It is true that hearing the word poison leads us to think of something harmful and even mortal and in some way the concept of the Triple poison in the East is not mortal but if quite harmful, in fact it is the root of all our sufferings.
the first is ignorance
The first of them is Ignorance, in fact it must somehow be considered as the root, because from it emerge actions of attachment and aversion. Actually if we think many of our mistakes come from our lack of attention or simply from not knowing what is harmful.
Ignorance is basically divided into two, the one we are born with and that is, for example, when we are little we approach the fire without having the idea that we can burn or when we cross a street and do not know that there is the danger of being run over, the second type is acquired and that actually comes from trends and habits of our environment that we validate as correct and in the analysis of the cause and effect we find that they are not, for example, if We are born in an environment in which stealing is possibly allowed as a result of the lack of lucidity and conscience. We will also steal without thinking that it is something not constructive, in some way the group in which we find ourselves approves it.
The two types of ignorance are careful, although for karma purposes, the motivation of the action is what makes it heavy, we also generate suffering for ourselves and others.
mental afflictions arise
Being honest with ourselves we have the tendency to be people with knowledge but ignorant. For example, if we work in a place and realize that there are irregularities or unethical practices and we decide not to act for whatever reason, we are somehow ignorant of the harmful effect that practice will bring to us and around us. From ignorance arise complicity, greed, malice and the vast amount of negative afflictions.
the second is dislike
The second poison is that of Aversion, it is based on ignorance and is defined as the tendency to exalt the negative qualities of a person or object, it is an ignorant action because we do not see what surrounds us in its just dimension and result of This generates anger, hate, resentment for what we believe is tremendously bad or negative. Normally when someone damages us we generate this aversion and see the greatest damage of what it is, it does not mean that the damage does not exist, but if we look for a wise reasoning instead of one result of ignorance we can see clearly the dimension of suffering that causes us and act in this respect with equanimity and tolerance, if we dimension it in an exaggerated way we will be a time bomb fed by the exaggeration of the damage or discomfort received.
the third is attachment
The third poison is that of attachment, we have already talked about it and it is basically exaggerating in this case the positive qualities of an object, person or situation, this is how we link in an exaggerated way by exalting qualities that we consider beneficial, such as when we fall in love and feel that there is no other more handsome, wonderful, polite being ... and suddenly reality reaches us and is not a bad person necessarily but is not a hero, the one we mentally build, so we demand what we devise and that It is not real, this attitude comes from ignorance of how things, people and situations are.
In reality we can see that most of our conflicts and sufferings come from ignorance and its harmful allies: attachment and aversion. It is affirmed that the 84, 000 mental afflictions are generated from the triple poison that condition us to live in a recurring way in the exaggerated joy and disappointment, which at some point will be reached by reality and suffering.
There are many tools in the culture of Tibet to deal with these poisons, such as mindfulness in our actions, assessing the cause and effect of everything we do, monitoring whether in the link we establish with someone or something we feel discomfort or suffering
It is a fact that from wisdom emerges tranquility and the equanimous and well-dimensioned vision of everything that surrounds us, there is genuine and lasting happiness, from ignorance there can be no result other than suffering.
Remember that in this notion of Ignorance we do not mean the lack of knowledge or culture, it is rather the ignorance of our actions, their consequences, the way we conceive them and how we relate to them, in fact we can find very intelligent people but with a vital performance somehow ignorant.
So to be attentive, lucid, vigilant, introspective, tolerant and equanimous so that our life takes place in an environment of tranquility due to the wise administration of our life habits and not in the ignorance of their negativity and lack of peace they generate.
AUTHOR: Pilar V zquez, collaborator of the great family of the White Brotherhood
