Craving
is a form of debt
When the Buddha arrived in Sravasti on his propagating mission, he lived in Jetvana Vihara. One day, he asked his Bikshus:" When a poor man craves for the things he desires, is he inducing a lot of suffering for himself?"
The Bikshus answered collectively:" Yes, Buddha!"
The Buddha asked again:" If this man cannot withstand the temptation of his material desires, and borrows money to satisfy them, would this induce suffering?"
" It would." They answered.
" If he cannot repay his debt, and there is interest accruing on this debt, would this entail suffering?"
" Yes."
" When the lender comes after him everyday for repayment of the loan, is it disturbing?"
" Yes."
" If he cannot eventually repay the loan, and is being caught by the lender, would he be in serious trouble?"
" Yes."
The Buddha said:" With regard to worldly phenomena, to crave while in poverty induces the greatest suffering. Likewise with borrowing from others. It is the same with regard to the dharmas of sages and holy ones. No matter how much you own in physical possessions, you are only considered to be a man of poverty f you do not believe in cause and effect, do not observe the precepts and is not willing to practise alms giving and cultivate for wisdom.
Those who commit evil words, thoughts and actions are like raising a loan. Interest on the loan can be compared to those who do not repent even though they know they have done wrong. When other people condemn their misdeeds and they are still without remorse, it is like they are being asked for repayment by the lender. If all they can think of is greed, resentment and delusion, they are like being chased after by the lender everyday. If they finally fall into the lower realms as a result of their bad deeds, they are like being caught by the lender without hope of being released. There is no greater bondage than being in the tormenting confines of the three evil paths. Those with wisdom should realise the importance of uprooting the causes of defilements within them."
All Bikshus who heard this revelation resolved to practise with concentration and diligence to avoid afflictions of the three evil paths.[ The mind is like a sacred mountain full of treasures. It consists of the most valuable resource for us to explore and utilise. It is only the ignorance in sentient beings that has misled them into seeking for external treasures instead. A person's lifelong innocence and purity can be wiped out by one single trait of delusion. Whether we become saints or worldlings depends on how we uphold right-mindfulness and pursue on the right course. If we just follow everyone else, we could easily lose our true mind.]
