The root cause of all anxieties and calamities of man is Envy. We can find from Bhagavad Gita that Krishna warns Arjuna off and on ‘Arjuna! you have to be envy-less. Do not get infected by envy.’ Envy is invariably accompanied by Hatred. These two are poisonous pests. They attack the very roots of one’s personality. (V Vahini, p. 79)
Envy is deadly poison; it will contaminate character, ruin health and rob you of peace. Be Anasuyas, unaffected by envy and you can subdue Gods of Creation, Protection and Destruction. Like a pest that destroys growing crops, envy enters slowly and spreads quickly. So even in small matters you must be vigilant, do not become envious (SSS Vol.5, p. 193)
The greatest single cause for darkness in the world today is envy. (LD, p. 184)
What is the root cause of discontentment? It is envy. This has been the besetting vice of man from the beginning of time. Only when envy is eradicated from the human heart will man have self-satisfaction. The contented man enjoys peace. How does envy arise? When one compares himself with those who are better off, or who hold higher offices, or score higher marks, or are more handsome and suffers from a consciousness of his own inferiority, envy arises. Discontent over what he lacks gives birth to envy.
To get rid of this evil quality one has to look at those who are worse off than himself. For instance, when you look at those who have got lower marks, you can derive comfort from the fact that you have done better than others. Likewise, when one views the state of those holding lower jobs, he can feel satisfied with his own position. Thus, if envy has to be got rid of this sort of comparison with those who are worse off has to be undertaken. In due course, one develops a sense of equal mindedness both towards those who are better off and those who are worse. Such equal mindedness is a Divine quality. There is nothing wrong in aspiring for higher positions. But one should not feel envious about those who are in such positions. It is a crime to entertain such feelings. (SSS Vol.22)
The influence of the Divine is such that while you are contemplating on it, all traces of envy and greed will disappear from the mind. (SSS Vol.4)