The seven deadly sins, also known as the capital vices or cardinal sins, is a classification of vices (part of Christian ethics) that has been used since early Christian times to educate and instruct Christians concerning fallen humanity’s tendency to sin. In the currently recognized version, the sins are usually given as wrath, greed, sloth, pride, lust, envy, and gluttony.

The Catholic Church divides sin into two categories: venial sins, in which guilt is relatively minor, and the more severe mortal sins. Theologically, a mortal or deadly sin is believed to destroy the life of grace and charity within a person and thus creates the threat of eternal damnation. “Mortal sin, by attacking the vital principle within us – that is, charity – necessitates a new initiative of God’s mercy and a conversion of heart which is normally accomplished [for Catholics] within the setting of the sacrament of reconciliation.”

Greed:

Greed (Latin, avaritia), also known as avarice, cupidity or covetousness, is, like lust and gluttony, a sin of excess. However, greed (as seen by the church) is applied to a very excessive or rapacious desire and pursuit of material possessions. Thomas Aquinas wrote, “Greed is a sin against God, just as all mortal sins, in as much as man condemns things eternal for the sake of temporal things.” In Dante’s Purgatory, the penitents were bound and laid face down on the ground for having concentrated too much on earthly thoughts. Scavenging and hoarding of materials or objects, theft and robbery, especially by means of violence, trickery, or manipulation of authority are all actions that may be inspired by Greed. Such misdeeds can include simony, where one attempts to purchase or sell sacraments, including Holy Orders and, therefore, positions of authority in the Church hierarchy.

As defined outside of Christian writings, greed is an inordinate desire to acquire or possess more than one needs, especially with respect to material wealth.

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Dr. Salman Akhtar, MD, is an internationally recognized psychiatrist, psychoanalyst, writer and poet. He has more than 60 books to his credit. The recipient of numerous prestigious awards, Dr. Akhtar is a globally sought-out speaker. He maintains a clinical practice in Philadelphia.

“Greed, ” according to Dr. Akhtar, “is a hippopotamus eating a ten-egg omelette on a golden plate. “He remembers hearing the immortal story of The Golden Goose (from Aesop’s Fables) when he was a ten-year old boy – it best explains this concept.

The Goose That Laid the Golden Egg An Aesop Fable A man and his wife owned a very special goose. Every day the goose would lay a golden egg, which made the couple very rich.       “Just think,” said the man’s wife, “If we could have all the golden eggs that are inside the goose, we could be richer much faster.”       “You’re right,” said her husband, “We wouldn’t have to wait for the goose to lay her egg every day.”       So, the couple killed the goose and cut her open, only to find that she was just like every other goose. She had no golden eggs inside of her at all, and they had no more golden eggs. Moral: TOO MUCH GREED RESULTS IN NOTHING.

Dr. Akhtar remembers thinking to himself ( as a young boy) that the man (in the fable) was stupid, foolish and impatient. Yet many years later, as a middle-aged psychoanalyst, he states that greed has nothing to do with stupidity or smartness: or even with patience and impatience. It involves the capacity or incapacity to be satisfied. The farmer was impatient and deluded by his own greed.

The dictionary definition of greed is that it is, “excessive and reprehensible acquisitiveness.” The threshold of what exactly constitutes greed is not very clear in this definition – however, what is made amply clear is that greed is immoral and lacks a sense of dignity. It is a curse that is looked down upon by society, at large. Greed is about feeling pressured by one’s uncontrollable urges for acquiring more, more and yet even more possessions (“hunger”); it is about “inconsolability” – the lack of  basic contentment and the feeling of perpetual dissatisfaction; it is about “ingratitude” because the greedy person is hardly ever thankful because he never feels fulfilled or satified; lastly, greed is about, “selfishness” because greedy people are invariably self-absorbed, self-immersed and self-centered people.Such people hardly ever take into consideration the feelings of others, including the feelings of people who are closest to them.

Dr. Akhtar states that greed is not only about money; it is about being highly materialistic too. It is a case where clothes, jewellery, art, antiques, food and includes intangible objects like fame, power, sexual liaisons and travel-related experiences. Whatever may be the manifestation of greed, the fundamental issues in greed remain the same: grotesque hunger, lack of satiety, ungratefulness and a lack of concern for others.

ONE OF THE MAIN REASONS – TODAY – WHY PEOPLE ARE BEING “USED” AND MATERIAL THINGS ARE BEING “REVERED” IS THE OCCURRENCE OF MORBID GREED WITHIN OUR TEEMING MILLIONS. PEOPLE HAVE FORGOTTEN THE JOY OF THE TIMELESSNESS OF CONTENTMENT. WE CAN ALL LEARN TO BE BETTER PEOPLE BY OVERCOMING OUR ALL-ENCOMPASSING GREED – WE NEED TO BE THANKFUL FOR ALL THAT WE HAVE, LONG BEFORE IT BECOMES SOMETHING THAT WE HAD.

The final message – OVERCOME YOUR GREED OF MATERIAL ACQUISITIONS AND OVERCOME YOUR ENVY OF OTHERS; LEARN INSTEAD THE SANCTITY OF CONTENTMENT, HUMILITY AND BASIC GRATITUDE.

I AM SHIVA AND THIS IS NOT A REQUEST. LET ME NOT HAVE TO KEEP REPEATING IT!