Acharya Prashant responds to a question about the common beliefs that a true saint must live a destitute life in a hut and that anyone who makes money is a fraud. He begins by questioning the very definition of a 'saint,' sarcastically noting how easy it is to become one by simply growing long hair and a beard, calling it a great career and stating he is familiar with every trick. He challenges this notion by asking what would remain of a so-called saint if they shaved, wore normal clothes, and spoke like a regular human. He asserts that India's religious leaders have played a significant role in the nation's downfall through limitless deception. The speaker explains that the idea of a saint living in a hut stems from the worldly person's jealousy. This person thinks, 'You have knowledge, peace, and liberation; at least let us have the house. For you, there is the hut.' If a wise person could also have a house, the worldly person's justification for their own dishonesty would crumble. Similarly, they are envious of a wise person with money because their own wealth is acquired through violence, while the wise person's is not. For their own convenience, they insist a saint must live in a hut. He points out the hypocrisy of naming a 50-crore palace 'Daridra Kutir' (hut of the poor). Acharya Prashant gives examples of true saints like Sant Ravidas, who worked with shoes, and Sant Kabir, who worked with cloth, neither of whom displayed conventional signs of sainthood. He quotes Lao Tzu, explaining that Truth is without specific attributes and cannot be identified by external signs; one who displays such signs is a liar. He also quotes Kabir Saheb, who noted that people have turned Ram into a toy by wearing rosaries and tilaks, and that people called him mad, but only Ram knew his secret. The true saints were often considered eccentric. He concludes by advising the questioner not to try to become a saint but to first become a human, which is a great achievement in itself. He states that we are born as animals, and those who attempt to be more than human often become hypocrites. The essence of sainthood, he explains, is an immense love for the Truth, which can only be recognized by a true lover.
