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## **Steadfastness:** **Dharma-born possessions are also a source of harm** (497)
There is no smallest item of enjoyment whose origin is free from violence. Thus, violence pervades all possessions; and violence is the greatest sin, so sin is always intertwined with all possessions.
(2) Moreover, to obtain these possessions—the means of enjoyment—humans often have to acquire wealth through sin, they have to engage in *arambha-parigraha* (acquisition of possessions), and thus commit even greater sins. There are hardly any occupations for earning money that are free from sin and truly virtuous. Among them, occupations like fire-related work, forest-related work, etc., are particularly sinful, extremely harmful, and are to be avoided by the soul—they are to be abandoned from afar. Thus, there is great sin in acquiring wealth, which is the means of enjoyment. (3) Similarly, there is great sin in the consumption of possessions, because when enjoying these possessions, the desires for objects of form, taste, etc., increase the passions of attachment, aversion, pride, etc., in the soul. This leads to the destruction of the soul's virtues, resulting in self-inflicted violence, and the soul experiences a terrible death of emotions every moment. This is an obvious sin. Instead of attaining happiness, it leads to its destruction, "A little bit, a little bit, moment by moment, terrible death of emotions, oh, how can one remain content?"—Shri Moksha Mala.
Thus, there is sin in the origin of possessions, sin in acquiring them, and sin in their consumption. Therefore, it is truly said that possessions are intertwined with sin, and that is why, for the soul seeking liberation, all activities related to possessions are to be avoided, and *arambha-parigraha*, which is the means of enjoyment, is also to be abandoned. Knowing this, the truly steadfast, right-sighted person constantly strives to stay away from all activities related to the enjoyment of objects, and minimizes *arambha-parigraha* as much as possible.
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To dispel the notion that possessions are good because of Dharma, it is said:
**"Even from Dharma, possessions are mostly for harm to embodied beings. Even sandalwood, when born, burns in the fire."** (160)
**Explanation:**
**"Even from Dharma..."**—Even possessions arising from Dharma, mostly, due to their abundance, cause harm to embodied beings, in the same way as pleasure. The word "mostly" implies that it is not referring to possessions arising from pure Dharma (those who acquire wealth purely through Dharma—those who attract it), but to those that are not virtuous, due to their nature of being a means of pleasure, extremely harmful, due to their impurity, and due to the involvement of desires in the pursuit of virtue, etc., which leads to the corruption of the mind. "Even sandalwood..."—Just as sandalwood, which is cool in nature, when born, burns in the fire, so too, due to its inherent nature, possessions are mostly like this. (Even though) it is not wood, but fire—due to the fire being refined from the truth, it burns the sandalwood. This is a clear example.