JEALOUSY BREEDS YOUR INNER DEMONS
Master Jun Hong Lu: Why do people with a strong desire to win tend to make good progress in the early stages of Buddhist practice? This is because in the beginning, they are using their competitive nature to desperately do what is needed to the extent of relinquishing many of their worldly possessions so that they are able to help sentient beings.
However, why do these people turn demonic subsequently? In the beginning, a competitive nature might not be a bad thing. Indeed, helping sentient beings is a deed with boundless merit.
Nevertheless, having accumulated some merits and the fact that they are diligent in their cultivation, these people may be given some important role to play and they are looked upon as a diligent spiritual cultivator who are adored by many. When this happens, they will slowly become arrogant and start looking down on others.
This is when they start to be full of themselves, thinking that they are so superior in their spiritual cultivation that everyone knows them. They forget who they are and they even think that they have attained Bodhisattva-hood. Even answering a phone call might bring out the arrogance in them.
After a while, jealousy will arise when they notice that others are outperforming them. They can never stand the idea that there is someone better than them.
When they see others are better than them, they will feel dejected. In their eyes, others can never be better than them, they can only be inferior to them. I am telling you all these to explain to you the reason behind people who turn demonic after some time into their spiritual practice.
Source: Master Jun Hong Lu’s Buddhism In Plain Terms, Volume 11 Chapter 50
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