Nine Things Rooted in Craving

I will teach you, Monks, nine things rooted in craving.

What are the nine things rooted in craving?

In dependence on craving, there is seeking.

In dependence on seeking, there is gain.

In dependence on gain, there is judgment.

In dependence on judgment, there is desire and lust.

In dependence on desire and lust, there is attachment.

In dependence on attachment, there is possessiveness.

In dependence on possessiveness, there is selfishness.

In dependence on selfishness, there is safeguarding.

With safeguarding as the foundation, originate the taking up of rods and weapons, fights, contentions, and disputes, accusations, argumentative speech, and false speech, and many (other) evil unwholesome things.

These are the nine things rooted in craving.

(Reference: AN 9.23)

In this Teaching from Gotama Buddha, he shares nine things that are rooted in craving lead to many evil unwholesome things. The nine things rooted in craving are seeking, gain, judgment, desire, lust, attachment, possessiveness, selfishness, and safeguarding.

Safeguarding leads to “taking up of rods and weapons, fights, contentions, and disputes, accusations, argumentative speech, and false speech”.

As learned in The Four Noble Truths, craving/desire/attachment is the cause of discontentedness. It is also the fuel that causes rebirth in The Cycle of Rebirth. The Buddha’s Teachings center on the importance of eliminating craving/desire/attachment due to its dramatic cause of so much difficulties in one’s life.

In this Teaching, The Buddha shares additional aspects of craving/desire/attachment showing a cause and effect relationship of how craving/desire/attachment leads to evil unwholesome results in one’s life such as “taking up of rods and weapons, fights, contentions, and disputes, accusations, argumentative speech, and false speech”.

Through focusing on The Path to Enlightenment, a Practitioner is able to eliminate craving/desire/attachment bringing discontentedness and The Cycle of Rebirth to an end.

In the meantime, a Practitioner will also eliminate the “taking up of rods and weapons, fights, contentions, and disputes, accusations, argumentative speech, and false speech” creating much peace and tranquility in one’s life.

Detailed explanation of The Four Noble Truths is available in this same book series found in Chapter 4 of the book “Developing a Life Practice: The Path That Leads to Enlightenment” (Volume 1).