Seeking is a cause of gaining material possessions.
Gaining material possessions is a cause of assessing.
Assessing is a cause of desire and lust.
Desire and lust is a cause of attachment.
Attachment is a cause of ownership.
Ownership is a cause of stinginess.
Stinginess is a cause of safeguarding.
Owing to safeguarding, many bad, unskillful things come to be: taking up the rod and the sword, quarrels, arguments, and disputes, accusations, divisive speech, and lies. . . . Suppose there were totally and utterly no safeguarding for anyone anywhere. When there’s no safeguarding at all, with the cessation of safeguarding, would those many bad, unskillful things still come to be?
- Buddha (Mahānidānasutta - translated by Ajahn Sujato)