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What is liberation from the cycle of birth and death? || Acharya Prashant, on Nitnem Sahib (2019)
Scriptures and Saints
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1 year ago
Salvation
Liberation
Guru Nanak Dev Ji
Self-observation
Cycle of birth and death
Spiritual practice
Recitation
Divine Will
Description

Acharya Prashant explains that human birth is a significant opportunity for salvation, though it does not guarantee it. He describes the human life as a chance to observe one's patterns, weaknesses, and bondages to eventually eliminate them. He defines liberation from the cycle of birth and death as freedom from the endless sequence of trials and errors. In this context, every new hope or attempt is a 'birth', and every failure is a 'death'. Spiritual liberation is the actual success and attainment that ends this repetitive cycle of trying and failing. He emphasizes that spiritual practice is not about additional effort but about acting wisely and with discretion in one's existing efforts. Regarding the teachings of Guru Nanak Dev Ji, Acharya Prashant clarifies that recitation refers to constancy in remembrance. Whether mental or physical, the act of recitation is a demonstration of commitment and value toward the truth. He explains that to be loved by the Divine, one must ensure that the Divine is present in all thoughts and utterances. He uses the analogy of scented water to illustrate how ordinary actions and duties can carry the 'scent of the beyond'. By maintaining a continuous presence of the holy within all daily activities, those activities themselves are rendered holy.