3 Poisons
Delusion (ignorance), greed (attachment), and anger (hatred) are the roots of suffering that keep us trapped in samsara.
Sariputra, one of the Buddha’s chief disciples, was once asked — “What is nirvana?”
He answered — “The destruction of greed, the destruction of anger, the destruction of delusion — this is nirvana.”
The Wheel of Life
The Wheel of Life (Bhavachakra) is a symbolic representation of samsara — the cycle of birth, death, and rebirth. It illustrates the Buddhist understanding of the nature of existence and outlines the path to liberation or nirvana.
At the center of the wheel, you’ll find depictions of a rooster, a snake, and a pig. These animals represent the 3 poisons, which are the root of suffering and the forces that keep us trapped in the cycle of samsara.
These 3 unliberated beings perpetually circle the wheel of life, experiencing birth, death, and rebirth endlessly:
The rooster represents greed or overindulgence.
The snake represents hatred or anger.
The pig represents delusion or ignorance.
The second layer of the wheel represents karma, which is separated into two halves. The white half depicts beings moving upward towards more fortunate rebirths. The black half depicts beings moving downwards towards less fortunate births.
The third layer depicts the 6 realms of existence — the god realm, the demi-god realm, the human realm, the animal realm, the hungry ghost realm, and the hell realm.
The fourth layer (outer rim) depicts the 12 links of the causal chain that leads to rebirth and suffering — ignorance, formations, consciousness, name and form, six sense bases, contact, feeling, craving, clinging, becoming, birth, and death.
The entire wheel is encompassed by Yama, the Lord of Death. This symbolizes the inevitability of death and the impermanence of all things. The Buddha can be seen beyond the wheel, pointing at the moon. This represents the possibility of liberation from the cycle of samsara.
1. Delusion & Ignorance
Delusion and ignorance are misunderstandings of the true nature of reality that manifest through our ego-driven desires, aversions, and misconceptions.
The ego serves as a reducing valve to make sense of the chaos of existence. It separates I from other and filters the vast information we receive in each waking moment so our brains can comprehend and navigate the complexity of the world around us.
The problem is that in doing so, we jump to conclusions and invent information to satisfy the narratives our ego constructs. All of our opinions and beliefs are baked in delusion — based on information that isn’t complete, is one-sided, or distorted.
Delusion prevents us from seeing the truth. It fuels disagreements, conflict, and misunderstanding. It leads to greed by making us think we need more in order to feel happy, safe, and fulfilled in life. It leads to anger by fostering resentment and hostility towards others and creates barriers that prevent us from seeing their perspectives.
Overcoming these delusions involves engaging in practices that cultivate direct experiential insight, mindfulness, and humility. Developing the willingness to accept and acknowledge our delusions helps us perceive the world as it truly is.
The paradox herein lies in the fact that we cannot be without ego — and that seeking to dismantle it to escape the trap of delusion and ignorance is, in itself, an ignorant goal. The middle way says that we may attempt to escape our delusion and ignorance — but will ultimately fail. In recognizing this, we may find a path to true understanding and enlightenment.
2. Greed & Overindulgence
Greed is the desire for “just a little bit more.” It’s a feeling of being unsatisfied with what we have. This could be money, possessions, power, or status.
There’s always something more we could have.
Photographers want new, better cameras and lenses; musicians want more sophisticated instruments; and tech enthusiasts want the latest gadgets and software.
These small desires for more may not seem like “poison” per se — but while innocuous on the surface, they signal a greater underlying dissatisfaction.
On the extreme end of greed is addiction — living perpetually from one fix to the next. Whether it’s drugs, sex, gambling, shopping, or food — the addict is obsessed with obtaining more to the point where it becomes an undeniable detriment to their health, their relationships, and their ability to feel happy.
Zen Buddhism posits that the antidote to greed is detachment. By striving for minimalism in all areas of our life — learning to make do with less and be content with what we have — we may undermine the insidious power of greed and overindulgence.
3. Hatred & Anger
Hatred and anger arise from fear and delusion. When we encounter something or someone that threatens or exposes the beliefs, desires, or vulnerabilities of the ego, our natural response is to defend it through hostility. This hostility is an unconscious reaction that further clouds our judgment, reinforces our delusions, and prevents us from seeing the true nature of things.
Zen Buddhism teaches that the antidote to hatred is compassion. By cultivating a sense of empathy towards others and seeking to understand their perspective, we can break the barriers that fuel our anger and cloud our judgment. This is taught through mindfulness practices that help us identify and acknowledge the emotion of anger and allow us to choose how we respond rather than reacting unconsciously.
Our emotions are transient and non-defining — we are allowed to feel anger, but applying it through hostility and cementing it in hatred only leads to further delusion and suffering.
Opposing the 3 Poisons
Buddhism teaches that the antidotes against the 3 poisons and fundamental steps toward liberation are wisdom/insight, generosity/detachment, and lovingkindness/compassion.
Wisdom and insight are the direct antidotes to delusion and ignorance. Practices like meditation, dedicated study, and reflective contemplation help us cultivate a deeper understanding of the true nature of reality and break through the misconceptions that bind us to suffering.
Detachment and generosity counter greed and attachment by encouraging a spirit of giving and letting go. It shifts our focus from accumulating more to sharing what we have.
Lovingkindness and compassion are cultivated to dissolve anger and hatred. Through practices like Metta meditation and active empathy, we may learn to extend feelings of unconditional love and understanding toward ourselves and others. This practice helps us overcome the defensive and hostile reactions that arise from threatened egos and fosters a more inclusive and peaceful interaction with the world.
While we cannot be entirely rid of these poisons, we can learn to identify how they manifest in our lives and develop techniques that mitigate their influence over our thoughts and actions.