iti.9 Itivuttaka

Understanding Greed

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.

- Translator: John D. Ireland

- Editor: Bhikkhu Sujato

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Complete Understanding of Greed

This was said by the Buddha, the Perfected One: that is what I heard.
“Mendicants, without directly knowing and completely understanding greed, without dispassion for it and giving it up, you can’t end suffering.
By directly knowing and completely understanding greed, having dispassion for it and giving it up, you can end suffering.”
The Buddha spoke this matter.
On this it is said:
“When overcome by greed
beings go to a bad place.
Having rightly understood that greed,
the discerning give it up.
Once they’ve given it up,
they never return to this world.”
This too is a matter that was spoken by the Blessed One: that is what I heard.