The Poisonous Effects of the Three Poisons of Greed, Hatred, and Delusion (II)

Greed, anger, and delusion are three kinds of poisons. These three poisons can disturb our physical body and, even more, assail our mind, causing us suffering life after life, and making us fall into the three evil destinies to undergo suffering. Because heavy anger and the fire of rage can make the blood flow abnormally, the burden on the body increases. Moreover, the toxins in the blood make the blood flow through the heart become unsmooth; those who love to lose their temper are prone to heart disease and other illnesses. Therefore, the harm of the poison of anger is the greatest—it harms both others and oneself. When the afflictions of greed, anger, and delusion flare up, the physical body changes accordingly: the composition of the blood has already altered, the circulation of qi and blood becomes abnormal, and blockages appear in the body; thus the root of illness slowly lingers and settles in.

As soon as the mind of anger stirs, the body is affected. Therefore, a person with heavy afflictions will also have serious illness and poor health; his health in this life is affected—let alone in future lives. Because of a heavy mind of anger, one's appearance in future lives becomes ugly and unadorned. Moreover, because the afflictions of greed, anger, and delusion create unwholesome karmic actions, that unwholesome karma will diminish one's own merit, causing one to transmigrate through the three evil destinies, with endless suffering in the future. Furthermore, having created unwholesome karma, our future physical bodies will manifest all kinds of suffering from illness; because the physical body belongs to the primary retribution, unwholesome karma can directly affect the physical body, making it unhealthy, plagued by calamities and diseases; those with severe evil retribution mostly receive the retribution of a short lifespan.

If one always likes to provoke and irritate others, whether there is a reason or not, causing them distress and unhappiness, this has a very bad influence on one's own future retribution—the suffering one undergoes 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, anger, and delusion, and is also closely related to the unwholesome karma one has created. Having created unwholesome karma and harmed others, one simultaneously reduces one's own merit and will inevitably receive evil retribution.

The most obvious personal example is this: when greed arises in us, our thoughts become impure due to greed. When the mind is impure, it 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 destinies. Because greed arises, the blood flow in the physical body also quickens, the mind loses its calm,s to all things become confused and muddled, and one's judgment and handling of people and affairs easily go wrong.

When anger arises, the proportions of the four great elements change, and the four-element structure of the blood in the physical body changes accordingly; toxins are thus produced, and then the blood flow also changes. Especially when the mind of anger is very severe, the face immediately turns greenish, which shows that toxins have already been produced in the blood; the blood flow is then obstructed, and the face turns greenish. Over time, one is prone to heart disease, and secondly, all kinds of blood-related diseases are generated. Problems will arise in the body's blood supply; insufficient blood supply to the brain will lead to brain-related illnesses. In old age, one is prone to cerebellar atrophy and other brain diseases. So do not think that the greed, anger, and delusion you create only cause suffering to others—in fact, you yourself are the greatest victim.