The Bodyguard in the Form of Anger Protects Pride

Anger, pride, deceit, and greed are of two types: the first is that which can be turned around. And the second type is that which cannot be turned around, the inevitable ones!

What impedes a person from attaining liberation? It is anger, pride, deceit, and greed. Deceit is used to protect greed; so while selling cloth, a greedy person will cut the cloth shorter by a finger’s length. Anger is used to protect pride. People are living on the support of these four!

When the weaknesses of anger, pride, deceit, and greed exist, how can problems be confronted?

There is anger, pride, deceit, and greed; and of these, anger and deceit are the defenders of pride and greed. Deceit is actually the defender of greed and anger is actually the defender of pride. However, deceit is sometimes used to some extent to defend pride. One will use deceit even to gain pride.

Anger does not just sit around. It is only when the enemy known as pride has entered that anger will sit around [to protect pride]. Anger is there for the protection of pride. Therefore, as long as there is pride, that bodyguard will definitely remain.

Questioner: Why does one become angry?

Dadashri: When there is something that obstructs one’s pride, one gets angry. When his pride is being wounded, he protects his pride through anger. The protector of pride is anger.

Pride has employed a bodyguard [called anger] and has told it to teach a lesson to anyone who comes to insult. And greed has also employed a bodyguard; it has employed the bodyguard called deceit ( kapat). That itself has been referred to as maya (the illusion that deceives the Self). And if greed leaves, then that maya will leave.

A person filled with pride does not laugh when someone scolds him. His anger immediately flares up, but a greedy person never exhibits anger.

Whereas a proud person prevails only in pride, from the moment he steps outside [his home]. No matter where he goes, he just walks around prevailing in pride, and even upon his return, he still prevails in pride. However, if someone insults him, he gets angry.