5 four defects

Tendencies of Conditioned Souls

We are part and parcels of God, pure spiritual entities by nature, but
due to contact with the material energy we become covered by
ignorance.

Because of this covering, we display faults in our character. Four
types of faults are especially prominent: 1. The tendency to make
mistakes, 2. The tendency to be illusioned, 3. Having imperfect
senses, and 4. The propensity to cheat. Every conditioned soul
(contaminated by material consciousness) is subject to these four
defects. Therefore the conditioned soul is not able to distinguish
between matter and spirit, nor give adequate spiritual guidance to
others.

In order to progress spiritually, we must take guidance from persons
who are free from these four defects. God and His pure devotees are
free from these defects. Religious principles can only be given by
God. His pure devotees simply repeat these principles. They do not
speculate as do mundane theologians, whose presentations are, at best,
pseudo spirituality.

If one tries to manufacture his own religious process, pick and choose
practices as he likes, or follow a spiritual guide who is not a pure
devotee of God then he will be victimized by these four defects. Even
a bonafide spiritual process, if interpreted by someone who is not
pure, will be contaminated and not yield spiritual fruit. Only by
strictly following the instructions of God, as repeated by His pure
devotee can one be freed of these four faults.
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