u/shubhi0407

Weekend With Master camps with Acharya Prashant in Goa every weekend this August. 🎉
And a Janmashtami special program in September too. ✨

👉🏻 Registration link: https://acharyaprashant.org/en/upcoming-events?cmId=m00062-allevents

Friends and family can come along too - registrations are open for everyone 👨‍👩‍👧
📅 Dates:
22-23 August
29-30 August
4-5 September (Janmashtami Special Session)
📍 Venue: Goa

In one of the gita exams. A really interesting question on Gymming was asked:

Alex and Harry have been going to the same gym for the past two years. They usually work out together and follow similar routines. During most exercises, Harry manages to do only two or three more repetitions than Alex. Yet, over time, Harry has developed a noticeably stronger and more muscular physique.

Alex becomes increasingly envious. He keeps thinking, "He only does a couple more reps than I do. How can his body look so much better than mine?" Instead of examining his own training, nutrition, sleep, and consistency, Alex becomes preoccupied with comparing himself to Harry.

In the light of this situation, which of the following statement(s) is/are correct?

Options:

A. Visible success is usually the result of luck rather than accumulated effort.

B. Harry's physique proves that some people are naturally destined to succeed, regardless of effort.

C. Small daily improvements compound over time into remarkable results. Never underestimate the power of doing a little more each day.

D. Harry's physique proves that genetics is the only factor that matters.

E. The best way for Alex to improve is to focus on outperforming Harry rather than understanding his own training and habits.

Please explain the choice you selected

AI has now designed viruses that did not exist before.

Scientists have used AI models trained on the genetic information of about 2 million bacteriophages to design new viral genomes. In the laboratory, 16 of these AI-designed viruses proved viable, and a combination of them successfully killed strains of E. coli that were resistant to naturally occurring bacteriophages.

The potential benefit is enormous: AI could help design highly targeted bacteriophages to fight antibiotic-resistant infections and potentially transform phage therapy.

But the same breakthrough raises an uncomfortable question: if AI can design useful viruses, could it eventually design harmful ones?

The researchers deliberately excluded viruses that infect humans, animals and plants from their training data. Experts also point out that designing a completely new dangerous pathogen is currently far more difficult than modifying an existing pathogen.

Nevertheless, the technology has crossed an important threshold: AI can now generate genetic instructions that can be turned into functioning viruses.

The concern is therefore not that a dangerous virus has been created today, but that our ability to design biology may be advancing faster than our systems for governing it.

Experts argue that safety cannot depend on regulating AI models alone. It will require multiple layers—responsible AI development, research oversight, screening of synthetic DNA, and strong laboratory biosafety and biosecurity.

The question is no longer only what AI can create. It is whether humanity can develop the wisdom and safeguards to decide what should never be created.

Acharya Prashant often warns that knowledge without self-knowledge is potentially dangerous.

This deveopment raises that very question.

AI has now been used to design viruses that did not previously exist. The technology itself is neither good nor evil. It can potentially help us develop new ways of fighting antibiotic-resistant infections. But the same capability, placed in the hands of an ego driven by power, profit, fear, competition or domination, can be directed towards very different ends.

The danger, therefore, may not lie in the tool itself, but in the consciousness of the one who wields it.

As our technological power grows, our capacity to create—and consequently to destroy—grows with it. But if inner understanding does not grow at the same pace, knowledge can become an extraordinarily powerful servant of an ignorant ego.

Perhaps the real question is not merely:

“What can we create?”

but:

“Who is the one creating, and what does he want to do with his creation?”

Without self-knowledge, greater knowledge may simply give the ego greater instruments to fulfil its agenda.

The more powerful the tool, the more dangerous the unconscious user.

https://www.theguardian.com/science/2026/aug/06/safety-fears-as-scientists-make-first-viruses-designed-by-ai?CMP=share\_btn\_url

https://www.science.org/doi/10.1126/science.aec2657

Just imagine, A homeless, alcoholic man comes to live in your house. What would you do? Throw him out? Or give him a place to stay?

An old, kind-hearted landlord named Astafy did exactly that. He already had a tenant living with him. One day he met a homeless man called Emelyan a man who was always a little drunk, and looked sad and defeated. Out of pity, Astafy took him in as well. 

Slowly, small things started disappearing from the house. Nothing big, just little odds and ends. Astafy did suspect something, but he didn’t say anything.

Then one day, the tenant’s good pair of trousers went missing too. He badly needed those trousers, yet he stayed quiet. Emelyan was asked about them; he flatly denied it. But deep down, everyone knew he was lying. No one caught him, no one shouted at him. There was just silence. 

Time went by. Emelyan’s health got worse, and inside he kept crumbling. No one pointed a finger at him, yet he kept decaying within.

