On YouTube
धर्म बदलना नहीं चाहता, पर सहा भी नहीं जाता || आचार्य प्रशांत (2021)
44.6K views
4 years ago
Casteism
Sanatana Dharma
Advaita Vedanta
Upanishads
Atman
Religious Conversion
Discrimination
Adi Shankaracharya
Description

Acharya Prashant addresses a questioner who, as a Dalit, feels trapped between converting to another religion and enduring the casteism within traditional Hinduism. The speaker identifies the core problem as the questioner's belief that these are the only two available options. He explains that the entire issue stems from this limited perspective, which equates traditional Hindu practices with Sanatana Dharma itself. Acharya Prashant strongly refutes the idea that Sanatana Dharma is synonymous with casteism. He clarifies that he is not defending the form of religion practiced in society, which is indeed filled with caste-based and other forms of discrimination. Instead, he points towards the real Sanatana Dharma, which, at its core, does not tolerate any kind of division. He asserts that true Sanatana Dharma and casteism are fundamentally opposed. The speaker presents a third path: the path of Vedanta. He explains that the pinnacle of Vedic Dharma is Vedanta, and its purest expression is Advaita Vedanta, which means non-duality. The very term 'Advaita' signifies 'not two' and stands for the negation of all separation and division. Citing the Upanishads, he explains that neither the body, which is matter, nor the Atman (the Self), which is unborn, can have a caste. All such distinctions are considered illusory. He advises the questioner to identify with Vedanta. If asked about their religion, they should say 'Vedanta,' and if asked about their caste, they should say 'Advaita.' He states that the real identity is the Atman, which is unborn and untouched by any external conditions. By being established in the Self, one becomes immune to the effects of insults or discrimination. The way forward, he concludes, is to seek the company of that which leads one from the body-centric identity to the realization of the Self.