The Peril of Greed on the Path to Awakening

The Root of the Five Poisons

Recorded and transcribed by Namo Amituofo’s disciple, Venerable Fa Hui. On the eleventh of April, 2026, Teacher Practitioner Xia Lianju provided these essential teachings on the nature of greed. Among the Five Poisons—greed, anger, delusion, arrogance, and doubt—greed stands as the foremost obstacle to our spiritual progress. It is the primary force that binds us to the cycle of rebirth and prevents us from realising the state of an awakened being.

The Five Desires That Bind Us

We must be acutely aware of how greed manifests through the Five Desires. These desires act as invisible chains, pulling our consciousness away from the purity of the Western Pure Land of Ultimate Bliss and anchoring us firmly within the world of suffering. The Five Desires are:

• Wealth: The constant craving to earn more, possess more, and accumulate material security beyond what is necessary.
• Sex: The restless desire for physical intimacy, which often leads to excessive attachment and emotional turbulence.
• Fame: The hunger for recognition, status, and the praise of others, which feeds the ego and obscures our original nature.
• Food: The indulgence in sensory pleasure through eating, often driven by craving rather than the body's actual need for sustenance.
• Sleep: The desire to succumb to lethargy and comfort, which dulls our awareness and hinders our daily practice.

When we allow these desires to take root, we find ourselves constantly seeking more: more wealth, more attention, more recognition, more indulgence, and more comfort. This greed is not static; it grows larger the more we feed it. You must be vigilant and cultivate the awareness to recognise these impulses the moment they arise.

The Accumulation of Negative Karma

Whenever you notice a thought, a word, or an action driven by greed, you must stop it immediately. Do not allow it to continue or manifest further. As a practitioner, you must understand that any expression of greed through your Body, Speech, and Mind creates negative karma. We often underestimate the weight of small transgressions, yet it is the accumulation of these small acts that eventually leads to profound suffering.

If we allow these seeds of greed to grow, we risk falling into the hells to suffer retribution in hell. By the time we realise the gravity of our actions, it is often too late. This is why you must be diligent; even the slightest flicker of greed must be extinguished the moment it appears. This constant vigilance is what distinguishes a true practitioner from those who remain lost in the world.

Overcoming the Obstacles to Awakening

In this world, people are often lost because they do not recognise greed as a problem. They do not perceive it as a crisis, and consequently, they gradually fall into deep attachment. This is particularly true regarding the people, events, and objects we hold dear. We must remember that delusion, discrimination, and attachment are the primary barriers to realising the state of an awakened being. From this perspective, greed is a grave illness for any practitioner, and we must treat it with the utmost caution.

If your goal is to become an awakened being, you must be disciplined in your speech and actions. Do not allow negative tendencies to flourish. Even if a trace of greed appears, you must immediately stop and sever it. Only through such rigorous self-discipline can your practice bear fruit. This is a matter that requires your constant attention and awakening. Namo Amituofo.