The Propensity to Cheat - A Defect of the Conditioned Soul
In material existence, human society often prides itself on its advancement in knowledge and ethics. However, Śrīla Prabhupāda shatters this illusion by explaining the fundamental psychological and spiritual flaws inherent in every living entity who has forgotten the Supreme Lord. Among these flaws, the deep-seated propensity to cheat is the primary driver of material entanglement.
The Four Inherent Defects
No matter how educated or elevated a person may appear in the material world, they are bound by the limitations of their conditioned state. Śrīla Prabhupāda points out that every conditioned soul is universally hampered by four strict defects. They are guaranteed to commit mistakes, they are inevitably subject to illusion, their physical senses are highly imperfect, and they possess an inherent tendency to cheat others. The Supreme Lord and liberated souls, however, are completely transcendental to these flaws.
- A conditioned soul is hampered by four defects: he is sure to commit mistakes, he is sure to become illusioned, he has a tendency to cheat others, and his senses are imperfect. Consequently we have to take direction from liberated persons.
- A conditioned living being is endowed with four principles of malpractice, namely errors, insanity, inability and cheating. These are signs of imperfection, and out of the four the propensity to cheat others is most prominent.
- The defects of a conditioned soul are: (1) he must commit mistakes; (2) he must be illusioned; (3) he must possess the tendency to cheat others; and (4) all his senses must be imperfect. We must understand that God is transcendental to all these defects.
- We have got cheating propensity, we are prone to commit mistake, and we accept illusory things. These four principles of imperfect is in the conditioned soul. But who is liberated soul or who is God, they are not under these conditions.
The Root and Ubiquity of Cheating
Why does this cheating propensity exist? Śrīla Prabhupāda notes that it is the direct symptom of the false ego. Because the conditioned soul wishes to imitate God and lord it over material nature, they must naturally exploit others to amass wealth and power. This principle of vipralipsā (the cheating propensity) is present in every ordinary transaction. Whether in the boardroom among businessmen or even within the supposed sanctity of marriage, the underlying envious desire to exploit remains active.
- This cheating practice is there in the conditioned souls because the conditioned souls are primarily in the material world imbued with an unnatural desire to lord it over the material world.
- Even in ordinary transactions between two people, there is invariably cheating because the conditioned soul is defective in four ways - he is illusioned, he commits mistakes, his knowledge is imperfect, and he has a propensity to cheat.
- Every conditioned soul has the propensity to cheat, even in marriage. Everywhere in this material world, one conditioned soul is envious of another.
- Especially amongst businessmen, when there is conference, so each one is trying, "Now how much I have cheated him." So this cheating, vipralipsa, is one of the qualification of the conditioned soul.
The Ruin of Relationships
The attempt to find happiness through exploitation is the greatest illusion of material life. As Śrīla Prabhupāda describes, a person may temporarily acquire money or property through deceit, but this inevitably breeds enmity. The karmic cycle ensures that the cheater is eventually cheated by someone else. Ultimately, this constant undercurrent of deception fractures even the most intimate relationships between friends and family members, leaving the conditioned soul deeply unsatisfied.
- Sometimes conditioned souls exchange money, but in due course of time, enmity arises because of cheating. Although there may be a tiny profit, the conditioned souls cease to be friends and become enemies.
- In order to acquire these things (apartment, house, food, friends) he has to cheat others, and this creates enmity even among the most intimate friends. Sometimes this enmity is created between the conditioned soul and the father or spiritual master.
- Stealing or cheating another person out of his money, the conditioned soul somehow or other keeps it in his possession and escapes punishment. Then another man, named Devadatta, cheats him and takes the money away.
- In the conditioned state the living being is not satisfied even if he actually becomes the lord of all that he surveys, which he never becomes, and therefore he becomes the victim of all kinds of cheating, even with his nearest and most intimate relations.
The Path to Perfect Knowledge
To escape the endless cycle of being the cheater and the cheated, one must seek shelter outside of the conditioned realm. Śrīla Prabhupāda concludes that true relief is only found by hearing from authoritative sources that are completely free from the four material defects. This flawless knowledge is preserved in the śāstra (Vedic literature) and is carefully transmitted through the transparent medium of the bona fide spiritual master. A sincere soul who accepts this path is perfectly protected from all deception.
- Sastra is without the four principal defects that are visible in the conditioned soul: imperfect senses, the propensity for cheating, certainty of committing mistakes, and certainty of being illusioned.
- It (transcendental literature) must have none of the defects of conditioned souls, namely mistakes, illusions, cheating and imperfect sense perceptions.
- Knowledge received from the bona fide spiritual master is not cheating. Any other knowledge which is manufactured by the conditioned soul is cheating only.
- The conditioned souls who have come to this world on account of forgetfulness of his eternal relationship with God is prone to be cheated, but a person who is sincere is not cheated.
Conclusion
Understanding the four defects of the conditioned soul—particularly the propensity to cheat—is crucial for anyone seeking genuine spiritual advancement. As long as one relies on the imperfect senses and the speculative theories of ordinary men, one will remain trapped in a world of deception. The true mark of intelligence is to acknowledge our inherent flaws and humbly accept the perfect, unadulterated knowledge descending from the Supreme Personality of Godhead through His pure representatives.
Dive Deeper into Śrīla Prabhupāda's Vani
The instructions of the pure devotee are our eternal guide. This article is a summary of the profound truths found in the Vaniquotes category Cheating of a Conditioned Soul. We invite you to visit this link to study the complete compilation and experience the teachings in their direct, verbatim form.