In the end, just before dying, he himself told the truth. He had stolen the trousers, sold them, and spent the money on alcohol. He asked for forgiveness, and a little while later, he died. The weight of a small theft carried not by anyone else, but by him alone.

No one punished Emelyan. No one humiliated him. Yet he fell apart. Why? Because the real accounting doesn’t happen outside; it happens within. That very burden kept eating him up from the inside.

Sometimes there’s no need to say anything to the person in front of you; simply leaving them alone with their mistake is enough. Their own ego does the rest.

The ego always demands a certain image of being a good person, an honest person. When that image shatters, even if there’s no punishment from the outside, punishment from within begins. Emelyan escaped external punishment, but he couldn’t escape his inner accounting.

If you were in Astafy’s place, would you have stayed quiet even after realizing the theft, or confronted him directly? Feel free to comment what you would have done.

Source

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/AnHonestThief

जानवर से दोस्ती करो। 🐾

📚 ऐसे ही छोटे, सार्थक कोट्स के लिए पढ़िए ‘बोध सूत्र’:

https://acharyaprashant.org/en/books/bk-bodh-sutra?cmId=m00147-bstr

​

I've been following this TV series for a while. And, more than the idea of dystopian future, realizations of the characters, there's another, very important concept quiet literally in the title - Black Mirror.

This show acts as a subtle mirror towards the audience as well. The feelings, anger, hatred one might feel through the episodes of this series, often went unnoticed for myself, but I was able to observe it for the characters. After the introduction to Vedanta, I've started catching that aspect of the life as well, even while consuming content, and, especially this series is directed with that in mind.

कबीर बादल प्रेम का,
हम पर बरसा आय।
अंतर भीगी आत्मा,
हरी भई बनराय।।

~ कबीर साहब

(Kabir, a cloud of love has come to shower upon us.
The inner Atma is drenched, the forest has turned lush and green.)

~Kabir Sahab

This couplet of Kabir Sahab is as deep as it is beautiful, and it’s a wonderful coincidence that today it perfectly matches the weather in Goa. Just as the inner earth turns green with the rain of love, Goa too is at this time in full bloom, at its greenest and most beautiful.

Amidst this beauty we thought, why not hold this year’s Janmashtami Mahotsav in Goa, when Goa is at its most magnificent.

And yes, we do not want any financial constraint to stop you from attending this session. So this time the registration has been made completely free of cost. The Foundation will bear all the management expenses; you just need to take care of your travel and stay expenses!

Those who have already made a donation for registration will receive a refund from the Foundation.

The venue chosen for the session is Palolem, one of the most picturesque places in Goa. 🌴

*Date:* 4th & 5th Aug
*Time:* 5 PM

Registration links:

4 September:
https://acharyaprashant.org/en/seat-reservation/janmashtami2026-d1/register

5 September: https://acharyaprashant.org/en/seat-reservation/janmashtami2026-d2/register

Please note: Your selection will be based on your counselor’s approval. You will receive the final confirmation via email and WhatsApp.

Travel & Accommodation

Palolem is about an hour’s distance from the main city, Margao. Local buses here run only till 7 PM.
So we would suggest that you either arrange your stay in Palolem itself, or rent a separate vehicle. By staying in Palolem, you will also be able to fully savour the beauty of this place.

Those who have already enrolled for the Janmashtami session, can apply for refund of their donation amount via below link. Those who fill the form, their amounts will be refunded within 1 week of filling.
https://forms.gle/pX7pBc76wVPiARxn6

Acharya Prashant is appearing on 'Mirror Now' tomorrow morning.

Date & Time: Sunday, 16 August 2026, 7:00 AM
Channel: ‘Mirror Now’

Channel numbers:
- Tata Play → 612
- Airtel → 394
- Videocon d2h → 899
- Dish TV → 773

In mid-2015, just after turning 26, I became disillusioned with the well-worn path I was walking. Over a few weeks I sold everything I owned, quit my job, ended a toxic relationship, said goodbye to family and friends as if I might never see them again, and left Australia on a one-way ticket to Thailand and beyond. I had no clear plan for what I was doing, where I was going, or how I would make money. All I knew was that I had to get away from it all.

I wandered SE Asia cheaply and slowly. During that time I read the scriptures, watched a lot of satsang from Advaita teachers on YouTube, and roamed around aimlessly, seeing who I would spontaneously meet. I always seemed to end up in deep conversations with people who had something insightful to share.

Strangely, along the way some people kept telling me I needed to visit Rishikesh.

So on 15 March 2016 I landed in Dehradun straight from Bangkok, took a taxi to Laxman Jhula, checked into a nearby hostel, and went straight out for a walk to see what Rishikesh was about.

At the top of Laxman Jhula bridge I saw a small kiosk with books and posters. Shubhankar Ji approached me and asked if I was interested in Advaita / non-duality. I said yes, and he invited me to satsang that evening with a living Master, Acharya Prashant. I had never heard of him before.

