The Faults of Grasping at the Aggregate of Feeling

Because sentient beings take the aggregate of feeling (vedanā) as the self and cling to the aggregate of feeling, for the sake of inner feelings they give rise to greed and aversion, thereby committing boundless, immeasurable karmic transgressions. If one does not take the aggregate of feeling as the self, does not cling to the aggregate of feeling, does not crave pleasant feelings, and does not feel aversion toward disagreeable feelings, then greed and aversion will not arise, and one will not commit evil karma without even knowing it.

The most prominent characteristic of sentient beings in the Sahā world is greed, aversion, and delusion. The most pervasive affliction in the human realm of the desire realm is greed. Even though one has studied and practiced the Buddhadharma, understands cause and effect, and knows that greed is the root of calamity that causes one to sink in birth-and-death, because karmic obstructions are deep and heavy, one is still unable to subdue greed. Whether layperson or monastic, the subduing of all afflictions is extremely, extremely difficult. Because habits have been deeply ingrained through incalculable kalpas of birth-and-death conditioning, they are deeply rooted and very hard to shake even in the slightest.