Acharya Prashant addresses the question of whether it is necessary for all seekers to rely on scriptures, given that the ancient Rishis who wrote the Upanishads gained knowledge through introspection. He explains that it is important to take a broad perspective that applies to most people, and that quoting exceptions, like the Rishis, greatly increases the possibility of being misled. The Rishis were rare individuals, perhaps one in a hundred crore, who paid a tremendous price to know the Truth by renouncing everything that was an obstacle on their path. The problem arises when the vast majority of people use the example of this one Rishi to justify not reading scriptures, claiming they too can attain Truth without them. The speaker directly challenges this by asking, "Are you a Rishi of the Upanishads? Have you paid the same price? Do you have the same devotion to Truth?" He points out that it is the ego's nature to immediately compare itself to great figures like Sanatkumara, Yajnavalkya, or Ashtavakra, without possessing their qualities. This comparison becomes an excuse to avoid the effort of study. The speaker asserts that the real reason for avoiding scriptures is often laziness and a deep-seated spiritual illiteracy, which is very costly. He notes that the people who avoid spiritual books today are often the same ones who looked for shortcuts in school. The core of religion lies in its teachings and philosophy, which are preserved in scriptures like the Upanishads and the Gita, which are essentially dialogues. To dismiss them is to dismiss the very essence of spiritual guidance. The ego's real agenda is not to erase the old, but to erase the Truth. It seeks to preserve rotten superstitions in the name of culture while dismissing the true, ancient wisdom of scriptures as mere "bookish knowledge." He highlights the irony of people citing saints like Ramana Maharshi or Osho to justify not reading, when these figures themselves were profoundly well-read and constantly referred to various scriptures. He refutes the hypothetical argument that people are merely memorizing scriptures without understanding, stating the real problem is that most people don't even know a single verse. He concludes with an analogy: the scripture is a boat to cross the river of worldly illusion. The instruction is to use the boat and then leave it behind. However, many people, without even getting in the boat, claim it's useless. This is like a shopkeeper on one bank who discourages people from crossing so they remain his customers. The true guide, the boatman, is less attractive because he demands the effort of the journey.