I took the Myth Demolition Tour flyer and saw there were daily sessions at 8 pm starting that very day.

That evening I arrived at a small café and sat listening to the Ganga while waiting with about 20–30 other people and the PAF team for Acharya Prashant to speak. Eventually he arrived on the platform and began. I listened with complete attention — honestly listening to see if I could find any fault or sense any insincerity. I was cynical and suspicious, but curious.

After about half an hour, still unable to find fault, I spoke up and shared a little of my experience, then asked him a question about “the Witness.” With incredible precision he pointed out that I was objectifying the Witness by speaking about it, and showed the absurdity of claiming to witness the Witness. I was stunned into silence by how cleanly he caught the ego’s mental gymnastics.

In that moment I knew he was the one I needed to learn from — because he could help me see myself. He was fast enough to catch me where no one else could. From that day I became a student of Acharyaji.

For the next few weeks in Rishikesh, Acharyaji spent the whole afternoon before the evening sessions in the café, his books scattered across the table, available for anyone to approach and sit with him. There was barely anyone else there. I was able to spend hours asking questions, then listen to him speak in the evenings. It was a truly auspicious and magical time.

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A thought provoking dialogue with Philosopher Acharya Prashant and Prof. (Dr.) Nachiketa Singh on Conflict Resolution & Human Security exploring inner clarity, ethical leadership & value based education.

On August 8, a Sant Sarita session with Acharya Ji was held in Delhi-NCR during the Weekend With Master camp. The session followed communal singing of bhajans and a special activity of the Holistic Individual Development Program (HIDP). This August 8-9 camp was the last camp with Acharya Ji in Delhi-NCR this month, and people from across the country gathered in large numbers to attend it.
In this session, Acharya Ji explained the lines of Kabir Saheb's bhajan 'Santo So Nij Des Hamara', elaborating on how four things- age, caste, gender, and financial status- often end up determining our entire lives, even though none of them are truly our own. He explained that real dance or music isn't the name of repeating some particular action or pattern, but of the movement that arises naturally in the ego's absence- much like a leaf sways when the wind blows. Acharya Ji also made it clear that while knowledge is necessary, it isn't sufficient- unless knowledge is accompanied by a certain abandon, a flow in one's life, old beliefs remain stuck somewhere within.
Weekend With Master camps with Acharya Ji will be held every weekend through August in Goa, for which registrations are open. HIDP activities will be a part of these camps as well. This is the same program that Acharya Ji crafted over a decade ago, and it is aimed at making us aware of our unconscious habits and patterns.
Videos of the camp sessions will be shared with you soon.

On 2 August, an interesting HIDP (Holistic Individual Development Program) group-discussion activity took place during the Weekend With Master camp with Acharya Prashant. Topics discussed included Lokdharma versus Swadharma, vegetarianism and our tendency toward excess consumption, the current state of education, and the real purpose of education. Participants were divided into different groups, and each group was assigned one of these topics. Every group had eight participants who began by presenting their views and supporting their arguments with necessary data and facts.

After that, the discussion was opened to all the remaining participants, who asked questions to those eight people. This led to a lively dialogue on issues connected to everyday life and gave participants the chance to look at these subjects from a new perspective. Participants who had come from across the country took part in it with great enthusiasm. After this activity, Acharya Prashant’s session on the Ashtavakra Gita was also held.

HIDP is the program that Acharya Prashant created more than a decade ago, and its purpose is to help us rise above our unconscious habits and patterns. Several such HIDP activities take place in every Weekend With Master camp. The next Weekend With Master camp is starting tomorrow. In August, Weekend With Master camps will be organised every weekend in Goa, and registrations for them are open.

Videos of the sessions from the 1–2 August camp will be shared with you soon.

On 25 and 26 July, some interesting HIDP (Holistic Individual Development Program) role-play activities were organized at the Weekend With Master camp. Participants from all over the country were divided into groups and each group was given about an hour to create a story that would expose the distorted beliefs of the common man and the secular world in everyday life. The participants were asked to recite the poetic meanings of verses from the Bhagavad Gita composed by Acharya Prashant and the couplets of Kabir Sahib in their own stories, as if songs are recited in a Bollywood movie, and then present it to the rest of the participants.
The participants presented plays inspired by their own lives, in which various forms of public morality emerged, ranging from superstitions to the oppression of women, criminal mentality, and ruthless profiteering. After each performance, the audience was invited to ask questions to the artists, leading to a lively discussion and debate on various aspects of everyday life, beliefs, and the mental patterns of the common man.

