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If Truth is not in words, why does the teacher speak? || Acharya Prashant (2018)
Acharya Prashant
278 views
7 years ago
Communication
Truth
Silence
Nearness
Listening
Teacher-Student Relationship
Ego
Engagement
Description

Acharya Prashant addresses the perceived futility of words in communicating truth, explaining that while words are incapable of directly conveying the ultimate truth, they are an essential tool for engagement. He describes the teacher's speech as a means to keep the student's curious and restless mind occupied. By engaging the mind with stories, questions, and answers, the teacher creates a possibility for nearness and intimacy. This nearness is not physical but refers to the mind coming closer to its own source. He uses the analogy of a doctor telling a child a captivating story to distract them while silently administering a necessary injection; similarly, words serve to distract the 'ego' or the 'guard' that prevents real understanding from entering.