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तुम भेड़ नहीं हो, फिर भीड़ के पीछे क्यों? || आचार्य प्रशांत (2023)
125.1K views
2 years ago
Crowd Mentality
Consciousness
Ego
Atma (Soul)
The Country of the Blind
H.G. Wells
Individuality
Truth
Description

Acharya Prashant begins by stating that it is one's own decision whether to sacrifice their eyes by following the crowd or to see the rainbow of existence. He asserts that there is no evidence of anyone ever finding happiness, peace, or joy by following the crowd and doing what everyone else does. He describes the crowd as a chaotic mob, similar to political rallies where people are paid to shout slogans, questioning their merit and quality. The crowd is just a disturbance. In response to a question about the tendency to follow the crowd for security and to avoid making decisions from one's own consciousness, Acharya Prashant explains that the ego is made from the crowd and survives on its sustenance. The feeling of 'I' comes from the body, but it is incomplete and seeks support from the crowd. If one's life is characterized by needing the crowd's approval, following trends, and constantly looking at what the public wants, it indicates a fragmented ego within. The soul (Atma), on the other hand, is identified by having its own eyes and being able to see clearly. The ego is like a blind person asking other blind people for directions, leading to a situation where, as Kabir Saheb said, "a blind man pushes a blind man, and both fall into the well." To illustrate his point, Acharya Prashant recounts the story 'The Country of the Blind' by H.G. Wells. In a valley, a community of people who have been blind for generations has forgotten what sight is. When a sighted man, Nunez, arrives, he thinks he will be king. However, the blind people consider him mad, believing his eyes are tumors causing his insanity. They propose to 'cure' him by removing his eyes. He falls in love and considers the surgery to be accepted, but upon seeing the beauty of the world—the rainbow, the rising sun, nature—he realizes he cannot give up his sight and flees. Acharya Prashant uses this story to emphasize the choice between sacrificing one's eyes for the crowd and seeing the beauty of existence. He concludes by warning that those who have seen the light of truth and knowledge cannot return to the crowd without immense suffering. Once you have come to Shri Krishna or stood before Ashtavakra, you will face a great penalty if you go back to the crowd. He advises the questioner to live according to her own consciousness, using her own eyes, intellect, and feet to walk her own path. The path to the destination for which one is born is found only when one walks according to their soul (Atma), not by following the crowd.