Acharya Prashant, the creator of HIDP, had been working on this for over a decade, and its grand return took place at the two-day Weekend With Master camps held in July. These activities provided an opportunity for the participants to look inward and clearly see their unconscious habits and patterns. The next Weekend With Master camp is scheduled to take place in Delhi-NCR this weekend, August 8-9. After that, Weekend With Master camps will be held in Goa throughout August every weekend.

Today we said to Acharya Ji: “Acharya Ji, Goa’s weather is so pleasant. And here we keep disturbing you morning and evening; we don’t even let you sleep properly. Please spend a few days in solitude in Goa and work on your books.” 📖

Acharya Ji said: “Alright. But whether it’s Delhi or Goa, I must keep meeting the Community regularly! Announce Goa sessions right away.” 💗

Us: “Sure, on which weekend?”

Acharya Ji: “Every weekend!”

Us: 😮

So, on Acharya Ji’s instruction, every weekend in August in Goa will now be Weekend With Master! 🎉

So register, then start preparing. See you in Goa! ✨

Registration link for all upcoming sessions 🔗
https://acharyaprashant.org/en/upcoming-events

And yes, want to bring family and friends along to Goa? Perfect, just register everyone._👨‍👩‍👧‍👦

The participants are in full preparation mode. 💪

From planning to practicing, the energy and enthusiasm are contagious. 🌟

Can't wait to see everyone bring their best on stage! 💪🏻

On the morning of July 26, the next session of the Weekend With Master camp with Acharya Prashant was held, which saw a large number of people attending from across the country, while thousands also joined online. In this Vedant Samhita session, Acharya Prashant explained a verse from the Ribhu Gita, elaborating on how there is no such thing as "pure consciousness" or an "ego-free truth," since whatever is said or experienced can only be for someone- an absolute, independent truth is impossible.

Acharya Prashant made it clear that when the ego declares itself to be non-existent, it is a far more dangerous state than when it is heavy and bloated, since the ego that cannot be seen is the one that deceives the most. He also explained that non-duality is not a state or a doctrine, but an ongoing process of the ego continuously thinning out, and on this path, honesty is the ultimate test.

Following the session, special HIDP (Holistic Individual Development Program) activities crafted by Acharya Prashant were also held. The next Weekend With Master camp is happening this weekend- August 1st and 2nd. Videos of the sessions will be shared with you soon.

Guru is not a cheap word… It is a love affair deeper than love.

On the morning of July 26, the next session of the Weekend With Master camp with Acharya Ji was held, which saw a large number of people attending from across the country, while thousands also joined online. In this Vedant Samhita session, Acharya Ji explained a verse from the Ribhu Gita, elaborating on how there is no such thing as "pure consciousness" or an "ego-free truth," since whatever is said or experienced can only be for someone- an absolute, independent truth is impossible.

Acharya Ji made it clear that when the ego declares itself to be non-existent, it is a far more dangerous state than when it is heavy and bloated, since the ego that cannot be seen is the one that deceives the most. He also explained that non-duality is not a state or a doctrine, but an ongoing process of the ego continuously thinning out, and on this path, honesty is the ultimate test.

Following the session, special HIDP (Holistic Individual Development Program) activities crafted by Acharya Ji were also held. The next Weekend With Master camp is happening this weekend- August 1st and 2nd. Videos of the sessions will be shared with you soon.

An engaging HIDP (Holistic Individual Development Program) role-play activity was held at the Weekend With Master camp on July 25. The activity was conducted by a few PAF members trained by Acharya Ji. Participants were divided into groups, and each group was given about an hour to come up with a play that would expose lokdharma and the common man's distorted beliefs as they play out in everyday life.

Participants had to weave the poetic meanings of the Bhagavad Gita's verses, composed by Acharya Ji, as well as Kabir Saheb's dohas, into their plots the way songs are woven into a Bollywood movie, and then enact the plays.

Participants performed plays drawn from their own lives, bringing out various manifestations of lokdharma- from superstition to the oppression of women, criminal mindsets, and ruthless profiteering. After each performance, the audience was invited to question the performers, which was followed by a lively discussion and debate on various aspects of everyday life, beliefs, and the common man's mental patterns.

The Holistic Individual Development Program (HIDP) was crafted by Acharya Ji over a decade ago and it made a rousing return in July at the two-day Weekend With Master camps. The activities are meant to turn our gaze inward and make us see our own habits and patterns with clarity, so we can rise above them. Acharya Ji has recently returned from the UK, where he carried the message of Indian philosophy and Vedanta to prestigious institutions such as Oxford, Cambridge, the London School of Economics, and University College London, and also lead several sessions at London Climate Action Week.

🤝 Come, meet the Master!

👇🏻Registration link:
🗓️ 8th–9th August Camp
Day 1: https://acharyaprashant.org/en/upcoming-events/weekend-with-master-aug-w1-2026-d1

Day 2: https://acharyaprashant.org/en/upcoming-events/weekend-with-master-aug-w1-2026-d2