Ranade, Gandhi, Jinnah (1943), p. 26.
Where can you find a merchant with nothing but the acquisitive instinct to
follow who will not descend to the level of the brute ?
Thoughts on Pakistan (1941), pp. 117–18/Pakistan or the Partition of India (1946), p. 110.
It is they [the high caste Hindus] who guide the Hindu masses and form Hindu opinion. Unfortunately, the high caste Hindus are bad as leaders. They have a trait of character which often leads the Hindus to disaster. This trait is formed by their acquisitive instinct and aversion to share with others the good things of life. They have a monopoly of education and wealth, and with wealth and education they have captured the State. To keep this monopoly to themselves has been the ambition and goal of their life. Charged with this selfish idea of class domination, they take every move to exclude the lower classes of Hindus from wealth, education and power, the surest and the most effective being the preparation of scriptures, inculcating upon the minds of the lower classes of Hindus the teaching that their duty in life is only to serve the higher classes.
The Triumph of Brahmanism, BAWS 3, p. 331.
With Brahmanism religion is a cloak to cover and hide its acquisitive
politics.
Krishna and his Gita, BAWS 3, p. 364.
People who had accepted the doctrine of Buddha that all misery in society is due to Tanha or what Tawny calls acquisitive instinct — how could they accept the religion which deliberately invited people to obtain boons by sacrifices merely because there is behind it the authority of the Vedas?
The Buddha and His Dhamma (1957), pp. 239, 538.
- In the Maha-Nidan-Suttanta the Buddha has explained to Ananda the necessity of controlling greed. This is what he said.
- “This it is, Ananda, that craving comes into being because of desire for gain, when desire for gain becomes a passion for possession when the spirit of possession gives rise to tenacity of possession it becomes avarice.
- “Avarice or possession due to uncontrolled acquisitive instinct calls for watch and ward.
- “Why is this craving or greed to be condemned? Because of this,” said the Buddha to Ananda, “many
a bad and wicked state of things arises—blows and wounds, strife, contradiction and retorts ; quarrelling,
slander and lies.” - That this is the correct analysis of class struggle there can be no doubt.
….
On receiving the ashes, the Blessed Lord said to the brethren — “He [Sariputta] was the wisest, he had no acquisitive instinct, he was energetic and industrious, he hated sin, ye brethren see his ashes. He was as strong as the earth in his forgiveness, he never allowed anger to enter his mind, he was never controlled by any desire, he had conquered all his passions, he was full of sympathy, fellowship and love.