Tu Viện Quảng Đức105 Lynch Rd, Fawkner, Vic 3060. Australia. Tel: 9357 3544. quangduc@quangduc.com* Viện Chủ: HT Tâm Phương, Trụ Trì: TT Nguyên Tạng   

22. The Three Evils

13/05/202014:34(Xem: 2963)
22. The Three Evils



THE THREE EVILS

Venerable Sumangalo

Sometimes these three evils are known as “the Three Poisons” and that is quite a good name for them. The three are – craving, hatred and delusion. In very many books these three poisons are called by either their Sanskrit or Pali names. In Sanskrit they are lobha, dvesa and moha. The only difference when they are given in Pali is that dvesa becomes dosa. But, no matter how we may call these three evils, they are sources of sorrow to all who allow such poisons to come into their minds.

Craving is a form of slavery, it is likely being a chained prisoner. When Buddhists speak of this evil they always mean a desire that makes a prisoner of the person who has that desire. When we speak of the ordinary, normal desires of life we do not consider them as lobha. For example, we naturally desire water when we are thirsty and, when we are tired, we want to rest. Lobha is the making of the false for the real. A person who desperately craves glory and power and frame is a prisoner of craving. He does not realise that all these things he desires will pass away.

Perhaps some of you, when you have been out for a hike, have seen shiny rocks of a golden colour. These rocks are known as “fool’s gold”. They merely look like gold, but are not at all true gold. It is the same with craving for wrong things. They are not true values, they are “fool’s gold”. Remember that any desire that makes a slave of us is lobha.

The second poison is hatred (dvesa) and it is a very dangerous poison indeed. In fact, extreme anger actually causes real poison to come to our bloodstreams. Such poisons make us sick in both body and mind. Anger and hatred are closely akin and frequently are found together. No one can truthfully say that he is a real follower of Lord Buddha’s Dharma, if his heart and mind are filled with hatred and anger. Not only must we get rid of dvesa, we must also fill our hearts with kindliness and goodwill towards all.

The third poison is delusion. There are very many ways to describe delusion. Wrong ideas is one way. All these three poisons come from wrong thinking. Moha is always the mistaking of the false for the real. It is mistaking “fool’s gold” for real gold. The Buddha told us that we must see clearly and think clearly. We must see things as they are and not as we imagine them to be, or wish them to be or fear them to be. If we have to describe moha in one English word, perhaps stupidity is the best word to use. No one can get rid of moha for us. Each of us must do that for himself. We have described these three evils as poisons. There is another way to speak of this third evil. It is like a blindfold that completely covers the eyes. As long as we are prisoners of moha we cannot see the truth of the Dharma.

 

THE ANTHEM OF THE UNIVERSAL

One Cosmic brotherhood,
One Universal good,
One Source, One Sway;
One purpose moulding us,
One life enfolding us,
In love always.
Anger, resentment, hate,
Long made us desolate;
Their reign is done.
Race, colour, creed and caste
Fade in the dreamy past
Man wakes to learn at last:
All life is one!

                                           -Sir Francis Younghusband.

 

THE BUDDHIST’S FATE

Happy is the Buddhist’s fate,
For his heart knows not of hate;
Haters may be all around,
Yet in him no hate is found.

Happy is the Buddhist’s fate,
He all pining makes abate;
Pining may be all around,
Yet in him no pining’s found.

Happy is the Buddhist’s fate,
Him no greed will agitate;
In the world may greed abound,
Yet in him no greed is found.

Happily then let us live,
Joyously our service is give;
Quench all pining, hate and greed
Happy is the life we lead.

                   -Paul Carus.

 

QUESTIONS

  1. What is another name for The Three Evils?
  2. If we have these poisons in our hearts and minds, do they bring us happiness?
  3. If we have craving, what are we like? Are we free?
  4. What do we call the shiny rocks that have a golden colour?
  5. Do these rocks have any true value?
  6. Is craving true gold or “Fool’s Gold”?
  7. What is another way to describe delusion?
  8. How can we describe delusion in one word?
  9. If we are prisoners of moha can we ever understand truth?
  10. Does Lord Buddha’s teaching make any difference between races and castes?


Typing for Quang Duc Homepage in Melbourne, Australia:
Quảng Đại Thắng (Brendan Trần) & Quảng Đại Khánh (Nathan Trần)
https://quangduc.com/p52208a68074/buddhist-sunday-school-lessons-venerable-sumangalo

