Three poisons (Buddhism)
Three poisons, three mental contamination or three roots of the unwholesome ( skt / pali Mula, Tib. Dug gsum ) is an important concept of Buddhist ethics and summarizes the three hazard of greed, hatred and delusion. The term "mental contamination " indicates the basic cleaning ability or original otherness of the mind.
- Greed ( lobha pali, T. ' dod chags ), translated as addiction or craving, is the credit and possessiveness, the desire to exist in any case and at any price. Related to greed are the passions fierce desire ( raga ) and " thirst" for becoming ( tanha ). Heilsam ( Kosala ) act generosity and charity ( dāna ).
- Hatred ( dosa pali, skt. Dvesa ), translated as anger or aggression, the self-assertion of an illusionary self is compared to the fellow beings. Salutary acts kindness ( metta ).
- Delusion ( moha ), ignorance ( avidya Skt. ) and non- knowledge are largely congruent terms. Ignorance is a condition that is considered to be a root cause of all suffering experienced. The other two poisons follow the basic ignorance. Non-Knowledge is the basis of all karmically - causal action. It means not to know the truth (s) about the nature of mind. Is the blindness / ignorance / not-knowing cleaned, the heilame aspect appears in the Spirit: wisdom ( panna ).
In the Buddhist and Hindu literature are also other mental contamination ( p. kilesa, Skt kleśa ) called and combined in lists of different length and composition. (See Klesha ).
The counterpart to the three roots of unwholesome actions, are the three roots of wholesome ( kusala ) actions: Gierlosigkeit ( alobha ) Hasslosigkeit ( adosa ), Raw Hides unit ( amoha ).
Based on the attitude mean the three mental poisons:
- Ignorance - the indifferent attitude of mind
- Greed - Adhesive mind
- Hatred / Aggression - Negative attitude
The antidote is in any case " love and compassion "
Symbolism
In Tibetan Wheel of Life, the three mental poisons are represented as a central driver of samsara in the center of the painting in the shape of animals: A cock (yaw ), a snake ( hatred, aggression) and a pig ( blindness, ignorance, lack of knowledge ). The pig holds in some representations the serpent and the cock with his mouth firmly and is thus regarded as the cause. In the painting shown here form pig, snake and cock into each other a grim circle.