Nishkulanand Swami clearly separates the line between real-Saint and fake-Saint. From outside fake-Saint looks exactly like a real-Saint and works exactly like a real-Saint.
If there is an external difference between a real and fake Saint, it would be easier to differentiate between them. Unfortunately, they are the same from outside. We should separate them from inside.
Nature of fake-Saint
Fake-Saints doesn’t show their originality. Real-Saints only show their originality. They don’t like duplicity.
Fake-Saints looks like a real one, deliver discourses like a real one, and talk like a real one. They dress exactly like a real one. They deliver sermons on par or better than real one.
Fake-Saints exactly know about real-Saints: dress, sermons, talk, and then they transform themselves with these three to look like a real-Saint.
The only work of fake-Saint is to just copy what real-Saint does and be better than the real-one. They deliver better polished discourses than real-one.
Thus, it becomes very difficult to differentiate between real and fake.
Factors differentiating real Saint vs fake Saint
The world gives a lot of respect to a Saint. Ravan became a Saint (to abduct Sitaji). What was his intention? He did not become a Saint with a pure intention. His only intention was to show off and achieve desires.
Who wants to show off their importance to the world? Real-Saint or fake-Saint? Fake-Saint. The one who sings their own importance can never be a real-Saint.
A real Saint don’t want others to believe that he is a real Saint. A real-Saint’s main focus is making others follow strict rules of Dharm, perform devotion of the ultimate God, and have an eternal relation with God.
Even though the importance of a Saint is explained in scriptures, real Saints don’t highlight that they themselves are real-Saints. Instead they highlight more on following the rules of God and on worshipping God.
Fake-Saints highlight the importance of themselves so that they would be given importance.
Along with highlighting on God and Dharm, a real Saint also highlights how a fake Saint would be. The main reason real Saint talks about fake Saint is for the welfare of the new devotees making sure that they would not fall into the traps of fake Saints.
Fake Saint highlights how a real Saint would be. Fake Saint doesn’t analyze on fake Saints and doesn’t talk much about it. They talk enough about real Saint.
Real Saint doesn’t analyze much on real-Saint and doesn’t talk much about it.
If anybody highlights on the characteristics of real Saint, then we could doubt that he is a fake Saint. If anybody highlights on characteristics of fake Saint, he should be a real Saint.
Intentions of Real and fake Saint
The activities of real and fake Saint can be similar but the intentions of both of them are completely different.
Fake Saints are like today’s doctors. Modern day doctors prescribe you medicine that you cannot find in any pharmacy. When you come back to the doctor and say, “Doc, I can’t find these medicines anywhere. Where could I find it?”
The doctor would reply, “It is not available anywhere else but only available here in our office. Come and get it.”
Fake Saints tell you about qualities of real Saints. When you ask them “Where I can I find such a Saint?” They will tell you, “Here I am.”
A Fake Saint’s mindset is: “Yes I am in the dress of Saint, but I should not miss any worldly pleasure. And I should not leave this body until I enjoy everything. Let me live for five more years so that I don’t leave any pleasure unenjoyed.”
A Real Saint’s main intention would be: “Let any worldly pleasure come before me. I should never allow any pleasure to enter me. I should never allow myself to submit to it. Whatever it is, I should reach Maharaj within this very life.”
Fake Saint want to be great in this world. They would not hesitate to take political positions in the pretext of doing welfare to the general public.
Real Saints keeps distance from worldly positions.
Fake Saint feel elated when his photo comes on a banner or newspaper. He feels so satisfied as if he completed a great penance.
Fake Saint also expects titles to himself like “International Saint”, “World Renowned Master”, etc., He hesitates and doesn’t like to be called a “Swaminarayan Saint”, or “True Saint”. He prefers being called “International Saint” or something bigger so that he is seen with importance. “Swaminarayan Saint” is very small in a very small group in a corner of a country. “International” sounds great.
Real Saints likes to belong to their Sampraday.
Fake Saints like to be respected a lot, with high positions, thrones, and photos with great people. If he doesn’t get that he would become mood-less.
A real Saint doesn’t care about worldly respect.
A Fake saint would be focused on cheap worldly pleasures. A Real saint would be focused on pleasure of Maharaj. A Real saint would consider worldly pleasures as sorrows and is very strong in discarding them.
A Real Saint would not like to stay in social communities. He would like to be in a secluded place like forests and mountains where he could meditate better on God and serve God. Fake Saints would like to stay in society for he wants to be seen by the world.
Fake Saints don’t like to serve Maharaj or devotees of Maharaj. Real Saints always serve to Maharaj and devotees of Maharaj.
References:
Sarsiddhi Katha Part 27