Cause of Ill Will

‘By what fetters, Sir, are beings bound - gods, humans, asuras, nagas, gandhabbas and whatever other kinds there may be - whereby, although they aspire to live without hate, harming, hostility or ill will, and in peace, they yet live in hate, harming one another, hostile and with ill will?’

Ruler of the Gods, it is the bonds of jealousy and material gain that bind beings so that, though they aspire to live without hate, harming, hostility or ill will, and in peace, they yet live in hate, harming one another, hostile and with ill will.

‘But Sir, what gives rise to jealousy and material gain, what is their origin, how are they born, how do they arise? Owing to the presence of what do they arise, owing to the absence of what do they not arise?’

Jealousy and material gain, Ruler of the Gods, take rise from happiness and sadness, this is their origin, this is how they are born, how they arise. When these are present, they arise, when these are absent, they do not arise.

‘But, Sir, what gives rise to being happy and sad, what is their origin, how are they born, how do they arise? Owing to the presence of what do they arise, owing to the absence of what do they not arise?’

They arise, Ruler of the Gods, from craving/desire due to the presence of craving/desire they arise, due to the absence of craving/desire they do not arise.

(Reference: DN 21)

In this Teaching from Gotama Buddha, he shares how ill will arises in the mind as a result of craving/desire/attachment.

Because there is craving/desire/attachment, the mind experiences happiness and sadness.

Because there is happiness and sadness, the mind experiences jealousy and material gain.

So while one might “aspire to live without hate, harming, hostility or ill will, and in peace, they yet live in hate, harming one another, hostile and with ill will” due to craving/desire/attachment existing in the mind.

Anger, hatred, and ill will are all the same pollution of the mind that breeds hostility, aggression, and resentment. The solution to eliminating anger/hatred/ill will is to develop a Loving-kindness Meditation practice while practicing loving-kindness in daily life through all our interactions with all beings.

Anger, hatred, or ill will is part of The Three Poisons, The Three Unwholesome Roots, or The Three Fires.

Detailed explanation of The Three Poisons is available in this same book series found in Chapter 8 of the book “Developing a Life Practice: The Path That Leads to Enlightenment” (Volume 1).

Detailed explanation of establishing a Loving-kindness Meditation practice is available in this same book series found in Chapter 11 of the book “Developing a Life Practice: The Path That Leads to Enlightenment” (Volume 1).