Embracing Paradox in a World at War With Prashanthi Amarnath

Have you ever looked at the world lately and wondered… 

How do we hold onto peace when everything around us feels uncertain? 

How do we stay compassionate without becoming overwhelmed? 

And how do we embrace both strength and  softness in times that seem so divided? 

Today’s conversation is a beautiful one. Joining me is author and spiritual seeker Prashanthi Amarnath, whose work blends ancient Taoist wisdom with practical guidance for modern life. With a background in Information Technology and a deep lifelong study of spirituality—including the teachings of the Tao Te Ching—Prashanthi brings a grounded, heartfelt perspective to navigating change, uncertainty, and inner conflict. Her book, Embracing Paradox, explores how ancient wisdom can help us find clarity, balance, and peace—even in a world that often feels at war within itself and around us.

This conversation is thoughtful, calming, and deeply timely. Let’s dive into “Embracing Paradox in a World at War!” “ With Call IT in With Dar “ 

Transcript

Have you ever looked at the world lately and wondered… 

How do we hold onto peace when everything around us feels uncertain? 

How do we stay compassionate without becoming overwhelmed? 

And how do we embrace both strength and softness in times that seem so divided? Today’s conversation is a beautiful one.Joining me is author and spiritual seeker Prashanthi Amarnath, whose work blends ancient Taoist wisdom with practical guidance for modern life. With a background in Information Technology and a deep lifelong study of spirituality—including the teachings of the Tao Te Ching—Prashanthi brings a grounded, heartfelt perspective to navigating change, uncertainty, and inner conflict. Her book, Embracing Paradox, explores how ancient wisdom can help us find clarity, balance, and peace—even in a world that often feels at war within itself and around us.This conversation is thoughtful, calming, and deeply timely. Let’s dive into “Embracing Paradox in a World at War!” “ With Call IT in With Dar “ 

Speaker Dar   

Hey, welcome in, Prashanthi. I'm so excited to have you with me today, and we're going to be embracing paradox in a world at war, and I can't wait to get started. But first, let's hear a little bit about you and how you got into this work. 

Speaker Prashanthi  

Thank you so much for having me, Darla. My name is Prasanthi, and I am the author of Embracing Paradox, a book inspired by Tao Te Ching and written during a period of deep spiritual introspection. I'm not a traditional scholar of Daoism. I'm a mother, a full-time tech professional, and someone who encountered the Dow at a crossroads in my life. That experience reshaped the way I understand clarity, leadership, and a role of softness and strength. I grew up surrounded by multiple belief systems, and I've been blessed to have a guru, Sri Sathya Sai Baba, whose teachings of love and peace deeply influenced my worldview, but it wasn't until a very unexpected, like almost a mystical moment, that the Tao truly entered my life, Darla, from that point forward, it became not just a philosophy, but a way of moving through the world with just a little more ease, a little more trust, and a lot more authenticity. So, in Embracing Paradox, I explore the 81 verses of the Tao through short accessible reflections really like anyone can integrate into their everyday lives, it's meant to be a companion for those navigating uncertainty, overwhelm, and the beautiful contradictions of modern life. I'm really grateful to be here, Tala, and I'm looking forward to exploring how this ancient wisdom can support the minds and the hearts in distress. 

Speaker Dar 

Yes, let's dive into how this ancient wisdom can help us embrace the paradox in a world of war, perhaps starting with some definitions of terms, and then into divine signs. 

Speaker Prasanthi 

Absolutely, absolutely. So, when we talk about war, right, we usually think of battlefields, weapons, nations, and borders from the perspective of the Tao Te Ching. War begins much earlier than that. It begins in the human heart. It begins the moment fear convinces us that domination is the same as safety, where that control will bring peace, and that's why the Tao Te Ching feels more relevant now than ever, because we are living in a time of constant war, war between nations, war between identities, war between ideologies, and perhaps most quietly, the war within ourselves. The Dao Ching was written over 2000 years ago during a period of near constant warfare in ancient China, states were fighting relentlessly for power. Leaders were obsessed with control, and Lao Tzu wasn't writing from comfort; he was responding to the collapse, and what he offered was not strategy, it was not heroism, not victory. He offered restraint. The Dao Ching calls weapons tools of ill omen, sometimes unavoidable, but never to be celebrated. Victory is never glorified, and that alone feels radical, doesn't it? Like it, because in times of war cultures glorify strength, aggression, uncertainty. The doubt does the opposite. It asks us to consider the cost of force, not just in lives lost, but in what the force does to the soul. The doubt reminds us that hardness invites resistance, while softness endures. That water just yields patiently, it outlasts the rock, and that what is rigid eventually breaks. This is not weakness, this is intelligence. The Tao interrupts the cycle of escalation by asking a simple question, What happens after you win? Because every victory, Darla is achieved through force, it carries the seed of the next conflict, and that's why Tao teaches Wu Wei, which is non-forcing. And not not passivity, but restrained, where force feels tempting, like yielding, not because you're powerless, but because you see further, and perhaps the deepest teaching is this: the outer war mirrors the inner war, when we are at war with ourselves, our fear, our doubt, our softness, we project that violence outward, so the doubt invites us to end that inner war first. Like peace and Taoism is not created by victory, it is created by alignment, and maybe that is why the Tao Te Ching matters now more than ever, because it doesn't ask us to run away from suffering, it asks us not to become 

