A famous teacher took his pupils into a clearing in the forest that was known as a home for wild monkeys.
There he took a hollow gourd with a small hole and inserted sweetened rice (a favorite of monkeys). Then he chained the gourd to a stake and waited with his class. Soon a very large monkey approached, sniffed the rice, inserted his paw, and screeched in frustration when he was unable to withdraw his paw (now a fist) through the narrow opening.
Just then a leopard approached and hearing the monkey screeching decided to have monkey for his dinner.
“Let go of the rice. Run!” screamed the pupils, but to no avail because the monkey in his hunger for the rice, refused to let go and was as a consequence caught and eaten by the leopard.
“What was the trap that killed the monkey?” asked the master. “Rice,” said one student.
“The gourd,” said another.
“No,” replied the wise teacher. “The trap was greed.”
Come Out From Grip Of Greed
Not only Monkey but We all are in The Grip of Greed.
A deeper understanding of greed can help us to see that it is not only material goods that we desire money for, but also the security and independence that wealth can bring. Wealth is not a bad thing, in and of itself. It can help us meet our basic needs as well as enjoy luxuries which make life better. In many ways, greed is foremost a matter of the heart, of our inner lives. Greed is an excessive love or desire for money or any possession. Greed is not merely caring about money and possessions, but caring too much about them. The greedy person is too attached to his things and his money, or he desires more money and more things in an excessive way. Greed has unpleasant effects on our inner emotional lives. The anxiety and restlessness we feel when we long for some possession, and the false assurance that upon gaining it we’ll be put at ease and satisfied places us in a literally vicious circle. By contrast, the virtue of generosity is most present not only when we share, but enjoy doing so.
While greed is an inner condition, it can be expressed in many of the choices that the greedy person makes. In fact, greed is related to justice in the following way. If I am greedy, and am excessive in my acquisition and keeping of possessions, I may be depriving others of their basic needs. Perhaps I could make do with last year’s winter coat, rather than buying a new one, or if I do buy a new one I can donate last year’s to a local shelter or agency, or to a person I know who is in need.
Finally, there are some things that we can do to combat greed in our lives. First, a bit of self-assessment can be helpful. We might track our spending over a one or two month period, and categorize our expenditures. This could shed some light on our priorities, and on ways we could cut superfluous spending. Second, we could take a holiday from consumerism. During this break, try to avoid advertising, trips to the mall, looking through catalogues, watching home improvement shows, and the like. This is both countercultural and freeing. Finally, just give some money away. Make some commitments to give a certain amount of money away on a regular basis to a charitable organization, local religious group, or a relief agency. It may be difficult to do at first, but over time doing so will not only be good for you, it will help meet real needs that others have.
Greed is an inner condition and if we become conscious then we have the opportunity to come out from Grip of Greed.
Learning from the story Monkey And Leopard: Come Out From Grip Of Greed
Experience Learning
4 Signs That You’re Too Greedy With Money
Greed makes the world go round, right? Well, sort of. In order for a capitalist society to function, money and purchases are certainly necessary, but greed suggests selfishness or a desire for a superfluous amount of money. We all need money to survive, and having extra money so you don’t have to worry is certainly an admirable and understandable goal; so at what point do ambition, and the hope of having more money, become greedy? The answer depends on who you ask, but there are certainly clear signs you are greedy with money. If you turn a blind eye to someone who needs your help, then you might be greedy with money; working tirelessly to earn more money even if you don’t need it is another sign, and so is prioritizing money above all else. Here are four examples of being greedy with money to watch out for.
1. You ignore people you can afford to help
A Gallup Poll found that 85% of Americans donated to charity. Giving to charity is certainly a noble thing to do, and if you can afford to do it but you refuse, then that is a good sign you are greedy with money. The great thing about charities is that there are so many kinds: You can find one that aligns with your interests or beliefs.
2. You keep trying to make more money
There’s nothing wrong with a little ambition: Having money can be a great thing. However, if you keep working harder and spending more time on your work, and you’re doing it simply to make more money than you actually need (or could ever need), then that’s a good sign you are greedy. Financial stability is fantastic, but wanting more and more money just to have it isn’t necessary. If you know that you are financially set and that your financial future is stable, you don’t need to quit working. However, if you’re doing extra work or plugging away just to get farther ahead, you might want to stop and think about what you’re doing. There’s nothing wrong with being rich, but at some point accumulating more and more money becomes greedy.
3. The rest of your life is falling apart
If you’re regularly hearing complaints from your family members or friends that you work too much (and that you don’t need to for financial reasons), or if you are actually facing more direct questions like “why do we need more money?” then you might be getting greedy with your money. Once your family members and friends start noticing that you put money above them, your relationships can suffer.
4. You’re too stingy or too loose with money
Frugality isn’t a bad thing; being careful with money is smart. However, if you refuse to use any money for fun (or more importantly, necessary) expenses, or your family members are afraid to ask you for what they need, then you might be being too greedy with your money. For example, if your son says he needs new shoes because his shoe has a giant hole in it, and you tell him to suck it up (but you can afford to buy him new shoes) then that’s pretty stingy.
On the other hand, envying what other people have and trying to keep up, or spending too much money without keeping track or thinking about the consequences, can also be greedy. If you need more and more money because you can’t stop spending, or you’re spending more than you can afford just to keep up with your friends or mentors (including eating out too much), that’s a bad sign.
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