Acharya Prashant addresses a question about the potential negative effects of free services offered by institutions like temples, gurdwaras, and hospitals. He explains that the outcome depends on both the giver and the receiver. The giver, such as a gurdwara providing free meals (langar), cannot practically restrict access to ensure only the truly needy benefit. Their intention is to help those who cannot afford basic necessities, not to encourage freeloading. He acknowledges that anything, even nectar, can become poison depending on the user's intention, illustrating this with a pen that can be used for writing or for self-harm. While the giver's action is right, the receiver must exercise their own discretion. There is a great danger for the person who receives. Taking something for free when one is not genuinely in need is not without cost; one will have to pay a very heavy price for it. He contrasts this with purchasing an item, where the danger is less because its price is paid. Things that are free are meant only for those in absolute need. If someone who is not in dire need takes something for free, they will have to pay a price five times its value. He introduces the term 'Ayachi', which describes the nature of the Self as one who never begs, and contrasts it with the ego, which is 'Sada-yachi' or always begging. In response to a follow-up question about being stuck on a recurring thought despite intellectually understanding its futility, Acharya Prashant advises going through the experience. He suggests that if an experience is calling so strongly, one should undergo it to learn the lesson firsthand. This process is an experiment, a counter-question posed to the ego's claims, which can only be settled through experience. He likens the mind to a child who sometimes needs to fall to learn, but cautions that one should only allow for small, controlled falls and not catastrophic ones. Making small mistakes is necessary to learn and avoid bigger ones in the future.
