Acharya Prashant addresses the question of whether the mind's forgetfulness is more powerful than the Truth. He begins by stating that calling the Truth 'powerful' is neither a very meaningful nor a useful statement. From a fundamental perspective, the Truth is neither powerful nor powerless. He explains this using the Indian concept of Shiva and Shakti. Shiva is simply Shiva; it is not appropriate to call him powerful. Shiva and Shakti are separate; Shiva does not exist on the dimension of power. If a beautiful relationship exists between them, life becomes auspicious, but Shiva himself is not powerful, nor is he weak. He exists on a dimension higher than power. Regarding who is powerful, Acharya Prashant asserts that as far as we are concerned, we are the ones who are powerful. We possess so much power that we can reject the Truth, we can reject Shiva. We can forget them and set them aside. He refers to the Upanishads, which say that the Self (Atman) is not attained by the knowledgeable, the devotee, or those who perform rituals or good deeds. The Self is attained by the one whom the Self chooses. This implies that we have the power to choose the Self, and consequently, the power not to choose it. We are such formidable kings that we have the freedom to reject even the Truth. Your life is your sovereignty, and you can live it as you wish. The Truth will not impose itself upon you. It will be present, but whether you want to relate to it is your choice. If you wish to relate to it, you will not find it far; if you do not, it will not compel you. This is why human birth is more of a misfortune than a fortune, because both paths are available: to choose the Truth or to reject it, and most people choose to reject it. You do not simply 'forget' the Truth; you choose to remember something else. There is no God who will hold you accountable. The consequence of choosing the wrong path is not some future punishment, but that you become wrong in the very moment of choosing.
