Greed

Greed is the father of all sin. That statement is not in quotation marks. I’m sure that with a little research I could find a Bhuddist, or communist activist sharing this sentiment. I believe it to be a true statement. An all encompassing statement of fact: Greed is the father of all sin.

In the wisdom traditions, the mythology of conflict has universally been born of another’s greed. In the mythic scenario of brother against brother, whether it is Cain and Able or Set and Osiris; it is the greed of the impatient brother who brings murder. Murder is born of greed. Can one separate the human force of anger and rage, from the greedy act of indulging that anger and rage? Only through greed can the murderer kill. He must take to himself all of the decision-making authority usually reserved to the wisdom of Nature and our “Supreme Being.”

The division of human beings into the classes of hunters and farmers can also be seen in terms of greed. If we look at the activities themselves it becomes clear that the “Hunters” are expressing greed. That is to say that the instinct for survival will cause greedy behavior. If it didn’t, the hunter would die of starvation before he felt entitled to end the life of a fellow creature, which he had no hand in creating. I believe this is where it question of greed as the prime motivator in life begins. If we apply the term greed to self-preservation then the desire for life itself is tarnished as something bad. But is we see greed as linked, inextricably to the basic desire for survival; then we begin to see how greed can expand and occupy the whole of an individual’s motivations.

This brings us to the Farmer mentality. For the sake of contrast; let’s say the farmer is expressing patience. let’s paint the farmer’s reality as one who is not seeking to grab fast what he can, but using intelligence he is looking into the future and contemplating it. He is keeping track of the heavenly events. He is using is mind. Greed in this case is not in the act of sustaining survival, but may exist in the long term gathering of abundance.

More to come…….