Spiritual texts emphasise the importance of being sensitive to the workings of the mind. The human mind is powerful and gets easily sullied owing to the many mental modes that keep acting on it at all times. In a discourse, Sri R. Rajagopala Sarma drew attention to the text Laghu Vasudeva Mananam, where the author distinguishes between the harmful and beneficial mental modes, by knowing which beings can avoid the former and cultivate the latter.
Raga, dvesha, kama, krodha, lobha, moha, mada, matsarya, asooya, darpa, ahamkara, ichcha, etc are the ones that have to be avoided while bhakti and sraddha are to be cultivated to gain chitta suddhi. Raga, dvesha, etc stir up the desires that are for the sake of the sarira. Association with the sarira is the cause of all misery and fear. Sorrow and fear affect all living beings, regardless of one's status, education, birth, etc. What about a king, one may ask? He too faces fear in the form of enemies; he feels sorrow when near and dear die. He too is not exempt from old age, disease and death. When he bears the burden of kingship he has to face many challenges. Even celestial beings such as Brahma, Indra and others are aware of their temporary state and status. Sarira association also gives rise to the sense of I and Mine when one begins to think that 'I am the doer, or I am the enjoyer' in all spheres of life. To overcome this, the thought that one has no ownership to one's sarira has to be repeatedly imprinted in the consciousness. This is 'abhimana' and is a powerful obstacle in the process of self realisation.
So, when one knows that first of all this sarira itself is not one's own, then where is the claim for possession over others when one tends to identify them as 'my son, or my father' etc.