Acharya Prashant explains that the ego views the present in the context of the past to save itself from the danger inherent in the present moment. He states that in the past, one has perceived situations incorrectly, and the individual is a result of that mistake. That mistake is embedded within the person. If one were to see the present correctly, the mistake would be rectified. However, since the mistake is the person themself, correcting it would mean the dissolution of the self. This is why there is security in the past, as the self is a creation of the past, a product of nature (Prakriti). If one were not a creation of the past, one would not be so attached to it. It becomes necessary for the ego to neglect the present, even though the present is the only point where one can enter the truth. The present is dangerous for the ego, which originates from the past and requires subjects from the past to exist. Therefore, preserving and remaining connected to the past is essential for the ego's survival. We live a life of great helplessness, making a mistake in the past and carrying it throughout our lives, which only deepens the original error. The speaker cites Jiddu Krishnamurti, suggesting that humanity took a wrong turn at the moment of birth, which initiated the cycle of time and the past. In spirituality, liberation means freedom from the past. The speaker illustrates this point with examples from Shakespearean tragedies and Indian epics. Characters like Karna, Bhishma, and Duryodhana are bound by their past, which leads to their downfall. Their tragedy is their inability to forget what happened before. We live as if we are nothing but the identities given to us by nature, society, experience, and the past, lacking the freedom to see the truth of the present moment and surrender to it. The only recourse is knowledge and a firm resolve to disassociate from the allure of the past.