There is a well-known analogy of a chariot in the Kathopanishad. It says that our body is like the chariot, the emotional mind is like the horses, the rational mind is like the charioteer who is giving direction to the horses, and the soul is like the owner of the chariot who gives direction to the charioteer. If the owner is aware, he will direct the charioteer to take the chariot to the correct destination. However, if the owner is asleep, the charioteer will drive the chariot according to his own whims and fancies. Similarly, if the charioteer is also weak, the horses will become uncontrolled and take the chariot aimlessly from one place to another. Horses are very powerful, provided they are given the right direction. Similarly, a charioteer is very skilled, provided he knows where the owner wants to go.
It is unfortunate that in today's world, we are too busy taking care of the chariot as well as the horses. Slowly, the charioteer's function is being handed over to the AI. AI does almost all the analysis for us. The AI makes decisions about investments, health care, insurance, and almost everything else. AI has become our new charioteer. Wherever we want to go, we just type the destination into Google Maps and follow the directions mindlessly.
The whole of our attention is to make the chariot very strong. Gyms are overcrowded. People are paying a lot of money to go to the gym. People are becoming increasingly conscious about their diet and taking protein in different forms. In fact, we have shops in almost every mall selling only the fitless products. There is no harm because we need a robust chariot. There is also an increasingly greater focus on the horses. We want to live this life as if this is the end of the world. There is wanderlust all around. Restaurants are full of consumers. There is no limit to the prices of cosmetics and consumer products.
We have failed miserably as parents by misplacing our focus on the chariot and the horses. If the owner of the chariot keeps sleeping, even the most robust chariot with the strongest of the horses is useless. If the charioteer becomes dependent on the AI, sooner or later, the charioteer will be driven by those who control the AI for their own advantage. The entire effort is to make the mind dull and blunt so that it cannot discriminate between right and wrong, and all people become mere tools to be used at the whim and fancy of big corporations seeking to maximise their profits. It is the duty of the parents to develop that sense of discrimination in their children. However, for that to happen, parents need to be aware of themselves. Unless the owner of the chariot awakes, he will not be able to take command of the situation. In the world of AI, the horses will be deceived by the AI, and we will keep suffering all through our lives due to mental stress and depression. That's why it's high time we told our kids to take command of their own chariot and connect them to the higher purpose of life. The joy of living is in the process. When we live for excellence, exploration, and love. When we explore the world of science, create art forms, sculptures, write books, or, for that matter, do anything creative, we do not waste our energy in fighting the battles because we don't need low-quality and transient neurotransmitters like dopamine and adrenaline when our lives are full of the joy of creativity, love, and exploration.
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