FOUR DEFECTS OF CONDITIONED SOULS (MAN) EXPLAINED!
We have seen, every person develops ego thinking that he is perfect.
But, the bitter fact is that No one in this material world is perfect.
Every conditioned soul (say, humans) from any material planet (Brahma deva too) is imperfect. Four defects of conditioned souls are explained in this Post:
Four defects of conditioned souls
Śrī Caitanya-caritāmṛta, Ādī-līlā 2.86 Says:
Kṛṣṇadāsa Kavirāja Gosvāmī says: bhrama, pramāda, vipralipsā, karaṇāpāṭava, ārṣa-vijña-vākye nāhi doṣa ei saba,
“Mistakes, illusions, cheating and defective perception do not occur in the sayings of the authoritative sages.”
SB (10-13-15) Purport by Srila Prabhupada Says:
Anyone born through the material energy must be subject to the four material deficiencies:
bhrama (the tendency to commit mistakes), pramāda (the tendency to be illusioned), vipralipsā (the tendency to cheat) and karaṇāpāṭava (imperfect senses).
(1) HE WILL DEFINITELY COMMIT MISTAKES
Therefore, no one can say that he never committed any mistakes. That is, no one can claim that he is always acting right. If anyone says so, he is a liar.
(2) HE IS INVARIABLY ILLUSIONED
That is why, every man wrongly considers “good” as “bad”, and vice versa. He is unable to take right decisions because his intelligence is screened by maya that makes him conditioned. He will insult those who are genuinely helping him, but, he will praise those who are pretending to be good. Therefore, more disappointments in his life.
(3) HE HAS THE TENDENCY TO CHEAT OTHERS
Hmm…That is why, I am advising in many places that Believe Others 99%, but, be 1% cautious, because, when opportunity comes, everyone has the tendency to cheat you. There can be only a very few exemptions. I have experienced this so many times. Even when the people are getting into the city bus, the young persons would rush into the bus fast and occupy all the seats. But, the elderly persons who are unable to move fast will slowly come last and travel standing in the bus. Why don’t the youth allow the elders first and then enter afterwards?
Because, they have the natural tendency to cheat. This is the reason why, I have been advising the girls to NEVER REMAIN ALONE WITH ANY MALE EVEN THOUGH THEY ARE YOUR CLOSE RELATIVES OR FRIENDS. Anything may happen in privacy because EVERYONE HAS THE TENDENCY TO CHEAT.
(4) HE IS LIMITED BY IMPERFECT SENSES
Cent percent correct. Our ears can not hear beyond certain decibels of sound. Our eyes can not see far away or too near objects. Our brain can not store too much of feeds at the same time. One can not eat beyond a limit. One can not cry beyond a limit.
Thus, all the senses are limited and imperfect.
This applies even to Brahma deva.
Read what is said by Srila Prabhupada the founder of ISKCON:
Now, see the nature of all the conditioned souls (humans) as given in a lecture by His Divine Grace A. C. Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupada on October 6, 1969, at Conway Hall, London, England: (Sub titles are given by me)
“ In the conditioned state, our knowledge is subjected to many deficiencies. The difference between a conditioned soul and a liberated soul is that the conditioned soul has four kinds of defects.”
DEFECT-1 : PEOPLE MAKE MISTAKES:
The first defect is that he must commit mistakes. For example, in our country, Mahatma Gandhi was considered to be a very great personality, but he too committed many mistakes in his young age. Even at the last stage of his life, his assistant warned, “Mahatma Gandhi, don’t go to the New Delhi meeting. I have some friends, and I have heard there is danger.” But he did not hear. He persisted in going and was killed. Even great personalities like Mahatma Gandhi, President Kennedy-there are so many of them-make mistakes. To err is human. This is one defect of the conditioned soul.
DEFECT-2 : PEOPLE ARE UNDER ILLUSION (MAYA):
Another defect: to be illusioned. Illusion means to accept something which is not: maya. Maya means “what is not.” Everyone is accepting the body as the self. If I ask you what you are, you will say, “I am Mr. John; I am a rich man; I am this; I am that.” All these are bodily identification. But you are not this body. This is illusion, ie, maya.
DEFECT-3 : PEOPLE HAVE TENDENCY TO CHEAT:
The third defect is the cheating propensity.
Everyone has the propensity to cheat others. Although a person is fool number one, he poses himself as very intelligent. Although it is already pointed out that he is in illusion and makes mistakes, he will theorize: “I think this is this, this is this.” But he does not even know his own position. He writes books of philosophy, although he is defective. That is his disease. That is cheating.
DEFECT-4 : PEOPLE HAVE IMPERFECT SENSES:
Lastly, our senses are imperfect. We are very proud of our eyes. Often, someone will challenge, “Can you show me God?” But do you have the eyes to see God? You will never see if you haven’t the eyes. If immediately the room becomes dark, you cannot even see your hands. So what power do you have to see? We cannot, therefore, expect knowledge (veda) with these imperfect senses. With all these deficiencies, in conditioned life we cannot give perfect knowledge to anyone. Nor are we ourselves perfect. Therefore we accept the Vedas as they are.”
In the morning walk on 12.7.1975 in Philadelphia:
“Vedic knowledge says that a conditioned soul has got four defects: illusion, mistake, imperfectness and cheating. Any conditioned soul. Even Brahma, he is receiving knowledge from Krṣṇa. Tene brahma hṛdā ya ādi-kavaye (Srimad Bhagavatham 1.1.1). Ādi-kavi means Brahma. He is the most perfect person within this universe, Lord Brahma. So he is also receiving knowledge from Krṣṇa. Any conditioned soul, beginning from Brahmā down to the ant, they are defective in four ways: illusion, mistake, imperfectness and cheating. They know that “I am imperfect.” Just this Darwin. He knew that he is imperfect, and he cheated so many persons—by false theory, which he cannot explain. He simply gives, “Perhaps millions of years’ gap…,” this, that. That is not knowledge. So the imperfect person is prone to become a cheater. So we should not take knowledge from the cheaters. What do you think?
Svarupa Damodara: We should take knowledge from Krsna.
Prabhupada: Yes.”
Having this much of deficiencies, why should we claim ourselves as perfect? Why should we develop ego? Why should we wish control others? Why should we torture others?
Why can’t we love all others irrespective of their status? Why can’t we show mercy on others in spite of their mistakes?
Think it over.
And, if you commit any mistakes beyond your control, do not develop guilt. Because, it is natural.
Srila Prabhupada, the founder of ISKCON says in morning walk on 3.12.1973 in Los Angeles:
“ Mistake, Thre cannot be… That is the difference between God and ourself. We are living entity, God is also living entity. But He has no four defects. We have got four defects. We commit mistake, we are illusioned, our senses are imperfect, and we cheat. God does not do all these things. That is the difference between God and ourselves. He does not commit mistake. He is not illusioned. He does not cheat, and His senses are perfect. Vedahaṁ samatitani .”
Therefore, try your best to avoid such mistakes or offences in future. When you keep the defect-free personality Krishna with you, you can get the support from Krishna to come out of these defects that means, you have become free from the conditioned status.
Hope you are now clear about FOUR DEFECTS OF CONDITIONED SOULS (MAN)!