If you cannot conquer the body, the body will conquer you || On Advait Vedanta (2019)

देहाभिमानपाशेन चिरं बद्धोऽसि पुत्रक । बोधोऽहं ज्ञानखंगेन तन्निष्कृत्य सुखी भव ॥

dehābhimānapāśena ciraṃ baddho’si putraka bodho’haṃ jñānakhaḍgena tanniṣkṛtya sukhī bhava

O son, you have become habitual of thinking ‘I am body’ since long. Experience the Self and by this sword of Knowledge cut that bondage and be happy.

~ Ashtavakra Gita, Chapter 1, Verse 14

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Questioner: Acharya Ji, in the verse above, it is mentioned that one is constantly identified with the body. I feel I am deeply identified with the body most of the time. How do I start detaching myself from this body-identification? Being a woman, I find it more difficult because of the social and physical conditioning. But listening to you, I now feel that there is some way to go beyond it, and you are pointing at that. I am unable to see it clearly, but I don’t know why I still have faith that surely there is a way. Kindly guide.

Acharya Prashant: The question is, how do I start detaching myself from the body? How to get rid of body-identification?

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