Speaker Dar  

Yes, and the idea of alignment and the idea of paradox. Could you talk about those two words for us for a while. 

Speaker Prasanthi 

Oh yeah, absolutely. I want to talk a little bit about, like, so in my book, what I've done is there a lot, I've described my experiences, my lived embodied experiences as a way I want to just showcase what the paradox that that Lao Tzu was trying to talk about in the book, so I've recently been sitting with this paradox about becoming who you were. There's a paradox that I keep coming back to, and maybe you'll recognize it too. It's the awareness that there are things I did in my life that I'm not proud of, right? The choices I made, ways I showed up or didn't. Moments I wish I could rewrite. For a long time, I told myself a story about those moments. I said I had to do those things to get here. They were necessary, they were part of the journey. And for a while, that story really helped me survive my past. But recently, very recently, something shifted. I realized that while those choices may have been necessary then, they do not have to be necessary now. I don't have to move through life the same way anymore. I don't have to repeat behaviors simply because they once protected me, because now I carry something I didn't have back then, that wisdom, not the kind you read about, right, the kind you earn by living, by failing, by paying attention. What I see clearly now is this: those actions were authentic to who I was at that moment. I was doing the best I could with the awareness tools and capacity I had, that version of me wasn't wrong, it was just unfinished. Like authenticity is not fixed. When you ask me about authenticity, Jarla, it's.. it's evolving. Like being authentic then meant surviving, but being authentic now means choosing differently, right? I get to apply what I've learned. I get to be better, not out of guilt, but out of growth. I get to honor who I was by living with more awareness than I could back then, and that realization softened something deep inside me, because we were often cruel to our past selves. We judge them with the clarity we only gained later. So we forget that growth changes perspective. Every version of you had a role. They were carriers. They carried you forward until you were ready to carry yourself differently. And now the invitation is simple, though not easy. I mean to be the most authentic version of yourself in this moment, the most honest. That honesty won't always be comfortable, right? Sometimes it looks like uncertainty, sometimes it looks like slowing down, sometimes it looks like saying no where you used to say yes, but authenticity isn't about perfection. It is about alignment. All you can ever be at any point in your life is who you truly are right now, and that is enough. There is no more to life than this, and there is no less. Just this moment met honestly, and when we stop fighting, who we are, we don't just move forward, Darla, we move home, and it is our final home. 

Speaker Dar  

Such great insight, and as we look at that, I think we can all say that we've done things early in our life in more of a survival mentality, and hopefully as we've grown, we've grown. Into more our own authentic being and being ourselves as best we can in the moment, so that was a great way to explain that. Thank you so much. We talked about what we can do right now. What is something that our audience could do? What will, like, move us forward into being 

Speaker Prasanthi  

Absolutely so there is a small way that we can begin working with paradox, there's one simple daily ritual that recently came to me, something I call the pause of two truths. It takes less than a minute, and it helps train the mind to hold opposites without collapsing into overwhelm. And here's how it works, right, whenever you feel pulled, pressured, or uncertain, just take a pause and ask yourself, What are the two truths that are real at this moment? For example, right, I'm nervous, and I'm also capable, I want clarity, and I'm allowed to not know yet. I feel stretched, and I'm still supported. And what this does is soften the instinct to choose one narrative over another. It shifts you out of the rigid either-or mindset into the spacious both and perspective where paradox lives naturally, and the beauty of this ritual, Charla, is that it doesn't require meditation cushions or journals or a perfect morning routine. You can practice it while washing dishes, waiting at a red light, or preparing for a very difficult conversation over time, right? The nervous system learns something important, that opposing truths aren't threats, they're invitations, invitations to hold complexity with a little more grace and to hold ourselves with a lot more compassion, and that to me is the essence of a paradox-friendly mind. 

Speaker Dar 

Yes, a much more expansive point of view, and I'm glad you touched a little bit on gratitude and grace. Will you dive into those two things a little deeper for us? 

