Acharya Prashant addresses a question about the perceived circularity in the cause of suffering. He explains that the choice to remain distant from the Self is a completely sovereign one. Because it is sovereign, no external cause can be assigned to it, which is why it appears circular. There is no linear chain of causation leading to a single root cause; the root cause is simply one's own will (marzi). If one asks for the reason behind this will, the answer is the will itself. The speaker notes that the ego (aham) finds this unacceptable and always seeks to find a cause for its state of lovelessness outside of itself, in nature. In reality, there is no external cause; one's own will is the reason. Elaborating on this, Acharya Prashant states that this will can be described in various ways depending on the context—as arising from bad company, ignorance, or a lack of love. Fundamentally, however, the will is just the will, with no cause above it. It is the will of the ego. When the questioner brings up psychological concepts like the subconscious, Acharya Prashant clarifies that these are merely the contents of the ego, not the ego itself. He posits that since the ego does not even know itself, it cannot truly know its contents. The only way to understand nature (Prakriti) is to move away from it towards the Self (Atma), which is the state of being a witness (sakshitva). He concludes by explaining the nature of the spiritual journey. One who is immersed in the world cannot understand it; only the one who maintains a distance can. The desire for truth must become one's very life. The journey itself is the destination, and the effort is the attainment. No one can guarantee attainment; even the saints only say, "We are walking." The true, selfless lover's prayer is not for attainment but to be able to continue walking on the path for their entire life. A desire that does not translate into the action of walking the path is unfaithful.