Gergely.Horvath.
Three Poisions
An image was placed on the walls of Tibetan monasteries thousands of years ago called the Bhavachakra, translated as The Wheel of Life, or The Wheel of Existence.
An image, a form of mandala, a portal to psychological and metaphysical truths about our mind, our behavior, our existence in our reality and beyond.
Although an overwhelming visual spectacle at first, if we want to start the discovery somewhere, we can look at the very center of the Bhavachakra, right at the core there is a circle. And inside that circle we can observe three animals: a pig, a rooster and a snake, all chasing each other, forming a circle themselves.
In his early teachings, Buddha identified “three poisons,” or three fires, or three negative qualities of the mind that cause most of our problems—and most of the problems in the world.
The three poisons are Ignorance, Greed and Hatred.
Inside the Bhavachakra image, ignorance represented by the pig, greed as the rooster and hatred is shown in the form of a snake, and by them biting into each others tale they keep all the wheels turning like an unstoppable force, like an engine behind all things.
We don’t need to look far to see these three poisons at work. We see them every day in the news and in the streets, and if we pay attention, we can see them in our own mind and actions. The arising of these feelings may be outside our control—we don’t choose to be angry, for instance. But recognizing how greed, hatred, and ignorance cause tremendous harm in the world can help us learn to manage them.
Although this teaching may appear negative, a wise understanding of the three poisons is ultimately positive and empowering. With this understanding we can clearly see and feel the factors that are causing confusion, unhappiness, and suffering in our lives. And with this clarity and insight, we can make the choice to eliminate those factors.
The three poisons are opposed by three wholesome, or positive attitudes essential to liberation: generosity (dana), lovingkindness (metta), and wisdom (prajna).
Three Poisions
An image was placed on the walls of Tibetan monasteries thousands of years ago called the Bhavachakra, translated as The Wheel of Life, or The Wheel of Existence.
An image, a form of mandala, a portal to psychological and metaphysical truths about our mind, our behavior, our existence in our reality and beyond.
Although an overwhelming visual spectacle at first, if we want to start the discovery somewhere, we can look at the very center of the Bhavachakra, right at the core there is a circle. And inside that circle we can observe three animals: a pig, a rooster and a snake, all chasing each other, forming a circle themselves.
In his early teachings, Buddha identified “three poisons,” or three fires, or three negative qualities of the mind that cause most of our problems—and most of the problems in the world.
The three poisons are Ignorance, Greed and Hatred.
Inside the Bhavachakra image, ignorance represented by the pig, greed as the rooster and hatred is shown in the form of a snake, and by them biting into each others tale they keep all the wheels turning like an unstoppable force, like an engine behind all things.
We don’t need to look far to see these three poisons at work. We see them every day in the news and in the streets, and if we pay attention, we can see them in our own mind and actions. The arising of these feelings may be outside our control—we don’t choose to be angry, for instance. But recognizing how greed, hatred, and ignorance cause tremendous harm in the world can help us learn to manage them.
Although this teaching may appear negative, a wise understanding of the three poisons is ultimately positive and empowering. With this understanding we can clearly see and feel the factors that are causing confusion, unhappiness, and suffering in our lives. And with this clarity and insight, we can make the choice to eliminate those factors.
The three poisons are opposed by three wholesome, or positive attitudes essential to liberation: generosity (dana), lovingkindness (metta), and wisdom (prajna).