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Acharya ji, you are at the top. How does it feel? || Acharya Prashant, with IRMA (2023)
12.7K views
2 years ago
Journey of life
Liberation
Goal of life
Accomplishments
Milestones
Attachment
Restlessness
Description

Acharya Prashant responds to a question about his feelings regarding his past accomplishments by stating they feel like "nothing special." He explains that he has to consciously think about these so-called accomplishments only because he is being asked; otherwise, they do not remain in his memory or consciousness. He describes himself as a traveler on a long, probably endless, journey and emphasizes that one cannot keep thinking about the milestones that have been passed. These achievements, he says, were never the end goal but were almost accidental things that occurred along the way. The speaker clarifies that the goal of life should not be something that can be achieved as early as age 21 or 25, because then one is left with nothing to live for. The real end, he states, is liberation. One must continue moving until the "mover," the restless self, is no more, which he clarifies is not physical death. The true goal is something like reaching the "top of the Himalayas," and one cannot build a house at a milestone or become a resident in a city one passes through on such a journey. Addressing a follow-up question about losing people on this journey, Acharya Prashant acknowledges it is a "big pain." He admits that a part of him likes to get attached and is "quite sticky," and he doesn't like to leave people behind. This creates a conflict, as he cannot compromise his own journey, yet he cannot force others to keep pace with him because they have their own comfort zones. He tries to carry them, but sometimes they are not ready, and all one can do is wait, hope, and remain available. He concludes by saying he doesn't feel he has achieved anything of much worth, so his behavior hasn't changed, and he still considers himself very immature.