SuttaCentral
After reading Venerable Sujato’s translation on MN 13 (especially the side-notes that state removing desire and greed for feelings and forms only “occurs in arahantship”), what can we, as layfollowers do regarding desire and greed? Is there a sutta that adresses this topic but focused more on householders rather than the arahants?
Looking forward to hear from you. Blessings!
I just came across this very comprehensive document titled “The Buddha’s Teachings to Lay People” by John Kelly. Within it are all the Buddha’s discourses addressed to lay people (within the DN, MN, SN, AN and most of the KN). You can search this document for key terms (such as ‘desire’ and ‘greed’). May this aid you.
I think there is an answer right in that sutta! 
“‘But reverends, what’s the gratification, the drawback, and the escape when it comes to sensual pleasures?” The note there says, “This set of three questions is a key analytical approach in the suttas. Without an appreciation of both the good and bad sides of things, we cannot properly understand them and be free of craving for them.” So, that’s a tool to continue investigating desire and greed. Maybe the complete cessation of those is not the easiest thing to attain, but surely, we can live moment by moment with a bit less craving than before, and continue working towards the goal. We simply have to practice in this way.
Desire is the root of Suffering. How it works in lay life is well explained by the Buddha in SN 42.11 .
Regarding the giving up of desire and greed, I especially like the second part of MN 101.
MN 101
Suppose a man is in love with a woman, full of intense desire and lust. Then he sees her standing together with another man, chatting, giggling, and laughing.
What do you think, mendicants? Would that give rise to sorrow, lamentation, pain, sadness, and distress for him?”
“Yes, sir. Why is that? Because that man is in love with that woman, full of intense desire and lust.”
“Then that man might think: ‘I’m in love with that woman, full of intense desire and lust. When I saw her standing together with another man, chatting, giggling, and laughing, it gave rise to sorrow, lamentation, pain, sadness, and distress for me. Why don’t I give up that desire and lust for that woman? ’So that’s what he did. Some time later he sees her again standing together with another man, chatting, giggling, and laughing .
What do you think, mendicants? Would that give rise to sorrow, lamentation, pain, sadness, and distress for him ?”
“No, sir. Why is that? Because he no longer desires that woman.”
One may love that chocolate cake, that Apple phone, that house, that car, that song…. but does it love us back?
Are you practicing the Dhamma with a teacher and a Sangha?
These are very important supports for a practice of letting go of greed and all other defilements.
Whether a sutta is addressed to mendicants, laypeople, or both, the principles of practice remain the same for us all.
We can practice the Brahmaviharas and Precepts: Kp9, AN3.66, SN14.25, SN37.24, and AN5.179 which is specifically about lay practice. And many others suttas.
Also, anyone can practice looking into the three characteristics of conditional experiences, SN56.11, SN35.23, SN22.59, SN35.28.
All these practices, reading the suttas, discussing the Dhamma with Sangha members and teachers, and embodying the Teachings as best we can will wear away greed, anger, and ignorance – all the way to awakening.
