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हृदय से जीना || आचार्य प्रशांत, वेदांत पर (2020)
29.7K views
5 years ago
Heart
Supreme Source
Ego
Senses
Truth
Shri Krishna
Bhagavad Gita
Self-love
Description

Acharya Prashant explains that if a being is operated by the heart, it is, in fact, operated by the supreme source. This is a significant condition. When one is operated by the heart, the senses become pure, as Shri Krishna describes in the Bhagavad Gita. Then, the senses abandon their impurities and limitations, which cause a being to remain in delusion. When the senses are pure, one does not see the external world of objects and illusion; instead, the same element that is the seer within is seen outside. This is the true and ideal state where the seer, the seen, and the instrument of seeing are all completely pure and, therefore, one. From the listener's perspective, the speaker points out that in this ideal state, the individual self, or 'I', is absent. The seer, the doer, the instrument, and the action are all That (the supreme source). The belief that 'I am the doer' is a mistake and an illusion. If you live in Truth, 'you' will not live; the Truth will live. To exist as an individual is to be the untruth, which brings all the limitations and bondages that cause suffering. The supreme element is omnipresent and not bound by personal limitations, unlike humans whose senses and intellect are limited. We are compelled to make decisions based on this limited perception, which leads to mistakes and suffering. The speaker uses an analogy of a train journey to illustrate the choice between relying on one's limited personal capacity (the ego) and surrendering to a greater power. One can use their legs to walk the entire distance or use them to catch the train. The ego's pride prevents it from taking help, even if it means never reaching the destination. The ego would rather walk and claim it did everything by itself. This is the ego's problem with the 'train' (the greater power). The speaker clarifies that choosing the 'train' is not an easy or lazy option; it requires great spiritual effort to even be able to catch it. When faced with the choice between the mind and the heart, the mind, being identified with the ego, finds it difficult to choose the heart over itself. The speaker advises that true self-love is to reject the limited self (the mind) for the sake of the heart (the Truth). This is not cruelty to oneself but the highest form of love and discipline. Similarly, true love for another person means prioritizing Truth over them for their ultimate well-being. This means when a choice arises between Truth and the other person, the choice must not be in favor of the person. By rejecting the person in favor of Truth, one shows them the highest love and fulfills their dharma towards them.