Nature of a Vicious Man

---from Ethical Teachings of Sri Swami Sivananda (1887-1963), published by the Divine Life Society, 1995, 5th ed.

A vicious man is miserable both in this world and in the next.  He commits sinful acts and feels an irresistible inclination for doing them.  He speaks ill of others and is himself censured.

He always speaks of his own charitable acts.  He beholds others with malicious eyes.  He is very mean, deceitful and wily.  He never pays others their dues.  He is haughty.  He lives in evil company.  He always boasts of himself.

He fears and suspects all with whom he mixes.  He is foolish in understanding.  He is miserly.  He feels excessive aversion and hatred for hermits, Sadhus and Sannyasins.

He takes delight in injuring others.  He is perfectly careless in marking the merits and faults of others.  He is a terrible liar.  He is discontented.  He is highly covetous and always acts cruelly.

He considers a virtuous and qualified person as a pest and things everyone else to be like himself.  He never trusts anyone.

Such a person trumpets the faults of other people, however insignificant those faults may be.  But about similar faults in his own self he does not refer to them even slightly or remotely.  For the sake of advantage, he reaps from them.

He regards the person who does him good as a simpleton whom he has imposed upon.  He repents for having at any time made any gift of wealth even to the benefactor.

Know him for a wicked or malevolent person who quietly takes choice foods and drinks when persons stand by with eager eyes.

A vicious or malevolent person should be shunned by aspirants and wise men.

p. 72-73