The Signs of a Learned Fool

1. Previously, the attributes which can change a fool into someone who is wise were described. Now, listen to the description of those who are intelligent, yet are fools.
2. One such as this is called a learned fool. The listeners should not feel uneasy when hearing about these attributes. Know that by giving them up, one can become truly content.
3. Having heard a lot of explanations one becomes knowledgeable and may even speak clearly about the "Knowledge of Brahman." However, if he holds on to pride and groundless hopes he is called a learned fool.
4. One who advocates unrestrained actions, does not believe in the worship of God with attributes, and criticizes one's own inherent duty (swadharma) and spiritual practice (sadhana), is a learned fool.
5. Considering himself to be knowledgeable, he criticizes others and sees defects in all living beings. He is a learned fool.
6. One who asks his disciples to do something which causes them to be disobedient or causes them misfortune, or with his words hurts someone’s mind, is a learned fool.
7. One who is full of worldliness (rajoguna) and ignorance (tamoguna), is scheming and cruel within, and who upon seeing wealth and prosperity praises it, is a learned fool.
8. One who criticizes an entire text without reading all of it, who unnecessarily finds fault in it, and who only looks for its negative attributes, is a learned fool.
9. One who gets bored when hearing about the good attributes, who out of jealousy bothers others, and who is arrogant and does not act with morality and justice, is a learned fool.
10. One who is knowingly stubborn, cannot control his anger, and whose actions are not in accord with his speech, is a learned fool.
11. One who speaks without being knowledgeable, who goes to great trouble to do so, and whose words are harsh, is a learned fool.
12. The listener who has heard a lot of things and argues with the speaker, and insults him by his over talkativeness, is a learned fool.
13. One who finds fault with his elders, even though he has the same faults that he does not see, is a learned fool.
14. One who studies and acquires all types of knowledge but does not use it to console others, is a learned fool.
15. When one is entangled in family matters he is like the elephant caught in a spider's web, or a honey bee who goes to his death because of greed12, he is a learned fool.
16. One who enjoys keeping the company of women and engages in various conversations with them, and in general engages in undesirable habits, is a learned fool.
17. When one firmly holds onto things which lead to a low status, or when one is identified with the body and intelligence, he is a learned fool.
18. One who instead of praising God only praises men and whatever his eyes see, is a learned fool.
19. One who goes on describing the body parts of women and their various expressions and gestures, meanwhile forgetting God, is a learned fool.
20. One who is full of pride in excessive wealth and prosperity, who considers others lowly and inferior, and is outspoken about his atheistic opinions, is a learned fool.
21. One who is well educated and detached, or who is a great yogi with the Knowledge of Brahman yet indulges in fortune telling, is a learned fool.
22. One, who while listening, constantly analyzes the virtues and defects of the speaker, and becomes jealous about the virtues of others, is a learned fool.
23. One who has no devotional practice, no detachment, nor does any singing of the praises of God or Guru, and does not practice what he preaches, is a learned fool.
24. One who does not recognize various pilgrimage and holy places, or the Vedas and other ancient scriptures, and one who is born into a holy family yet does not recognize what is holy himself, is a learned fool.
25. One who is respected and feels puffed-up about it in the mind, or who praises someone who has no reputation and then turns around and criticizes him, is a learned fool.
26. One who says one thing before and a different thing afterwards, and whose reputation is that he is not consistent in his actions, is a learned fool.
27. One who eagerly takes to family life, has disrespect for Supreme Truth, and instead knowingly holds to ignorance, is a learned fool.
28. One who gives up the real meaning of true statements, who only speaks what is liked by the mind, or whose welfare is dependent on others, is a learned fool.
29. One who puts up a facade on the surface, does what he knows he should not do, and stubbornly follows the wrong path, is a learned fool.
30. One who listens to explanations day and night yet does not give up undesirable attributes, and who does not know what is in his own best interest, is a learned fool.
31. When there are noble people sitting in the audience, and yet the speaker only addresses small points, know that he is a learned fool.
32. One who continues to hold onto hope for the disciple who is not serious and only insults him again and again, is a learned fool.
33. One who develops uneasiness in the body and gets irritated when listening to discourses, as well as generally gets irritated with bodily problems, is a learned fool.
34. One who gets carried away with pride in wealth, and one who ignores the tradition of the Sadguru, yet claims the guru’s tradition for himself, is a learned fool.
35. One who speaks of Self-Knowledge yet behaves selfishly, accumulates money like a miser, and takes advantage of spiritual lifestyle to become wealthy, is a learned fool.
36. One who does not practice what he preaches, uses speaking about the Knowledge of Brahman for earning money, and becomes dependent on others for his livelihood, is a learned fool.
37. One who interrupts the continuity of the path of devotion, and who creates divisions among people is a learned fool.
38. One whose family life slips through his hands, who does not know anything of Paramartha, and who hates God and the knowers of Brahman, is a learned fool.
39. The qualities of the learned fool are described so that you may drop them. The one who is thoughtful should understand the significance of these attributes, and forgive any shortcomings of what has been said.
40. The learned fool is a fool among fools who considers mundane worldly life to be a happy one, and who does not see that there is nothing more sorrowful than worldly life.
41. The description of the sorrow of birth and the grief of the experience of the time in the womb is narrated in the next sub-chapter.


END OF THE SECOND DASHAK