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AC love vs DC love || Acharya Prashant, with NIT-Silchar (2022)
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3 years ago
Love
Fear of Failure
Desire for Results
Physical Nature (Prakriti)
Duality
Vedanta
Paralysis
Present Moment
Description

Acharya Prashant addresses the question of how to be free from the pressure of results while preparing for something. He begins by stating that the reaction to the urgency of a deadline, whether it paralyzes or energizes, depends entirely on the motivation behind the action. The crucial differentiating factor, he explains, is love. When an action is driven by the desire for accomplishment or external results, it is rooted in our physical nature (Prakriti). This motivation leads to a fear of failure, which can cause paralysis—a natural, mechanical, biological response to an imminent threat. This desire for results is described as carnal and bodily, and if fulfillment is not achieved, the desire becomes weak, frustrated, and de-energized. In contrast, when an action is driven by innate love, it possesses a magical quality that can break the mechanical patterns of physical nature. Love provides limitless energy and patience, overwhelming any fear of failure or feelings of paralysis. A person acting from love will continue to surge ahead even if they feel paralyzed, wanting the object of their love so desperately that nothing can overpower that want. With love, one strives until the very last breath, regardless of success or failure, because there are no other options. Love is not concerned with results; it is the magic that transcends the barriers of physicality. Acharya Prashant dismisses the notion of a "long-term" love that isn't present in the current moment, calling the long term an imaginary concept and a facade of the ego. One cannot be a "master chef in the future" if the "pudding is horrible now." This alternating behavior between motivation and laziness is likened to "AC (alternating current) love." What is truly needed is "DC (direct current) love"—a constant, unwavering state. He concludes by suggesting that Vedanta is the great transformer that can convert the duality-ridden "AC" of desire into the constant "DC" of love.