Surangama Sutra: stadiile demonice ale skandhelor formei şi simţului, partea 2 din 9

But if your ego misleads you, makes you think that you are a sage, a saint, a higher-level saint, then the demons can come and make use of that and harm you. And spiritual loss is worse than losing a thousand lives, bodily. Very difficult to find that again. Very difficult to find a Master already. If you lose your spiritual power, it's even worse; then you cannot find another Master, because you will be so blurred now. You will not understand that you have to find a Master or anything, anymore. You're just completely mixed into the six paths of existence. You never think of anything spiritual or finding a Master even. You completely forget your purpose to be born as human.