Self-Realization is not the ending of the struggles, it is the ending of the struggler

The following is an excerpt from a samvaad (dialogue) session with Acharya Prashant.

Question (Q): Is self-realization for everyone? Many people would choose to live a life of illusion and take comfort in that. Do we really need to wake them up? And of course, the struggles of life don’t end even after self-realization.

Acharya Prashant (AP): It is something like that of a mountain bus driver — he has his challenges, which passengers know nothing about.

Self-realization is not the cessation of struggles. Self-realization is the ending of the struggler. Self-realization is not the cessation of troubles, it is the ending of the struggler.

Imagine that this is a viper snake (signaling towards a pen), and you believe in it, right? This is a viper snake, and it is deeply poisonous. Alright? You look at it. Now, how do you react? Think that this is a viper snake, and now act.

(Listeners acting scared, afraid).

AP: Alright. Now open your eyes. What is it?

Listener 1 (L1): It’s a pen.

AP: Does the pen change, or does your mind change? Does this struggle change, or does the struggler change?