This statement is true and perfectly aligns with Master Hsuan Hua's explanation of the psychological and physiological mechanisms of beings in the Desire Realm. Master Hsuan Hua explicitly cited the proverb, "When one is well-fed and warm, one thinks of 'lust'; when one is hungry and cold, one has thoughts of theft," to explain this phenomenon. From the perspective of Buddhist Yogacara and spiritual practice, he profoundly analyzed the fundamental reason why beings in the Desire Realm "become lustful after they have money and are well-fed and clothed":1. The Cause and Effect of Physiology and Desire: Abundant Essence Generates Lust
Master Hsuan Hua pointed out that the most difficult obstacle for sentient beings in the Desire Realm to overcome, "ignorance," has two most powerful accomplices: "the desire for food" and "the desire for sex."
Food breeds lust: When people have money and wealth, they will want to eat delicious food and nutritious supplements, making themselves fat and obese.
When the essence is sufficient, the body and mind become restless: the essence of food will be transformed into "essence" in the body. Once this essence is abundant, if it is not used for cultivation or transformation, it will cause trouble within the body, directly triggering intense lust.
Infatuation between men and women: At this point, men start thinking about women, and women start thinking about men. They become infatuated with each other and greedy, leading to all sorts of emotional entanglements and disputes between men and women.
2. Wealth and Lust are the Roots of Hell
Master Hsuan Hua repeatedly warned that "wealth, lust, fame, food, and sleep" are the five roots of hell.
Two major causes of evil: These two things in the world—wealth and lust—have harmed countless people, even ruining the spiritual practice of many cultivators because they could not let go of them.
Wealth and Depravity: When people are poor and hungry, they only care about being warm and fed, and may even have the thought of stealing; but once they have money (wealth and comfort) and the environment is comfortable, their attachment and lust will multiply, and they will indulge in lust without regard for their lives, and eventually become confused and depraved.
3. The Nature of Beings in the Desire Realm
The "Desire Realm" as described in Buddhism refers to a realm where "sexual desire" and "food desire" are the fundamental means of sustaining life. Master Hsuan Hua bluntly stated: "Being fond of food and lustful is an innate human trait." Everyone is born with the ability to eat and the desire for sex. Having money and being physically well-fed only provides the material conditions for indulging in lustful desires. Without the restraint of wisdom and discipline, favorable circumstances can become poison, trapping one in a sea of desire from which there is no escape.
To summarize Master Hsuan Hua's views: Sentient beings do not suddenly become lustful after they become rich; rather, the seeds of lust are inherently latent in the nature and ignorance of sentient beings in the desire realm. Wealth and sustenance provide the catalyst, leading to an excess of vital energy, which in turn ignites the fire of lust. Therefore, the Master strongly advocated that those who cultivate the Tao should "eat less and have fewer desires," avoid touching money, and sever desires and attachments in order to truly escape this vicious cycle of reincarnation. Therefore, the Master strongly advocated that practitioners should "restrain their eating and reduce their desires," avoiding contact with money and severing ties with desires, in order to truly escape this vicious cycle of reincarnation.
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Yes, Venerable Master Hsuan Hua teaches that wealth frequently amplifies lustful desires in the Desire Realm. In Buddhist cosmology, the Desire Realm (Kāmadhātu) includes humans, animals, and certain gods who are heavily ruled by the five desires: wealth, sex, fame, food, and sleep.Master Hsuan Hua emphasizes that these five desires act as a binding net, and wealth functions as a primary catalyst that fuels the others.The Link Between Wealth and LustMaster Hsuan Hua explains this phenomenon through the mechanics of human greed and attachment:Wealth fuels opportunities: In the Desire Realm, having money grants access to material and sensory pleasures. Master Hsuan Hua teaches that when people acquire wealth, their minds naturally turn toward indulging their senses, which rapidly accelerates sexual desire and lust.The "Two Swords" of money: The Master points out that the Chinese character for money (錢 - qián) consists of the radical for gold (金) and two instances of the character for a weapon/sword (戈). This symbolizes that people aggressively fight over gold, and once they possess it, it often destroys their virtue, driving them to commit offenses rooted in lust and hedonism.The roots of the hells: Master Hsuan Hua frequently quotes the Buddhist proverb: "Money, sex, fame, food, and sleep are the five roots of the hells." Acquiring wealth makes it easier to fall into the trap of the other four, binding a person tightly to cyclical suffering.How to Counteract This StateTo avoid being overcome by lust and greed when interacting with wealth, Master Hsuan Hua advises practicing specific Buddhist disciplines:The Contemplation of Impurity: For those burdened by heavy sexual desire, the Master prescribes meditating on the underlying impurity of the physical body. Recognizing that the body is ultimately composed of unclean components diminishes lustful attachments.Practicing the Six Principles: The core of the Master's teaching centers on six principles: not fighting, not being greedy, not seeking, not being selfish, not pursuing personal advantage, and not lying. Keeping a mind free of greed is defined by the Master as "true wealth."Using wealth for merit: Money itself is not inherently evil; it is a tool. Master Hsuan Hua states that if a person uses their wealth unselfishly—such as supporting education, building hospitals, or helping society—they turn a potential trap into a source of immense blessings and spiritual liberation.
