manmukh? Short Story

There were two Sikhs; Jaku and Bhagta who went to see Sri Guru Nanak sahib
ji in kartapur. They asked guru ji what would be the distinguishing signs of
a manmukh - person who is a slave to the mind.

Guru ji replied the first sign of a manmukh is jealousy. It is however wrong
to assume jealously is less conspicuous in educated people. In fact, it can
become a predominant in educated people. A manmukh craves for all happiness
in this world which he has conceived in his mind, such as wealth, property,
etc. If he sees somebody's beautiful house, he suffers pang in his heart,
becomes distressful and fills himself with sorrow.

Next he thinks everyone is his enemy for no logical reason. He never thinks
of doing good deed at anytime. Then he becomes egotistic has no feeling of
sympathy or mercy for anyone in distress.

Then they ask how does this ego originate?

Guru ji says that when such a person observes somebody with less wealth or
property or who is materially in poor state, the egotistic person laughs and
ridicules the poor person instead of helping him. Then he may assume that he
is intellectually a superior person and that others are way below him in
intelligence.

Then again, such a person may make it a habit of making derogatory remarks
about others and listen to gossip about others.

A manmukh likes to praise someone who is above him in material wealth but
talks bad about someone poor and hold them in low esteem. When he hears
somebody getting praised, he gets jealous. Guru says, this attitude is not
good: getting jealous and creating enmity with a person of equal standing
and talking ill of him; telling another that he is nobody and that you are
everything; well educated and very wealthy.