Acharya Prashant responds to a question about a couplet by Kabir Saheb, which states that lustful, angry, and greedy people cannot practice devotion; only a brave warrior (surma) can. The questioner asks how this is possible when the mind and its tendencies seem inseparable from the human body. Acharya Prashant begins by defining the mind as the world (sansar) itself, comprising all material objects and subjects of thought. He challenges the premise that one is perpetually bound to the mind, asking if it is one's constant experience to be engrossed in material thoughts. He asserts that this is not the case, as there are moments when something non-material and transcendental becomes important. He points out that experiences like love, understanding (bodh), and liberation (mukti) are part of life, and during these moments, the focus on material objects, and therefore the mind and the world, is absent. He uses the act of listening attentively in the present moment as a direct proof: when one is truly listening, worldly affairs do not enter the mind. The words enter and dissolve into an inner space, leaving nothing behind. This proves that a living being does not always have to be with the mind. He encourages extending these moments of being separate from the mind, suggesting that a life beyond the world can be lived even while being in it. Acharya Prashant then defines the 'surma' or brave warrior in the context of fearlessness. He explains that where there is matter, there is fear, arising from the hope of gaining something and the apprehension of losing it. Therefore, a person living in the mind is living in fear. The life beyond the mind is a fearless life. He concludes that finding beauty, attaining truth, and becoming fearless are one and the same. This fearless state, which is beyond the mind, is the quality of the 'surma' that Kabir Saheb speaks of.
