The mind is the most unsaintly object to ever exist. There is nothing as unsaintly and as evil as the mind. If we completely understand the nature of the mind, then we completely understand the nature of unsaintliness as well.
The mind is very stubborn and is a troublemaker for everyone. Wherever the mind goes, it creates trouble. Similarly, wherever an unsaintly person goes, he creates trouble. Wherever Ravan goes, he creates trouble. Wherever Duryodhan goes, he creates trouble.
The mind always wants to escape from morals, rules, and regulations. A fake saint also wants to always escape from morals, rules, and regulations.
The mind doesn’t listen to anyone; it does what it thinks is right. This is the quality of an unsaintly person as well.
Where does the mind roam around? It roams around sense objects. Where does an unsaintly person roam around? He roams around sense objects too.
The mind never tries to know its own faults or analyze its own faults. If the mind analyzes faults, whose faults does it analyze? It analyzes the faults of other people.
If an unsaintly person analyzes faults, whose faults does he analyze? He analyzes the faults of other people. He never analyzes his own faults in this way: “I have this particular fault in me and with this much intensity.”
Both the mind and an unsaintly person don’t see their own faults. That is their key quality. When we see our own faults and limitations, we are on the path of saintliness.
The mind is very good at suggesting to others. It is the same with unsaintly people. We can know from scriptures that Ravan, Kumbhkaran, Hiranyakasipu are very good at suggesting to others.
When Lord Varaha killed Hiranyaksha, his brother Hiranyakasipu suggested to all his relatives, “One day everyone in this world has to die. No one is eternal. And so, we shouldn’t worry too much about the loss of my brother.”
He also suggested to his mother, “Mother, while I am here for you, you need not worry at all. Moreover, the cycle of birth and death is the nature of this life.”
The story of Kumbhkaran is very similar, too. No one was brave enough to advise Ravan. When Kumbhkaran woke up from his long and deep sleep, he went straight to Ravan and started advising directly to him.
Ravan in response didn’t speak a word against Kumbhkaran, and continued to say, “Yes, Bro. You are absolutely right, Bro.”
Thus, an unsaintly person is an expert in suggesting to others. A saintly person may not be as expert as an unsaintly person in suggesting to others.
To how many souls did Jad Bharat provide suggestions? To only one, i.e., King Raghugan. He gave knowledge to king Raghugan only when he requested Jad Bharat to do so.
A fake saint doesn’t see his own fault but sees the same fault in others
Another important quality of mind is, if it has some fault, it doesn’t see that fault in it but sees the same fault in others and believes itself free from that fault.
This is a mental disease. What is a mental disease? Mental disease is a disease present in us where we don’t see the disease in ourselves, but we see the same disease in others.
If a person is mentally unstable, who does he thinks of as unstable? All others except himself look unstable to him. Whoever is helping him looks unstable to him. For him, the doctor is the most unstable person. He thinks, “If there is any intelligent person in this world, who can that be? That should be me.”
An unsaintly person believes, “A saintly person is not actually saintly. I am the one who is truly saintly.”
For Hiranyakasipu who is the most unsaintly person? For him, Lord Varaha is the most unsaintly person. He believes, “Varaha killed my brother Hiranyaksha without any valid reason. One day my brother was traveling in the ocean, and he stopped my brother on the way and killed him for no reason. See his brutality. Now he will see my brutality.”
If the mind is envious, then it sees everyone around it as envious. If the mind is miserly, then it sees everyone around it as misers. If the mind has lust, then it sees everyone around it as lustful.
For Duryodhan who was the most miserly? For him, five Pandava brothers are the most miserly. So he couldn’t even give away five villages to Pandavas.
Unsaintly people are like the mind. They can’t see their own fault but see their fault in others, and this is the most dangerous disease of the mind and unsaintly person.
A fake saint thinks he is better than everyone
The mind always thinks that “I am better than everyone.”
An unsaintly soul always thinks, “I am better than everyone. I am at least not less than anyone.” On the other hand, a saintly soul always thinks, “There are some limitations in me.”
For a fake saint, no one including Bhagwan could prove to him his limitations. He removed “I have some limitations in me” forever from his dictionary and doesn’t give a chance to anyone to tell him about his limitations.
Do you too believe that you don’t have any limitations in you?
References:
- Chosathpadi Katha Part 29 (Pad 47-50).