Vanity is one of the hindrances that we must eliminate if we want to improve our entire life. It is a disease of the mind. We call vanity a psychic disease. Children have it, mothers and fathers have it, as well as the elderly. Sometimes we inherit vanity, sometimes we build it. For example, if a child is praised too much, he will start building vanity. His ego swells and he becomes "swollen-headed." If people admire us, we become vain and think that we are "somebody." If people praise us or tell us how great we are and how we can do great things, we slowly, slowly develop vanity.
We sometimes develop vanity by trying to imitate, to live as if we are those images that people think we are. For example, people say to you, "You are so beautiful." You look in a mirror at your eyes, your nose, your ears and doubt that you are so beautiful, but you think, "People are telling me that I am beautiful." Then suddenly you lose your balance and think, "I am really beautiful; my body is just marvelous!" Even if you weigh five hundred pounds, you feel just great because people are telling you how beautiful you are. We flatter and admire people, until we eventually sow and nurture the seeds of vanity in them.
I had a teacher who used to say, "Don't praise people. Those who are really efficient and genuine, don't need praise. But if you start praising them, maybe one or two seeds of vanity are waiting to take root and grow."
-Torkom Saraydarian
Spiritual Regeneration
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