Greed at inopportune times

Buddhist ethical conduct including the Five Precepts (Pañcasikkhāpada), and Eightfold Ethical Conduct (Aṭṭhasīla).
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Ionbuddy
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Greed at inopportune times

Post by Ionbuddy »

What do I do if I'm feeling greed, but I don't have any opportunities to give anything like late at night?
I still have defilements.
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DooDoot
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Re: Greed at inopportune times

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you can give to a charity over the internet, such as to Donate to Help Families in Gaza.
There is always an official executioner. If you try to take his place, It is like trying to be a master carpenter and cutting wood. If you try to cut wood like a master carpenter, you will only hurt your hand.

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Sam Vara
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Re: Greed at inopportune times

Post by Sam Vara »

Ionbuddy wrote: Sat Jan 30, 2021 3:37 am What do I do if I'm feeling greed, but I don't have any opportunities to give anything like late at night?
Giving is a good way of overcoming greed, but you can instead just sit quietly and reflect on the consequences of that greed. What will happen if you give in to it?

Or you can just watch it as an interesting mental phenomenon that arises and then fades away.

I have found both techniques to be effective.
Ionbuddy
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Re: Greed at inopportune times

Post by Ionbuddy »

Sam Vara wrote: Sat Jan 30, 2021 6:55 am
Ionbuddy wrote: Sat Jan 30, 2021 3:37 am What do I do if I'm feeling greed, but I don't have any opportunities to give anything like late at night?
Giving is a good way of overcoming greed, but you can instead just sit quietly and reflect on the consequences of that greed. What will happen if you give in to it?

Or you can just watch it as an interesting mental phenomenon that arises and then fades away.

I have found both techniques to be effective.
Reflecting on the consequences was actually new. I had never thought much about it other than the shallow sort of "it's bad". Thank you! It's kind of distressing trying to counteract it, but eventually it went away. It got replaced by anger shortly after, but I handled that way easier.
DooDoot wrote: Sat Jan 30, 2021 4:05 am you can give to a charity over the internet, such as to Donate to Help Families in Gaza.
Unfortunately, sometimes I'm not in the position to give cash. Thank you nonetheless.
I still have defilements.
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Ceisiwr
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Re: Greed at inopportune times

Post by Ceisiwr »

Ionbuddy wrote: Sat Jan 30, 2021 3:37 am What do I do if I'm feeling greed, but I don't have any opportunities to give anything like late at night?
Reflect on its drawbacks.
“Knowing that this body is just like foam,
understanding it has the nature of a mirage,
cutting off Māra’s flower-tipped arrows,
one should go beyond the King of Death’s sight.”
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