Speaker Prasanthi 

Absolutely, one topic I never get tired of talking about is gratitude, and more specifically, the immense glory I want to offer my God, my Guru, Sri Sathya Sai Baba. I was born into his fold, and I say that the deep humility and awareness of what a gift that was, because it put me in a very unique position in life, one where I grew up knowing very early on that I have a powerful ally on my side. That awareness changes everything, like from my engagement, I grew up listening to him speak, not just about spirituality, but how to live, how to love, and maybe because of that, I grew up a little different, you know? I couldn't make myself witty or sharp in a way that gets applause. I wasn't a popular one. I shied away from many conversations, many spaces, many ways of asserting myself, but there was one topic I never shied away from. I was spiritual, and that was the one space where my voice never trembled, the one place where hesitation disappeared. It felt instinctive, as if I had been prepared for it long before I knew what preparation even meant. Looking back now, I can see that I was being quietly trained all my life not to impress, not to argue, not to convert, but to speak from love. And that was a moment that stays with me deeply. I received a message from him one day that said " How do you think someone like you went through the things you went through and still came out unscathed?" That question just landed straight in my heart, Darla, because life had not been easy. There were challenges, confusion, moments of doubt, moments of pain, like there are for everyone, but, when I looked honestly, I realized something undeniable. I had been held, guided, protected, strengthened. It wasn't about being special, it was about being useful, and that instruction had stayed with me ever since. And I don't see my path as something I achieved, I see it as something I was in. Trusting my guru, didn't teach me to escape the world. He taught me how to walk through it with love as my compass. If there's anything I hope to offer through my voice, through conversations like this, through podcast, it's not certainty or superiority, it's love, a love that simply shows up because that is what I was shown, and if I can reflect even a fraction of that love into the world, then I know I'm honoring the grace I was given. That is the glory I want to offer, not in words alone, but in how I live. 

Speaker Dar 

Yes, let's talk about your book, Embracing Paradox. 

Speaker Prasanthi 

So, my research process for Embracing Paradox was a little different than what people might expect, right? I didn't approach the Tao teaching as a scholar, I wasn't trying to produce a traditional academic translation. Instead, my process was a blend of deep listening, personal inquiry, and engaging with the spirit of the text, rather than dissecting its language, of course, I did read multiple translations to understand the wide range of interpretations that already exist, everything from more poetic versions to literal line by line translations, and Darla, you won't believe I say this, I notice how much variance was there between them, which actually reassured me that the Tao isn't meant to be pinned down to a single authoritative meaning, but the most meaningful part of my research wasn't in the books, it was my own inner experience. I would sit with the worst for days and sometimes weeks until something in me softened or opened, and I wasn't trying to analyze it, I was just trying to feel it, like classical Chinese is incredibly compact. Each character carries like layers of meaning, so I just let the simplicity guide me. I allowed the metaphor, the rhythm, the silence to teach me from within. You could say my approach was more contemplative than academic, and I also do a lot of my influence from my upbringing around multiple belief systems and shaped by my guru, she said to Sai Baba, and whose teachings emphasize unity, simplicity, and direct experience of truth. So that background gave me a framework for understanding the Tao, not as an intellectual concept, but as a living presence, so that's that's how I came to write about the book, and it has been a wonderful experience writing the book, it's taken me through our journey, which I, which led me to places I wouldn't have ever been if I did not take on this journey, and I'm here talking in this, in this forum, Jala, I've done podcasts, and I'm, and I'm a very shy, discreet person, an extremely shy person, I have no, no interaction with the society, but I, I've come out and with my, with my flaws and all, I'm out here just in the world, just raw me, open me, that's having a conversation. It took a lot of courage, then that's a paradox that I'm living. Took a lot of courage for me to come out and do this, but I'm doing this, so I can, I can spread some love in this world, not that the world needs now more than ever, and so I, I hope the embarrassing paradox is a 

