Acharya Prashant addresses the question of why humans are so attracted to enduring pain. He explains that it is because they have a pre-existing knowledge of something beyond pain. In the depths of their subconscious, there is a very faint imprint of something that is beyond pain. They know it and are familiar with it from a very long time ago. No matter how much pain there is, a person will generally tolerate it for the sake of that bliss which they know is real, not a dream, a pretense, or an illusion. They know that bliss is possible. For its sake, a person holds on to hope until the very last moment. For its sake, a 105-year-old person wants to live a little longer. For its sake, a person with a fatal disease asks the doctor if they can get two more months. For its sake, even a death-row inmate tries to get their sentence postponed. At the center of all these behaviors lies a very faint memory of bliss. It is present within us, which is why we keep on living. That is why we sometimes blindly chase this thing or that person. That is also why nothing satisfies us. If we did not know the ultimate bliss, how could we say that a particular thing did not give us satisfaction? How did we measure it? How did we compare? For comparison, the other pan of the scale must be present, and it is present within us. We have no choice; we have to attain that which is at the root of all our urges, thoughts, and feelings. As deep as it is, we have to achieve that height. Otherwise, life will remain filled with dissatisfaction. The pain we endure is also for the sake of attaining bliss, but we make attempts in the wrong way, from the wrong center, and in the wrong direction. The very existence of pain is proof of bliss. Addressing the question of whether attaining bliss is possible in this lifetime, the speaker states that believing it is not possible is not in our best interest. If it is not possible, then life will be unbearable. As long as it is not possible, pain will remain. You can reassure yourself as much as you want that attaining bliss is not possible in this lifetime, but the one sitting inside who demands only bliss, how will you explain it to them? They will cry, make noise, and trouble you daily. It is better not to give yourself such an argument. Birth itself has happened to attain it, and all actions and energy should go in that direction.
