8
Avarice
(matsor or matsarya)
Conceit lends the player to feel envious of others. He is so obsessed with the delusion of being a separate reality that no means of fulfilling his desire seems unjustifiable. After all, thinks the conceited player, 1 am so much better than others that 1 deserve what they have. So in this game avarice is linked with the snake of envy—for it is the envy created by conceit that leads to avarice.
In the state of avarice the player has an active dislike of other players. He is too good for them, and what they have is also too good for them. Therefore, he reasons, what they have should be his. He becomes spiteful and lusts after the material belongings of his fellows. This contrasts with greed, where only the material is seen. Avarice is greed coupled with envy. As he becomes more avaricious his thirst for wealth increases, and all the other first-chakra problems begin to plague him.
Eight is a number that decreases when multiplied: 8x1 =8; 8x2 = 16=1 + 6 = 7; 8x3 = 24 = 6; 8x4 = 32 = 5; 8x5 = 40 = 4; 8x6 = 48 = 3; 8 x 7 = 56 = 2; 8 x 8 = 64 = 1. When eight realizes 9 — thus 8x9 = 72 — it becomes 9, and on the next cycle it returns to its original state, 8 x 10 = 80 = 8. This phenomenon is synonymous with the cyclical nature of all reality and the process of human existence. The subtle diminishes as the gross increases, until the heart of the gross is penetrated and becomes subtle again. Thus every increase decreases; every decrease increases. Nothing is ever lost. Only the nature of manifestation changes.
Among the moon-family numbers, 8 represents the octave, the eight dimensions, the eightfold maya (three gunas and the five subtle elements). In numerology, 8 is the moon’s north node, and it is associated with the planet Saturn. This is a complex planet, difficult to understand. It has many ups and downs, and terrible struggles. It is an “airy" planet, associated with darkness, and is symbolized as a silent thinker or a servant, introspective and materialistically minded. People born under the number 8 collect wealth as a hobby and are subject to addiction and vice. But they are wise and experienced and have a special ability to judge people.
