9. Understanding Greed

Vuttañhetaṁ bhagavatā vuttamarahatāti me sutaṁ:

“Lobhaṁ, bhikkhave, anabhijānaṁ aparijānaṁ tattha cittaṁ avirājayaṁ appajahaṁ abhabbo dukkhakkhayāya.

Lobhañca kho, bhikkhave, abhijānaṁ parijānaṁ tattha cittaṁ virājayaṁ pajahaṁ bhabbo dukkhakkhayāyā”ti.

Etamatthaṁ bhagavā avoca.

Tatthetaṁ iti vuccati:

“Yena lobhena luddhāse,

sattā gacchanti duggatiṁ;

Taṁ lobhaṁ sammadaññāya,

pajahanti vipassino;

Pahāya na punāyanti,

imaṁ lokaṁ kudācanan”ti.

Ayampi attho vutto bhagavatā, iti me sutanti.

Navamaṁ.

This was said by the Lord…

“Bhikkhus, one who has not directly known and fully understood greed, who has not detached his mind from it and abandoned it, is incapable of destroying suffering. But one who has directly known and fully understood greed, and who has detached his mind from it and abandoned it, is capable of destroying suffering.”

Humankind is possessed by greed,
Bound by greed and delighted with being;
Not fully understanding greed,
They come again to renewal of being.

But those who have abandoned greed,
And who by destroying greed are freed,
Have conquered the bondage of greed
And overcome all suffering.