1. Greed (ITI1)

Namo tassa bhagavato arahato sammāsambuddhassa

This was said by the Lord, said by the Arahant, so I heard:

“Abandon one thing, bhikkhus, and I guarantee you non-returning. What is that one thing? Greed is that one thing, bhikkhus. Abandon that and I guarantee you non-returning.”

This is the meaning of what the Lord said. So in regard to this it was said:

Beings coveting with greed
Go to rebirth in a bad bourn.
But having rightly understood greed,
Those with insight abandon it.
By abandoning it they never come
Back to this world again.

This too is the meaning of what was said by the Lord, so I heard.

Translated from the Pali by John D. Ireland.

Digital Transcription Source: BPS Transcription Project

Extracted from The Udāna & the Itivuttaka, translated and introduced by John D. Ireland. Published in 1997.

The complete book, including introduction and notes by the translator, is available from the Buddhist Publication Society.

ISBN 955–24-0164-X

Copyright © 1997 by John D. Ireland.

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