A Brief Discourse on the Essence of Consciousness

Chapter Five: The Poisonous Effects of the Three Poisons of Greed, Hatred, and Delusion

If, in cultivation, one fails to effectively subdue the afflictions of greed, hatred, and delusion, the mind cannot become tamed and pliable. When the obstructions of one's nature are heavy, they not only hinder the path of practice but also obstruct one's physical and mental health. A person burdened with heavy afflictions and karmic obstructions causes trouble and unhappiness to others, inevitably creating negative karmic connections and resentments with them. In future lives, one will also suffer the karmic retribution of these afflictions, and pain is unavoidable. On the other hand, the one who suffers the most and is most tormented is oneself. When afflictions are severe, one's inner mind feels pain and agitation; the body and mind become disturbed, and one experiences the greatest inner unhappiness. If the other party has cultivation, they might not be troubled by the affliction; even if they suffer, it may pass quickly. But you yourself will be constantly assaulted by afflictions and karmic obstructions, and worry, sorrow, and distress will always arise in your mind.

If, through learning Buddhism and cultivation, one can subdue afflictions, one benefits throughout all lives, gaining freedom and liberation. By subduing afflictions and not harming or troubling others, one ceases to drain one's own blessings and virtue and avoids creating negative karmic connections with others. If one can always consider others and bring them benefit, one's own blessings and virtue increase rapidly, and the greatest beneficiary is oneself. Therefore, it is essential to subdue the afflictions and karmic obstructions.

When the karmic obstructions of afflictions are heavy and the mind is impure, what kind of poisoning does one's own body and mind suffer? The afflictions of greed, hatred, and delusion are commonly called the Three Poisons. Why are they called poisons? Since they are called poisons, they naturally possess harmfulness and toxicity. Harming others is secondary; the one most harmed is oneself. When the mind harbors greed, hatred, and delusion, the actions of body, speech, and mind inevitably create unwholesome karma of greed, hatred, and delusion. Creating unwholesome karma inevitably leads to unwholesome retribution. This is the poisonous effect of greed, hatred, and delusion.

Furthermore, when the hindrance of afflictions is heavy and hatred arises, the physical body is inevitably affected. When the physical body is affected, the structure of the four elements changes accordingly: the speed of blood flow alters, the composition of the blood changes, toxins are produced within the body, and these toxins directly harm physical health. The most obvious example is when we become angry; our facial expression changes instantly, becoming flushed, red, purplish, and black. Why purplish and black? Toxic substances are often purplish-black. When blood flow is obstructed and its composition changes, the skin's color noticeably turns purplish-black. The altered blood composition has a severely toxic effect on one's own body. Blood containing toxins does not flow smoothly, hindering the heart's function. The toxins in the blood can severely damage the physical body, leading to illness. People with heavy hatred and afflictions have a higher probability of heart disease and more illnesses related to the blood.

These three toxins of greed, hatred, and delusion can invade our physical body and even more so assail our mind, causing us endless suffering throughout lives and causing us to fall into the three evil paths to suffer. Because hatred is heavy, the fire of rage causes abnormal blood flow, increasing the body's burden. Moreover, the toxins in the blood also make the heart's blood flow less smooth. People prone to anger easily get heart disease and other illnesses. Therefore, the harm of the poison of hatred is the greatest, harming both others and oneself. When the afflictions of greed, hatred, and delusion flare up, the physical body also changes; the composition of the blood has already altered, the flow of qi and blood becomes abnormal, blockages appear in the body, and the root of illness gradually takes hold and lingers.

As soon as hatred arises, the body is affected. Therefore, a person with heavy afflictions has serious illnesses and poor health; their present-life physical health is affected, let alone future lives. Because hatred is heavy, the appearance in future lives becomes ugly and unrefined. Moreover, because greed, hatred, and delusion create unwholesome karmic actions, these actions diminish one's own blessings and virtue, causing one to revolve in the three evil paths, suffering endless distress in the future. Furthermore, having created unwholesome karma, our future physical body will manifest all kinds of suffering and illness; because the physical body is the direct retribution, unwholesome karma can directly affect it. An unhealthy body, plagued by many disasters and illnesses, often results in a short lifespan for those with severe unwholesome retribution.