Gửi ý kiến của bạn
Tắt
Telex
VNI
Tên của bạn
Email của bạn
01/10/2015(Xem: 8013)
Mindfulness Practice for Youths
24/05/2015(Xem: 10364)
Bhikkhu Bodhi is an American Buddhist monk from New York City. Born in Brooklyn, New York, in 1944, he obtained a BA in philosophy from Brooklyn College (1966) and a PhD in philosophy from Claremont Graduate School (1972).
24/05/2015(Xem: 10778)
Bhikkhu Bodhi - The Essence of Buddhism - YouTube
22/05/2015(Xem: 42768)
Audio: Thập Bát La Hán, bài giảng của Thầy Nguyên Tạng tại Chùa Linh Sơn, Detroid, Michigan, USA
01/04/2015(Xem: 9791)
Vesak festival at Melbourne city, 23-4-2015
24/03/2015(Xem: 12265)
The ASA annual conference brings together Buddhist monastics of all traditions living in, or visiting Australia, for fellowship, dialogue and to address the issues facing Buddhism in Australia. The ASA has in previous years, and is still working with the Department of Immigration & Border Security to assist those monastic’s seeking Permanent Residency Visas through representations to the Federal Government. Where appropriate, the ASA has and continues to consult with state Buddhist Councils and Federation of Australian Buddhist Councils (FABC) for a solution to these ongoing issues. The ASA has arranged monastic education forums such as the 2010 Vinaya Conference, and represents the Australian Sangha community at various International Conferences, as well as consultations with various State & Federal Government agencies.
08/02/2015(Xem: 5948)
Wake Up – Young Adults for a Healthy and Compassionate Society, is a world-wide network of young people practicing the living art of mindfulness. We share a determination to live in an awakened way, taking a 21st Century version of the 5 Mindfulness Trainings as our path and guiding light. The Wake Up network has grown out of Plum Village meditation center in SW France, under the guidance of Venerable Zen Master Thich Nhat Hanh. Plum Village has been offering retreats to young people for over two decades, and the Wake Up movement was formally launched in Summer 2008.
21/11/2014(Xem: 5574)
The first two steps in the process of becoming a lay disciple of the Buddha are the going for refuge (sarana gamana) and the undertaking of the five precepts (pañca-sila samadana). By the former step a person makes the commitment to accept the Triple Gem — the Buddha, the Dhamma, and the Sangha — as the guiding ideals of his life, by the latter he expresses his determination to bring his actions into harmony with these ideals through right conduct. The following two tracts were written for the purpose of giving a clear and concise explanation of these two steps. Though they are intended principally for those who have newly embraced the Buddha's teaching they will probably be found useful as well by long-term traditional Buddhists wanting to understand the meaning of practices with which they are already familiar and also by those who want to know what becoming a Buddhist involves.
21/11/2014(Xem: 19157)
As a Vietnamese Buddhist monk, working as a Buddhist chaplain at several of Melbourne's hospitals and as well as Melbourne assessment prison, I have witnessed many personal tragedies faced by the living and of course the very process of dying and that of death and many of these poor people faced their death with fear, with misery and pain before departing this world. With the images of all these in my mind, on this occasion, I wish to share my view from the perspective of a Buddhist and we hope that people would feel far more relaxed in facing this inevitable end since it is really not the end of life, according to our belief.
24/10/2014(Xem: 6548)
Shang Rinpoche is a highly esteemed Buddhist master from Taiwan. In teaching, he not only draws on his Buddhist wisdom, but also his extensive knowledge of Taoism, eastern history and philosophy. Rinpoche’s mix of humour, kindness, and compassion has given strength and inspiration to thousands of people from all walks of life. Rinpoche is the current incarnation of Shang Rinpoche, who founded the Tsalpa Kagyu school in Tibet in the 13th Century. His root master is the current incarnation of the Great Terton Dorje Lingpa. In addition, Rinpoche has received pith instructions as well as lineages from some of the greatest masters of all four Vajrayana schools including Dilgo Kysentse, Chatral Rinpoche, Dudjom Rinpoche and the 16th Karmapa. Rinpoche has also received the lineage of great Chan (Chinese Zen) Master Empty Cloud (虛雲老和尚) as well as teachings & lineages from Master Huisan (慧三老和尚) and Master Jiede (戒德老和尚).
facebook youtube google-plus linkedin twitter blog
Nguyện đem công đức này, trang nghiêm Phật Tịnh Độ, trên đền bốn ơn nặng, dưới cứu khổ ba đường,
nếu có người thấy nghe, đều phát lòng Bồ Đề, hết một báo thân này, sinh qua cõi Cực Lạc.

May the Merit and virtue,accrued from this work, adorn the Buddhas pureland,
Repay the four great kindnesses above, andrelieve the suffering of those on the three paths below,
may those who see or hear of these efforts generates Bodhi Mind, spend their lives devoted to the Buddha Dharma,
the Land of Ultimate Bliss.

Quang Duc Buddhist Welfare Association of Victoria
Tu Viện Quảng Đức | Quang Duc Monastery
Most Venerable Thich Tam Phuong | Senior Venerable Thich Nguyen Tang
Address: Quang Duc Monastery, 105 Lynch Road, Fawkner, Vic.3060 Australia
Tel: 61.03.9357 3544 ; Fax: 61.03.9357 3600
Website: http://www.quangduc.com
http://www.tuvienquangduc.com.au (old)
Xin gửi Xin gửi bài mới và ý kiến đóng góp đến Ban Biên Tập qua địa chỉ:
quangduc@quangduc.com