About Fraud - (1949)

Serious Stuff!

Fraud is something quite serious. I only really became aware of it when we studied Dante’s Inferno.

Dante places the fraudulent in the 8^th circle of the abyss, just one circle above the traitors. What impacted me was the representation that he gave to fraud.

Dante and Greek Mythology

Dante represented fraud by the Geryon. Which is different to the way Greek Mythology depicts the Geryon. In Greek Mythology the Geryon was a fearsome giant monster who had in some representations three heads or three bodies. The Geryon was the monster that Hercules slew in his Tenth labour to steal the red cattle that the Geryon had under his possession.

Anyway Back to Fraud

Dante made the Geryon into the monster of fraud, where the Geryon had a very respectable and honest human face, a large dragon-like wings, lion paws, the body of a wyvern and a scorpion’s sting on the tip of his tail. The Geryon took Dante and Virgil into the deep levels of the 8^th circle where graver degrees of fraud are found.

Characteristics of Fraud

Major One – A Decent Human Face

The main characteristic of fraud is that a decent and respectable promise is made and then the opposite happens. Where this ‘opposite’ is done on purpose. We are lead to believe a certain thing and when it comes time for things to happen the whole thing falls through on purpose.

People do this to others in business deals, they promise to deliver something, they take your money and they don’t come through. Or they promise something, they take your money and it does not work as promised. This type of thing is so very common these.

This is actually very grave as Dante pointed out. Dante basically said that it very close to the gravest and worst crimes that there are. Dante says that the worst crimes are that of treason.

Many Degrees

There are many degrees of fraud and actually we can be committing a kind of a fraud everyday but of a very subtle and light degree.

When we promise something or we agree to something when we know that we are never going to fulfil it we are committing fraud. We do this so often in Australia. It is a very common way of acting within the Australian personality.

Substituting a Higher Value for a Lower Value

This is because the Australian personality values more not upsetting others than the truth. This is very wrong. Because this substitutes a lesser value for a higher value. The work in us will turn this around.

Fraud Hurts

Fraud always shocks and hurts others. It carries a great karma with it. If we can remember when we have been the victim of some kind of fraud, it is really an interesting experience. It is like “how can someone do that”, “what was that – I can’t believe it”. Then the hurt enters.

Why So Grave?

Because fraud is a big lie, It I goes against the Father which is truth. Treason goes against all three primary forces.

Conclusion

If we watch out for fraud we will of course begin to see ti in varying degrees around us. The most important this is for us to not commit it in any degree.

End (1949).