If one habitually, whether necessary or not, annoys others, causing them distress and unhappiness, one's own future retribution will also be very bad, and the suffering endured will far exceed that of others. Not only will one be unhappy and distressed in mind, but one will also encounter the misfortune of a short lifespan. A short lifespan is closely related to the afflictions of greed, hatred, and delusion, and also to the unwholesome karma created. Creating unwholesome karma harms others and simultaneously reduces one's own blessings and virtue, inevitably leading to unwholesome retribution.

The most obvious personal example is this: When greed arises in us, the mind becomes impure due to greed. An impure mind affects the physical body, and the water element within the body changes accordingly. Because water flows downward, at the time of death, the water of greed causes one to fall into the three evil paths. The arising of greed also speeds up the blood flow in the body, making the mind uncalm and thinking unclear. Reactions to all things become sluggish and confused, and judgments and handling of people and matters easily become biased and extreme.

When hatred arises, the proportion and arrangement of the four elements change; the structure of the four elements in the physical body's blood changes accordingly, and toxins are thus produced. Subsequently, the flow of blood also changes. Especially when hatred is very severe, the face immediately turns green, indicating that toxins have already been produced in the blood. This obstructs blood flow, causing the face to turn green. Over time, one is prone to heart disease and illnesses related to the blood, easily developing tumors and cancer. Blood supply throughout the body becomes problematic; insufficient blood supply to the brain leads to brain diseases. In old age, one easily gets cerebellar atrophy and other brain diseases. Therefore, do not think that creating greed, hatred, and delusion only causes others distress; in fact, you yourself are the greatest victim.

When our body is unhealthy, we should examine our psychological state to see if there are thoughts and emotions related to greed, hatred, and delusion that obstruct and affect the physical body. These emotions are most capable of producing toxins in one's own body, affecting bodily functions. Physical unhealthiness stems from present-life afflictive factors and karmic forces brought from past lives. The unwholesome karmic actions created in past lives can lead to an unhealthy physical body in this life, manifesting various illnesses, because the physical body is the master of retribution. When we now generate the afflictions of greed, hatred, and delusion and create unwholesome karma, the condition of the physical body inevitably changes, having a negative impact on the body. After affecting the physical body, it slowly and subtly changes. The initial changes are not easy to detect, but after accumulating over time, the physical body undergoes a qualitative change, and symptoms of illness become clearly apparent.

Our mental emotions, the afflictions of greed, hatred, and delusion, and all kinds of unwholesome mental states can affect the health of the physical body. The mental activities of the six consciousnesses can also affect our physical body. Since the physical body can change under the influence of the six consciousnesses, then the dharmas are not produced solely by the eighth consciousness alone; there is also the seventh consciousness (manas) and the first six consciousnesses. The eight consciousnesses operate together harmoniously to produce all dharmas, but the seeds all come from the eighth consciousness. Our physical body changes every moment; this is not only related to the eighth consciousness but also to the mental activities of the current sixth and seventh consciousnesses.

If the reacting sixth and seventh consciousness minds are calm and neutral, the physical body maintains its original state unchanged and is unaffected. If the sixth and seventh consciousness minds are not calm or neutral, and emotions undergo sudden changes, then the physical body enters another state—such as a pounding heart, trembling all over, bulging veins, sallow complexion, purple lips, trembling calves, red face and thick neck, fainting, etc. The functioning of the physical body becomes uneven and abnormal. This shows that the functioning state of the physical body is related to the sixth and seventh consciousnesses. All dharmas are manifested by the combined operation of the three consciousnesses (the eighth, seventh, and the six sense consciousnesses collectively), not solely produced by the eighth consciousness alone. This is called "all dharmas are consciousness-only" (vijñapti-mātra). The meaning of "the three realms are mind-only" is that all dharmas of the threefold world come from the eighth consciousness; they are manifested by the seeds of the eighth consciousness. Therefore, all dharmas come from the eighth consciousness.

