The Three Evils

By Dr. Justice Chadradasa Nanayakkara

Buddhism refers to three unwholesome states of mind that impede the spiritual progress of human beings. The unwholesome mental states are delusion (moha or ignorance), greed (raga or lust), and hatred (devesa or aversion). These three mental states encompass the entire range of evil, whether of lesser or greater intensity, from a faint mental tendency to the coarsest manifestations in action and speech. In other words, three unwholesome states of mind can exist in different proportions in different individuals. The Buddha described these three negative mental states by means of metaphors such as the three poisons, the three fires and the three roots that cause most of the problems in the world. The three evil states of mind are the primary causes that keep the beings trapped in samsara.

The three wholesome or positive mental factors that are identified as the opposites of the three unwholesome mental states described above are non-greed (alobha), non-hatred (adosa), and non-delusion (amoha). The antidote to unwholesome roots, though expressed negatively, does not signify the mere absence of the defiling characters but the presence of positive moral qualities, such as generosity (dana), loving-kindness (metta), and wisdom (panna) respectively. All these six mental states are the roots from which everything beneficial or harmful sprouts. (Nyanaponika).

Human beings are constantly prone to temptation to moral transgression, as unwholesome roots are firmly embedded in their mind. Their unwholesome actions (akusala) whether it is physical, verbal, or mental spring from the three unwholesome roots: greed, hatred, and delusion. Any action springing from these three roots would be detrimental to one’s spiritual well-being. Mental states propelled by roots of greed, hatred, and delusion expressed through the channels of the body and mind give rise to various heinous deeds such as murders, heists, robbing, stealing, affront and assaults, and other crimes. etc. On the other hand, wholesome action results from wholesome roots, non-greed, non-hatred, and non-delusion.

 Often delusion and ignorance (avijja in Pali) are used as synonyms in Buddhism. Addressing bhikkhus, the Buddha declared, “I do not perceive any single hindrance other than the hindrance of ignorance by which humankind is obstructed and for so long a time runs on and wanders in samsara. it is indeed through the hindrance of ignorance that humankind is obstructed and for a long time runs on and wanders in samsara, no other single thing exists like the hindrance of delusion, which obstructs humankind and makes it wander forever.

Those who have abandoned delusion, cleaving through this mass of darkness, no longer roam and wander on, in them the cause is found no more.” (Itivattuka sutta).

 Because of our fundamentally deluded or distorted outlook, we do not see things as they really are. We lull ourselves into a false sense of security because we are deluded into thinking that our world remains unchanged when, in fact, it does not. Everything is constantly changing although we fail to see everything is changing. This distorted outlook is nothing but our inability to see the Four Noble Truths and the three characteristics of our existence annica (impermanence), dukkha (suffering or dissatisfaction) and anatta (not-self) in their true perspective. The person who lives under this basic delusion and misperception tend to see things as permanent and substantial when in fact they are impermanent, to see happiness where in fact there is suffering, and to see things as self when in fact they are non-self. Delusion veils man’s mental eyes and prevents them from seeing the true nature of things.

Without delusion, no greed hatred can arise, as the unwholesome roots of greed and hatred always occur associated with delusion. Delusion, however, may occur by itself and can be a very powerful source of evil and suffering. Ignorance or delusion is said to be the greatest taint of the mind. Buddha declared “All unwholesome states of the mind have their root in ignorance, they converge upon ignorance, and by the abolishing of ignorance, all other unwholesome states are abolished. (SN) (Nanayaponika).

Nyanatilaka Mahathera referring to ignorance states “For all evil things and all evil destiny are really rooted in greed, hatred, and ignorance: and of these three things, ignorance or delusion (avijja or moha) is the chief root and the primary cause of all evil and misery in the world. If there is no more ignorance, there will be no more greed and hatred, no more rebirth, no more suffering.”

 Therefore, Buddhism teaches the importance of freeing the mind from all unwholesome defilements, limitations, and fetters that tie a person to the wheel of suffering, to cycle rebirth and mar the purity of the mind.

The greed is another unwholesome mental state, which embraces all forms of appetite, such as desire, lust, craving, and longing and they are either physical or mental. It has the concept of grasping and leads to clinging and not letting go. Greed can be insatiable and inexhaustible.

A worldling is always attracted by pleasant and delightful things. He does not realize that no amount of forms, sounds, smells, tastes, tangibles, and mental objects will satisfy the eye, ear, nose, tongue, body, and mind. In his intense thirst for possession or gratification of desires, he gets bound to the wheel of samsara (Piyadassi). It must be realized that all mundane pleasures are fleeting. Our seeking of pleasure never ceases, particularly in a society driven by consumerist culture, as a result, we may find ourselves chasing after things that do not matter and become enslaved by them. Consumerist culture has brought about many changes in the normative values of the people. This has resulted in putting a relatively high priority on making a lot of money and accumulating material possessions by them. Unwholesome mental states dominated by greed, craving, clinging and lust, etc., create kamma that conditions a person to be reborn.

Hatred is another unwholesome mental state which can be fueled by a range of factors. Hatred can encompass such unwholesome mental states as anger, aversion, ill will, enmity, hostility, prejudice, aggression, etc., which are covered by the Pali term vyapada. Hatred consumes the person who harbors them and consumes others as well. People can harbor hatred in a very subtle way. Hate lies dormant in the mind of a worlding until he gives vent to it at an unexpected moment. Hatred can sometimes degenerate into mass-scale violence and bloodshed in a society.

Today, hatred and hostility against minorities on the basis of religion and ethnicity have been a regular feature in many countries. They have become targets of bigotry and hate. We see an upsurge of hateful, antagonistic, destructive, and derogatory behavior towards certain religious and ethnic groups in many communities.

 Hatred, enmity, and retaliation do not foster spiritual well-being. Sometimes, people hate others because they assume that they are racially and morally superior to them. It must be remembered that hate vitiates our own mind and hatred in any form is denounced in Buddhism. Buddhists are expected to cultivate metta and affection which are opposite of the feelings of hatred.

Attachment and hatred coupled with ignorance are the chief causes of evil prevalent in this deluded world. “The enemy of the whole world is lust, through which all evils come to living beings. This lust when obstructed by some cause is transformed into wrath. (Narada) One is either attached to desirable external objects or repulsed with aversion towards undesirable objects. Because of aversion a person can recoil from undesirable objects and go to the extent of destroying them as their very presence is a source of irritation.

The Dhammapada states;

“There is no fire lust, no grip like hate, there is no net like delusion, no river like craving.”