釋氏要覽 3.84

3.84

瑜伽論云。於諸境界。深起耽著名貪。諸煩惱中。貪為最勝○阿毗達磨論云。貪者。三界愛為體。生眾苦為業（業用也）○法蘊足論云。佛言。汝等若能永斷一法保汝定得不還果。一法者貪也○六度集經云。佛因中曾作鴿王。誡諸鴿曰。佛經眾戒。貪為元首。貪以致榮者。猶餓夫獲毒饍得志之樂其久若電。眾苦困己。其有億載。

The Yogācārabhūmi-śāstra states: "To deeply give rise to craving and attachment towards sense objects is called greed. Among all afflictions, greed is the most prominent." The Abhidharma-śāstra states: "As for greed, craving within the three realms is its substance; generating the multitude of sufferings is its activity (activity means function)." The Dharmaskandha-śāstra states: "The Buddha said: 'If you can forever eradicate one phenomenon, I assure you that you will definitely attain the fruit of non-returner. The one phenomenon is greed.'" The Sūtra of the Collection of the Six Perfections states: "When the Buddha was in the causal stage, he was once a king of pigeons; he admonished the pigeons, saying: 'Among all the precepts in the Buddha's sūtras, greed is the foremost. Those who obtain glory through greed are like a starving man gaining poisoned food: the pleasure of fulfilling his wishes lasts as briefly as lightning, but the multitude of sufferings that entrap him will persist for countless aeons.'"