A questioner, who works in sales, is not getting promoted because his seniors say he cannot read clients' minds. He asks if Vedanta offers a method for mind-reading. Acharya Prashant responds that the desire to read others' minds through Vedanta is misguided. He explains that Vedanta's primary teaching is that the perceived difference between oneself and others is minimal and superficial. The fundamental illusion and the root of the ego is the belief that one is a separate entity from others. This sense of 'I' arises from the belief in a fundamental difference between oneself and the 'other'. Acharya Prashant elaborates that while differences like bodies, houses, families, and pasts appear to separate individuals, the underlying tendencies and conditions are the same. For instance, both individuals identify with their bodies, have a strong urge to build a home, are connected to their families, and are bound by their pasts. Both are born and will die. The deeper one investigates, the more similarities are found, ultimately leading to the realization of oneness. Therefore, the idea of an 'other' with a separate mind is questionable. To understand others' minds, one must first understand one's own mind in depth. Trying to read others' minds without self-knowledge is a futile effort. He points out that fundamentally, all minds are one, sharing common traits like fear, greed, the desire for security, the pursuit of profit, the yearning for love, the burden of past wounds, and hope for the future. He warns that if one truly comes to know one's own mind, one might also understand the real reasons for being in a particular job, which could lead to leaving it. When the secrets of the mind are revealed, it can disrupt one's life arrangements. If you understand your own mind, you will understand the minds of your seniors and clients, and you might lose interest in the job altogether. He concludes by stating that knowing oneself is to know the entire world, which is not merely a saying but a fact.
