Why should one not be greedy for Money?

Is greed good or is greed bad? Well, being greedy means being blind! Yes, greed means blindness! One doesn't even realize that they are practising greed. A greedy person's chit (inner faculty of knowledge and vision) remains absorbed only in greed all day long. Greed is not limited to just money alone; it encompasses the greed for everything. Here, we will understand the greed for money.

If one understands the various harms that greed causes us, one will understand that we should not be greedy. A greedy person easily deceives even their close relatives! For example, if his wife asks for twenty-five thousand rupees for a pilgrimage, the husband says, "I don't have that much money right now," but if one checks the bank, he must’ve earned five lakh! This hurts the wife. Greed pushes even pride aside. That is, a greedy person will tolerate being insulted but will not allow a loss in greed.

The protector of greed is deceit. Deceit protects the tuber of greed so that no obstruction comes to it. If a situation arises where one has to give money, the person uses skill to postpone that time so that they don't have to give it.

Practicing thrift in the use of common items is not a crime. Thrift occurs when one has fewer resources and plans by keeping the future in mind. But to be greedy even when one has a lot of money, that is a crime.

Param Pujya Dadashri says that this worldly life is sustained solely by greed. As long as the greed for even a single item remains, one has to return to this worldly life. As long as there is greed, the wandering of the world continues. When greed will completely dissolve, then this worldly life will come to an end!

The greedy people are the most miserable

A greedy person is the most unhappy. They cannot enjoy what they already have, and they keep chasing after what they do not have. Furthermore, they chase only in their mind, they may or may not even achieve what they really want. Greed doesn’t allow a person to live in happiness and peace. We can see this kind of greed around us or within ourselves.

The thirst for water is good, but the thirst for wealth is said to be very dangerous! This is because the desire for wealth may find satisfaction but will never find fulfillment. With satisfaction, the desire for it can arise again, whereas fulfillment means the desire for it never arises again, nor does one think of it.

The greedy person's tendency to "spend eight hours searching for eight coins," causes them to waste a human being's time and energy in chasing money. For the one who uses wealth only for themselves, suffering is waiting for them.

A greedy person spends their entire life being miserly and accumulating wealth. But then, the children born to them turn out to be so extravagant that they waste all the wealth on wrong paths like addiction and gambling, resulting in the entire household being wiped out. Just as an ant gathers and gathers piece by piece until it has a large amount, and then one day a rat comes and completely cleans it out, similarly, it is impossible to say when accumulated wealth will disappear. Ultimately, the time comes for them to suffer.

Constantly thinking about money is a bad habit. Just as when one has a cold or fever, we inhale steam. Taking steam causes one to sweat and the fever goes down. But one should not inhale steam every day even when there is no fever. Else even the necessary water will drain from the body and the body will become like wood. Similarly, contemplating on wealth all day long only causes harm to oneself.

Excessive greed is the root of demerit karma

Greed is a violent intent! The meaning of greed is to snatch away what belongs to others. Everyone's quota of money is naturally determined. Even if one is receiving a good amount of money, to desire to earn even more money is to have the intent of snatching more money from someone else's quota. Hence nothing is left for others. The very idea that money should come to me from others is the violent intent!

The greed for money becomes a major cause for the occurrence of aartadhyan (adverse internal state of being that hurts the self) and raudradhyan (adverse internal state of being/meditation that hurts the self and others), which binds demerit karma. Suppose a servant is bringing twenty cups of tea and the tray of tea falls from his hands, shattering the glass cups and saucers; for a greedy person, it is as if their own soul has shattered! An inner turmoil begins, but they don't speak up so as not to look bad in front of everyone, that is aartadhyan. The servant also trembles within with fear, knowing that once everyone leaves, they’re going to be thrashed! Some employers scold the servant right in front of everyone. If an inexpensive clay pot shatters, there wouldn't be such a turmoil, but since they have attached value to the expensive glass cups and saucers, the turmoil occurs. On one hand, there was a loss of money, but on the other hand, they also hurt the servant. People who remain absorbed all day long in the contemplation of earning money even forget about the closest people in their family. If someone calls them or disturbs them during that contemplation, their mood changes and anger arises, all of that is raudradhyan. If the object of one's own greed is acquired in greater measure by someone else, an inner burning begins.

The greed can be so extreme that because one protects the wealth their entire life, the soul remains attached to that wealth even after death. After dying, they become a snake or a scorpion and guard the buried pot of wealth! If the wealth belonged to everyone collectively, then all the souls become wasps and stay crammed inside the pot. If anyone tries to put their hand in, the wasps sting them!

The earning of money happens based on merit karma, but while spending it, one can bind either merit karma or demerit karma. That is, today, due to the account of merit karma, abundant money comes in, but while spending it, one spends the whole day in aartadhyan, lamenting, "Oh, my money! Oh, my money!" In short, one cannot enjoy the money oneself and instead binds demerit karma for the next life.

Driven by the greed to earn more wealth or to save it, human beings do not hesitate to engage in wrongdoings, and they get trapped. Some merchants go against the government laws to commit tax evasion and earn money. In business, they earn money by deceiving customers, short-changing on the weight, or adulterating goods. And the rule is that if money enters the house through wrong means, bad thoughts also accompany it, how to further snatch away or exploit what belongs to others. Consequently, a person binds demerit karma and invites a lower life-form. The greed that spoils one’s conduct results in an animal life-form! The one fault that makes a human being wander for many lifetimes is being greedy!