Craving, Anger, and Ignorance

Monks, wanderers of other communities may ask you: Friends, there are these three things.

What three?

Craving/greed, anger/hatred, and ignorance/delusion (unknowing of true reality). These are the three. What, friends, is the distinction, the disparity, the difference between them? If you are asked this, how would you answer?

Monks, if wanderers of other communities should ask you such a question, you should answer them as follows: Craving/greed, friends, is slightly blameworthy (responsible for wrongdoing) but slow to fade away; anger/hatred is very blameworthy (responsible for wrongdoing) but quick to fade away; ignorance/delusion is very blameworthy (responsible for wrongdoing) and slow to fade away.

(Suppose they ask:) But, friends, what is the reason unarisen craving arises and arisen craving increases and expands?

You should answer: An attractive object. For one who attends carelessly to an attractive object, unarisen craving arises and arisen craving increases and expands. This, friends, is the reason unarisen craving arises and arisen craving increases and expands.

(Suppose they ask:) But what, friends, is the reason unarisen anger arises and arisen anger increase and expands?

You should answer: A repulsive object. For one who attends carelessly to a repulsive object, unarisen anger arises and arisen anger increases and expands.

This, friends, is the reason unarisen anger arises and arisen anger increases and expands.

(Suppose they ask:) But what, friends, is the reason unarisen ignorance (unknowing of true reality) arises and arisen ignorance (unknowing of true reality) increases and expands?

You should answer: Careless attention. For one who attends carelessly, unarisen ignorance (unknowing of true reality) arises and arisen ignorance (unknowing of true reality) increases and expands.

This, friends, is the reason unarisen ignorance arises and arisen ignorance (unknowing of true reality) increases and expands.

(Suppose they ask:) But what, friends, is the reason unarisen craving does not arise and arisen craving is abandoned?

You should answer: An unattractive object. For one who attends carefully to an unattractive object, unarisen craving does not arise and arisen craving is abandoned.

This, friends, is the reason unarisen craving does not arise and arisen craving is abandoned.

(Suppose they ask:) But what, friends, is the reason unarisen anger does not arise and arisen anger is abandoned?

You should answer: The liberation of the mind by loving-kindness. For one who attends carefully to the liberation of the mind by loving-kindness, unarisen anger does not arise and arisen anger is abandoned.

This, friends, is the reason unarisen anger does not arise and arisen anger is abandoned.

(Suppose they ask:) But what, friends, is the reason unarisen ignorance (unknowing of true reality) does not arise and arisen ignorance (unknowing of true reality) is abandoned?

You should answer: Careful attention. For one who attends carefully, unarisen ignorance (unknowing of true reality) does not arise and arisen ignorance (unknowing of true reality) is abandoned.

This, friends, is the reason unarisen ignorance (unknowing of true reality) does not arise and arisen ignorance (unknowing of true reality) is abandoned.

(Reference: AN 3.68)

In this Teaching from Gotama Buddha, he shares The Three Poisons. These are also known as The Three Unwholesome Roots or The Three Fires.

These are a high-level description of the problems in the unEnlightened mind. It is The Ten Fetters that provide a more detailed description of the problems in the unEnlightened mind and what is keeping the mind trapped in the unEnlightened state. Each of The Ten Fetters can be summarized in the high-level description of The Three Poisons, The Three Unwholesome Roots, or The Three Fires. A Practitioner will need to eliminate The Ten Fetters to attain Enlightenment, however, understanding The Three Poisons and their remedies is essential to one’s journey to Enlightenment.

The Buddha explains how:

Craving/Desire/Greed is slightly responsible for wrongdoing but slow to fade away.

Anger/Hatred/Ill Will is very responsible for wrongdoing but fades quickly.

Ignorance/Delusion/Unknowing of True Reality is very responsible for wrongdoing and slow to fade away.

The Buddha explains how each of The Three Poisons arises, increases, and expands.

Craving increases and expands when one allows the mind to be attracted to, obsessed with, or chase after an agreeable or “attractive object”. When the mind experiences pleasant feelings (happiness, excitement, elation, thrill, exhilaration, euphoria, etc.), the mind will then crave/desire these feelings chasing after them through The Six Sense Bases of the eyes, ears, nose, tongue, body, and/or mind. A wise Practitioner would observe the arising pleasant feelings based on impermanent conditions applying Right Effort to cut off and let go of the cravings/desires/attachments that are causing the pleasant feelings to arise. In doing so, the Practitioner’s mind will experience liberation or freedom from strong feelings. Through allowing pleasant feelings to invade the mind, a Practitioner is inviting and welcoming the painful feelings (sadness, anger, frustration, irritation, annoyance, guilt, shame, fear, stress, anxiety, etc.) Through cutting off and letting go of the arising pleasant feelings, the mind can eliminate craving/desire/attachment no longer experiencing any discontentedness associated with this craving/desire/attachment including the painful feelings and feelings that are neither painful-nor-pleasant.

As long as the mind is unwilling to let go of impermanent (i.e. temporary) pleasant feelings, it will never experience permanent unconditioned joy of the Enlightened mind.

Breathing Mindfulness Meditation and practicing generosity in daily life is the antidote or remedy to transform the poison of craving.

Anger increases and expands when one allows the mind to be careless towards objects it finds to be repulsive. For objects the mind finds uncomfortable experiencing displeasure, the unEnlightened mind will oftentimes have aversion. Aversion is to push the disagreeable, uncomfortable, and displeasing object away, while erecting a wall, falsely thinking this is going to solve the problem to attain inner peace. But, pushing away disagreeable, uncomfortable, and displeasing objects will not create permanent peacefulness. Instead, to accomplish permanent peacefulness a Practitioner will need to train the mind to eliminate craving, anger, and ignorance (unknowing of true reality) to create lasting inner fulfillment and satisfaction in the mind.

Loving-kindness Meditation and practicing loving-kindness in daily life is the antidote or remedy to transform the poison of anger.

Ignorance (unknowing of true reality) increases and expands when one allows the mind to be careless and complacent not investigating these Teachings with guidance from a Teacher to develop and acquire wisdom. It is wisdom that liberates the mind from strong feelings and all that plagues the unEnlightened mind.

Wisdom is the antidote or remedy to transform the poison of ignorance (unknowing of true reality).

Detailed explanation of The Three Poisons and their antidotes 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).