essential for a child to eventually leave the mother's lap and move forward, nature's loving embrace can prevent this. The child remains physically healthy and content, but misses out on the evolution of consciousness. This is the state of the Adivasi people. They live with a simple happiness, free from the mental illnesses common in urban societies, but they also miss out on consciousness. There is a danger that they might remain stuck in a state of natural pleasure. Acharya Prashant distinguishes between two types of happiness: natural (prakritik) and spiritual (aatmik). Spiritual happiness is called bliss (anand). Animals only have access to natural happiness, but humans have a choice between the two. Most people choose natural happiness, but spiritual bliss calls to them. To attain it, they try to find it through natural means, like seeking samadhi through sex or bliss through food. This is where urban culture has emerged. Nature is a mysterious thing; she is both Mahamaya (the great illusion) and Mahamukti (the great liberation). It depends on your intentions. She is the mother who is both. For those who want illusion, she provides plenty of it. For those who want liberation, she provides that too. It depends on the relationship you establish with the mother. If you have the wrong relationship, the mother becomes a great calamity; with the right relationship, she grants liberation.