simple and an accessible doorway into the wisdom of Tao Te Ching. So this book has 81 short reflections, each inspired by the words of Tao, and each chapter is designed to be something you can read in just a few minutes, but carry with you throughout the day. The intention really here was to take these ancient teachings and make them relatable to modern life, especially around things like overwhelm, uncertainty, and the contradictions we all live with. It's not an academic book, it's just a gentle companion for anyone seeking balance, clarity, and a softer way of being. So, right now, the book is available on Amazon in paperback and hardcover. I don't feel called to release a digital version yet. There's something about holding the physical book and flipping to a random page and letting the words meet you where you are, that kind of feels important to me for this project. So, for now, it's available only in print, and we just can find it directly on Amazon. I do have a wonderful website that's out there, I. On live, and which recently went live, it's Embracing paradox.com So, please check out the website. There are some paradoxes that I defined on the website as well. You could go over, and you could learn a little bit more about me, and, and if you want to reach out, reach there there's a page where you can gain your contact information. I would love to get in touch. So, thank you so much. And if one of the core truths I hope today folks would carry with them is that life doesn't ask us to choose between opposites, it asks us to hold them, like so much of our suffering comes from believing we have to be one thing or the other, like certain or uncertain, strong or soft, spiritual or practical, but the Tao reminds us that the truth rarely lives at the extremes, it lives in the meeting point, in the tension, the harmony, the dance between them both, so a paradox friendly life isn't about resolving contradictions, but it's about relaxing into it. It's understanding that clarity and confusion, doubt and faith, rest and moment can all coexist, and that coexistence doesn't weaken us, it actually expands us. If there's one guiding principle I hope, stay with your listeners. Is this when life feels tight or conflicted, don't force a choice, make room for both, because in that space, that pause where both truths are allowed, something wiser than either side begins to emerge, a deeper intelligence, a softer compassion, and ultimately a truer sense of self, and that is the heart of the Tao, and that is where you want to be, because it's a very safe place to be right now. 

Speaker Dar 

Yes, I love that. So don't make the choice, make room for both. I also enjoy that you have taken a contemplative approach, and that your book can be a companion and help people relate the principles to modern life, and I know you have a beautiful gift on your website, would you talk about that? 

Speaker Prasanthi  

Yeah, of course. So the first five chapters of the book is available on the website, so all you need to do is go to the website, all the way at the bottom, scroll all the way to the bottom, and there's a place where you can enter your name, and I guess there's an email address field, but we, we honor your privacy. It's, it's there for, yeah. So we'll get the first five chapters of the book available on the website, so please do check it out. It's the Embracing paradox.com and yeah, read the five first five chapters, and let me know what you think. I would love to hear more about what you all think about the book. It's my mind's web seeking. Yeah, 

Speaker Dar  

Our audience will be getting that information in the show notes, but before we leave, I would like to ask you if there's anything else that you would really like our audience to know before we close. 

Speaker Prashanthi 

Absolutely, there is something that I've been thinking about for a while now, which is, you know, that the human mind does almost instinctively, because we are, when we are on a spiritual path, it looks for science, like divine science, signals from the universe, patterns that feel meaningful, moments that seem too precise to be coincidence, and for many people, right, this is seen as a beautiful thing, as a sign of faith, a sign of openness, a sign that we are paying attention, and in many ways that's true, and there's another side to this, a quieter, more complicated side, and that's what I want to explore today, because the same mind that looks for science also becomes a constant seeker, always scanning, always interpreting, always asking, what does this mean, is this guidance, am I on the right path, and this is a fascinating paradox that, and it's one I find myself walking through right now, on one hand, looking for science can feel like deeply affirming, but it gives us a sense of connection, right? It reassures us that we're not alone. Life is responsive, and there is intelligence moving through these events. A song plays at the perfect moment, and someone says exactly what you need to hear, and, and, and many. Maybe you think this can't be random, maybe it isn't, but here's where the paradox begins, right? When the mind becomes attached to science, it also becomes dependent on them, instead of resting in trust. It starts out sourcing certainty, and slowly, without realizing it, the present moment becomes like a waiting room for the next signal, right, the next cosmic thumbs up. So, there's a difference between the openness and scanning reality for reassurance. Many spiritual traditions speak about this. They remind us that the mind loves symbols, stories, and explanations. It wants orientation, it wants safety, it wants to know, am I doing this right, and honestly, for me, this is no longer a question of right versus wrong, it's a question of relationship, as I'm noticing science with curiosity, or am I clinging to them for certainty, like am I open, or am I afraid to trust my own presence? So this is a paradox I'm living right now, learning to allow science without chasing them, or learning to trust without demanding proof, learning to rest when even when mind wants reassurance, because perhaps the deepest guidance isn't hidden in symbols at all, perhaps it's here in how steady we are when no sign appears, in how grounded we remain when nothing dramatic happens, in how willing we are to stay present without interpretation. Maybe the mind seeks sign, but wisdom learns to abide, and maybe the paradox isn't meant to be resolved. Maybe it is meant to be lived gently, honestly, and without forcing an answer. 

Speaker Dar  

Maybe the paradox is meant to be lived. Thank you so much for our time together. I really appreciate the depth of our conversation today. Thank you for being here. 

Speaker Prashanthi 

Thank you, Darla. I'm grateful. 

Transcribed by https://otter.ai