Acharya Prashant explains that authority becomes dangerous and blasphemous when a person assumes it for personal reasons rather than acting on behalf of the truth. While this cannot be objectively verified, an intelligent and attentive seeker can discern a teacher's authenticity by observing their actions and the presence of duality in their teachings. He notes that a real teacher would never permit dualistic elements, such as certain hymns, within their influence. If an institution grows so large that the teacher loses control over its content, it should be dissolved rather than allowing it to spread dangerous ideas. He further discusses the nature of truth and time, stating that while the core of a spiritual teaching is timeless, its external forms are time-bound and specific to a particular era. He uses the metaphor of seasonal flowers to explain that truth manifests continually in new forms. Problems arise when people try to preserve the old fragrance of a past master through organized religion, which often ends up suppressing new expressions of truth. He argues that it is foolish to try and insulate time-bound institutions from change, as only the timeless remains untouched by time, while everything else must eventually pass away.
