When asked by King Pasenadi of Kosala about the qualities that arise within a person for their harm, suffering, and troubled living, the Buddha lists greed, aversion, and delusion, and explains their effect on the mind with a simile.
Sāvatthinidānaṁ.
At Sāvatthi.
Atha kho rājā pasenadi kosalo yena bhagavā tenupasaṅkami; upasaṅkamitvā bhagavantaṁ abhivādetvā ekamantaṁ nisīdi. Ekamantaṁ nisinno kho rājā pasenadi kosalo bhagavantaṁ etadavoca: “kati nu kho, bhante, purisassa dhammā ajjhattaṁ uppajjamānā uppajjanti ahitāya dukkhāya aphāsuvihārāyā”ti?
Then, King Pasenadi of Kosala approached the Blessed One. Having drawn near, he paid homage to the Blessed One and sat down to one side. Seated to one side, King Pasenadi of Kosala said to the Blessed One: “Venerable sir, how many qualities are there which, when they arise within a person, arise for their |harm::disadvantage, misfortune [ahita]|, for their |suffering::discomfort, unpleasantness, discontentment, dissatisfaction, stress, pain, disease, i.e. mild or intense suffering [dukkha]|, and for their |troubled living::afflicted abiding [aphāsuvihāra]|?”
“Tayo kho, mahārāja, purisassa dhammā ajjhattaṁ uppajjamānā uppajjanti ahitāya dukkhāya aphāsuvihārāya. Katame tayo? Lobho kho, mahārāja, purisassa dhammo ajjhattaṁ uppajjamāno uppajjati ahitāya dukkhāya aphāsuvihārāya. Doso kho, mahārāja, purisassa dhammo ajjhattaṁ uppajjamāno uppajjati ahitāya dukkhāya aphāsuvihārāya. Moho kho, mahārāja, purisassa dhammo ajjhattaṁ uppajjamāno uppajjati ahitāya dukkhāya aphāsuvihārāya. Ime kho, mahārāja, tayo purisassa dhammā ajjhattaṁ uppajjamānā uppajjanti ahitāya dukkhāya aphāsuvihārāyā”ti.
“There are, great king, three qualities which, when they arise within a person, arise for their harm, for their suffering, and for their troubled living. What are the three? |Greed::a grasping mental quality of craving, possessiveness, or lustful wanting that clings to objects or experiences; it fuels attachment and obstructs renunciation and contentment [lobha]|, great king, is a quality which, when it arises within a person, arises for their harm, for their suffering, and for their troubled living. |aversion::hatred, hostility, mental attitude of rejection, fault-finding, resentful disapproval [dosa]|, great king, is a quality which, when it arises within a person, arises for their harm, for their suffering, and for their troubled living. |Delusion::illusion, misperception, erroneous belief, false idea, misapprehension; a fundamental distortion of reality that sustains confusion, clouds discernment, and fuels further doubt [moha]|, great king, is a quality which, when it arises within a person, arises for their harm, for their suffering, and for their troubled living. These, great king, are the three qualities which, when they arise within a person, arise for their harm, for their suffering, and for their troubled living.
Idamavoca bhagavā. Idaṁ vatvāna sugato athāparaṁ etadavoca satthā:
The Blessed One said this. Having spoken thus, the Accomplished One further said this:
“Lobho doso ca moho ca,
purisaṁ pāpacetasaṁ;
Hiṁsanti attasambhūtā,
tacasāraṁva samphalan”ti.
“Greed, aversion, and delusion,
afflict the person with a |corrupt mind::evil-minded, a mind with defilements [pāpacetasa]|;
They arise from within and harm him,
as its own fruit destroys the |reed::bamboo; lit. hardwood skin [tacasāra]|.”
At Sāvatthi.
Then, King Pasenadi of Kosala approached the Blessed One. Having drawn near, he paid homage to the Blessed One and sat down to one side. Seated to one side, King Pasenadi of Kosala said to the Blessed One: “Venerable sir, how many qualities are there which, when they arise within a person, arise for their |harm::disadvantage, misfortune [ahita]|, for their |suffering::discomfort, unpleasantness, discontentment, dissatisfaction, stress, pain, disease, i.e. mild or intense suffering [dukkha]|, and for their |troubled living::afflicted abiding [aphāsuvihāra]|?”
“There are, great king, three qualities which, when they arise within a person, arise for their harm, for their suffering, and for their troubled living. What are the three? |Greed::a grasping mental quality of craving, possessiveness, or lustful wanting that clings to objects or experiences; it fuels attachment and obstructs renunciation and contentment [lobha]|, great king, is a quality which, when it arises within a person, arises for their harm, for their suffering, and for their troubled living. |aversion::hatred, hostility, mental attitude of rejection, fault-finding, resentful disapproval [dosa]|, great king, is a quality which, when it arises within a person, arises for their harm, for their suffering, and for their troubled living. |Delusion::illusion, misperception, erroneous belief, false idea, misapprehension; a fundamental distortion of reality that sustains confusion, clouds discernment, and fuels further doubt [moha]|, great king, is a quality which, when it arises within a person, arises for their harm, for their suffering, and for their troubled living. These, great king, are the three qualities which, when they arise within a person, arise for their harm, for their suffering, and for their troubled living.
The Blessed One said this. Having spoken thus, the Accomplished One further said this:
“Greed, aversion, and delusion,
afflict the person with a |corrupt mind::evil-minded, a mind with defilements [pāpacetasa]|;
They arise from within and harm him,
as its own fruit destroys the |reed::bamboo; lit. hardwood skin [tacasāra]|.”
Sāvatthinidānaṁ.
Atha kho rājā pasenadi kosalo yena bhagavā tenupasaṅkami; upasaṅkamitvā bhagavantaṁ abhivādetvā ekamantaṁ nisīdi. Ekamantaṁ nisinno kho rājā pasenadi kosalo bhagavantaṁ etadavoca: “kati nu kho, bhante, purisassa dhammā ajjhattaṁ uppajjamānā uppajjanti ahitāya dukkhāya aphāsuvihārāyā”ti?
“Tayo kho, mahārāja, purisassa dhammā ajjhattaṁ uppajjamānā uppajjanti ahitāya dukkhāya aphāsuvihārāya. Katame tayo? Lobho kho, mahārāja, purisassa dhammo ajjhattaṁ uppajjamāno uppajjati ahitāya dukkhāya aphāsuvihārāya. Doso kho, mahārāja, purisassa dhammo ajjhattaṁ uppajjamāno uppajjati ahitāya dukkhāya aphāsuvihārāya. Moho kho, mahārāja, purisassa dhammo ajjhattaṁ uppajjamāno uppajjati ahitāya dukkhāya aphāsuvihārāya. Ime kho, mahārāja, tayo purisassa dhammā ajjhattaṁ uppajjamānā uppajjanti ahitāya dukkhāya aphāsuvihārāyā”ti.
Idamavoca bhagavā. Idaṁ vatvāna sugato athāparaṁ etadavoca satthā:
“Lobho doso ca moho ca,
purisaṁ pāpacetasaṁ;
Hiṁsanti attasambhūtā,
tacasāraṁva samphalan”ti.