Yoga-Vāsiṣṭha 1.17—Whirlpool of Greed
Channel: Consciousness Research Centre
Date: 23/08/2017

This series is classified Ajata-vāda | Jñāna-yoga | Turīya | Sahasrāra-cakra

Download the source materials: https://drive.google.com/file/d/1sNM2LPJQHh-NhEPpOZOSEAqea4yt3L8v/view?usp=sharing

“Greed by raising expectations in men, serves only to whirl them about, like a vortex of the sea swallows marine animals… Our minds are driven by foul greed from one place to another, as dusty dry hay is carried away by winds… It is greed that destroys all the good qualities and grace that we have learned in good faith, just like a mischievous mouse gnaws the strings of a musical instrument. We turn on the wheel of our cares, like withered leaves upon water, like dry grass blown by wind, and like autumn clouds in the sky. Being overpowered by greed, we are unable to reach the goal of perfection, like a bird entangled in a snare is kept from flight.” — 1.17.5-10

“The rope of greed pulls us up and casts us down again like a bucket into a well. Man’s greed leads him about like a bullock of burden. His avarice binds his heart as fast as the rope does the beast, and it is hard for him to break. Greed like a dark night terrifies even the wise, blindfolds the keen-sighted, and depresses the spirit of the happiest of men. Our appetite is as heinous as a serpent, soft to feel, but full of deadly poison, and bites us as soon as it is felt. It is also like a black sorceress who deludes a man by her magic, then pierces his heart.” — 1.17.13-18

“Of all worldly evils, greed is the source of the longest sorrow. She exposes even the most secluded man to peril. Greed, like a group of clouds, is filled with a thick mist of error, obstructing the light of heaven and causing a dull insensitivity. Penury binds them like beasts with halters about their necks. Covetousness stretches itself long and wide and presents to us a variety of colors like a rainbow… It burns away our good qualities as fire does dry hay. It numbs our good sense as frost freezes the lotus. It grows our evils as autumn does the grass. It increases our ignorance as winter prolongs the night.” — 1.17.32-36

==========
Dharmasār Video Series Index:
https://drive.google.com/file/d/1EZFqp9G893-LMYSm-ucUt3CylMTbfLV2/view?usp=drivesdk

Four States of Consciousness Diagram: 
https://drive.google.com/file/d/13OWr_2V857yq7AjS59yhF4ub2q9k8Kl9/view?usp=sharing

Dharmasār Complete Archive Library:
https://archive.org/details/dharmasar-essence-of-dharma