The teachers of religion
The thousands of religious teachers of today teach only for the purpose of pumping themselves up, to convince themselves more strongly of themselves. Performing for an audience provides a reason and an impetus to be vital and confident; it provides a purpose: the purpose, among other things, is to avoid embarrassment. In this way they create an object of fear, so they can spend the rest of their lives fighting against it. They are like the mountaineer who risks his life in the useless task of climbing a mountain . . . to feel alive!
The greater the number of people they convince, the more convinced they are of themselves. They wish also to impress, for if they are great in the eyes of others, they feel great. They do not shun titles. In short, they are parasites that feed off the reputation of their religion, and the weakness of their followers.
The truly wise do not desire to teach: it has nothing to offer them. They are not spurred on by fear so do not care if they are seen to fail. Though they might receive praise and thanks, their spirits are not enlivened. Titles and reputation are irrelevant to them as they seek nothing external to themselves. They are motivated by nothing, remain like stone, unconcerned with everything human.