triviṣa
Basic Meaning
The three poisons are a reference to the afflictive emotions of rāga (Tib. 'dod chags), dveṣa (Tib. zhe sdang), and moha (Tib. gti mug). These three detrimental states or afflictive behavioral patterns are difficult to definitively translate, and thus there are several common English variations of this group of three, such as desire, aggression, and bewilderment, or attachment, aversion, and delusion. It is useful to think of these three as a process that involves our insatiable urge to possess that which we desire and the ensuing aggravation that arises when we don't get what we want or have what we don't want forced upon us. Yet we are oblivious to the futility of these conditioned responses due to our lack of discernment, and thus we mindlessly continue to get caught up in this causal nexus.
| Term Variations | |
|---|---|
| Key Term | triviṣa |
| Topic Variation | Three poisons |
| Tibetan | དུག་གསུམ་ ( duk sum) |
| Wylie Tibetan Transliteration | dug gsum ( duk sum) |
| Devanagari Sanskrit | त्रिविष |
| Romanized Sanskrit | triviṣa |
| Chinese | 三毒 |
| Chinese Pinyin | sandu |
| Japanese Transliteration | sandoku |
| Korean Transliteration | samdok |
| Buddha-nature Site Standard English | three poisons |
| Gyurme Dorje's English Term | three poisons |
| Term Information | |
| Source Language | Sanskrit |
| Basic Meaning | The three poisons are a reference to the afflictive emotions of rāga (Tib. 'dod chags), dveṣa (Tib. zhe sdang), and moha (Tib. gti mug). These three detrimental states or afflictive behavioral patterns are difficult to definitively translate, and thus there are several common English variations of this group of three, such as desire, aggression, and bewilderment, or attachment, aversion, and delusion. It is useful to think of these three as a process that involves our insatiable urge to possess that which we desire and the ensuing aggravation that arises when we don't get what we want or have what we don't want forced upon us. Yet we are oblivious to the futility of these conditioned responses due to our lack of discernment, and thus we mindlessly continue to get caught up in this causal nexus. |
| Did you know? | This list of three is sometimes expanded to five with the additions of pride or hubris (Skt. māna, Tib. nga rgyal) and envy or jealousy (Skt. īrṣyā, Tib. phrag dog). |
| Related Terms | kleśa, nyon mongs |
| Term Type | Noun |
| Definitions | |
| Princeton Dictionary of Buddhism | See page 926: In Sanskrit, “three poisons”; the three primary afflictions (mūlakleśa) of sensuality, desire, or greed (rāga or lobha), hatred or aversion (dveṣa), and delusion or ignorance (moha), regarded as poisons because of the harm they cause to those who ingest them or the way they poison the mind. This same list of three is also known as the three “unwholesome faculties” (akuśalamūla), which will fructify as unhappiness in the future and provide the foundation for unfavorable rebirths (apāya). |
| Tshig mdzod Chen mo | 'dod chags dang/ zhe sdang/ gti mug bcas nyon mongs gsum |