The eighth consciousness, encountering conditions, can give birth to and transform all dharmas of the world, transforming the five aggregates and the physical body. These conditions, of course, include the mental activities of the six consciousnesses. Whether the six consciousnesses are operating purely or defiledly, whether they have the afflictions of greed, hatred, and delusion or not, determines how the physical body changes. The six fundamental afflictions—greed, hatred, delusion, arrogance, doubt, and wrong views—all poison the present mind and also poison the future five-aggregate body and mind. Why can these six fundamental afflictions also affect the future? Because the karmic seeds created are stored in the eighth consciousness. When these seeds encounter conditions in the future and are delivered again, the mental activities of the six consciousnesses become defiled. The accumulation of defiled karmic seeds life after life causes the afflictions of greed, hatred, and delusion to become increasingly severe, the physical body to become increasingly unhealthy, and both the direct retribution (body) and circumstantial retribution (environment) to become increasingly unsatisfactory.

Therefore, each of us should diligently subdue our own afflictions and karmic obstructions. After subduing greed, hatred, delusion, and arrogance, one not only brings others an atmosphere of joy and harmony, but the greatest beneficiary is oneself: physical health, mental happiness, an open and generous heart, free from worry and affliction, with increasing blessings and virtue. By countering one's own afflictions of greed, hatred, and delusion and eliminating all worries and sorrows, everything around becomes pleasant. Not only will one be free from afflictions life after life, but in the future, one can also become a great bodhisattva (mahāsattva), accomplish the Buddha Way, and become the Honored One of the Three Realms and the Teacher of Humans and Devas.

II. Modern people are too attached to the mundane world, so they always feel everything in the world is beautiful and likable. Such people absolutely will not feel world-weary in their hearts; it is very difficult for them to generate the mind of renunciation. They cannot see the aspects of suffering, emptiness, and impermanence in the world, seeing only the false aspect of worldly enjoyment. This is because the mind's attachment to the mundane is very heavy. Whether a person's mind is mundane-oriented or renunciate-oriented can be clearly expressed in their speech, yet they themselves are unaware, lacking self-reflection, lacking awareness, and their inner mind is unawakened.

Because of attachment to the mundane, the six sense faculties and six consciousnesses become unrestrained. The unrestraint of the eye consciousness is looking at forms arbitrarily. The unrestraint of the ear consciousness is listening to sounds arbitrarily. The unrestraint of the nose consciousness is liking fragrances and disliking foul smells. The unrestraint of the tongue consciousness is craving delicious flavors. The unrestraint of the body consciousness is seeking comfort and ease. The unrestraint of the mental consciousness is distraction, dullness, and restlessness. The unrestraint of the manas (seventh consciousness) is grasping and clinging everywhere. The six faculties of Arhats are never unrestrained; they absolutely do not go everywhere to look, listen, smell, taste, or touch, and their mental consciousness does not engage in scattered thinking.

Some people always like eating and drinking, enjoying delicious flavors; that is the joint unrestraint of the tongue consciousness and mental consciousness. Some people always like smelling fragrances; that is the joint unrestraint of the nose consciousness and mental consciousness. Some people always like wearing fine clothes, sleeping on fine beds, seeking comfort and pleasure in everything; that is the joint unrestraint of the body consciousness and mental consciousness. Some people always like recalling the past and clinging to the future; that is the unrestraint of the mental consciousness. Some people always like grasping at everything; that is the unrestraint of the manas.

Let us learn from our eighth consciousness. It has no preferences whatsoever, the mind is constantly in samādhi, without times of greed, without times of hatred, without times of delusion, without self-view, does not make decisions, lives according to conditions, yet has no days to live through. If the seventh consciousness were like this, becoming a Buddha would be more than sufficient.