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Emotional dependency and loneliness || Acharya Prashant, with IIT Bombay (2020)
Shakti
2.7K views
1 year ago
Loneliness
Dependency
Ego
Incompleteness
Vedant
Shri Krishna
Mahavir
Liberation
Description

Acharya Prashant explains that loneliness and dependency are not superficial issues but fundamental aspects of the human condition. He asserts that all dependency arises from a deep-seated sense of incompleteness and imperfection that humans carry from birth. This dissatisfaction with one's own existence drives people to acquire knowledge, wealth, and relationships in a desperate attempt to rectify what they perceive as a flawed self. He notes that the human child requires decades of training and social conditioning because we are biologically and socially born with limitations and a sense of being 'incorrect'. He describes loneliness as an existential problem rather than a situational one, stating that we are lonely simply because we exist as an ego-identified entity. This feeling of incompleteness leads to a constant desire to add or affix something to ourselves to feel 'okay'. While many people try to escape this through shallow distractions like social gatherings or entertainment, Acharya Prashant argues that these are merely antidepressants that provide temporary relief. He suggests that as long as one continues to feed the false sense of self, they remain condemned to loneliness and dependency. To truly overcome these issues, Acharya Prashant advocates for a shift in how one exists, moving beyond the ego. He invites the listener to explore spiritual scriptures and the teachings of figures like Shri Krishna, Mahavir, and various Rishis. He explains that by engaging with these higher teachings, one finds a sense of fulfillment that makes worldly loneliness irrelevant. Instead of desperately seeking to add people to one's life, a person begins to purify their life by removing unnecessary clutter and distractions. This transformation turns a person from a 'beggar' seeking company into a position of power and discretion, where they value the sanctity of their own mental space.