2021-05-27 Kusala (4 of 10) The Roots of the Unwholesome Greed, Hatred and Delusion

1:05AM May 28, 2021

Speakers:

Gil Fronsdal

Keywords:

roots

unwholesome

deep

hatred

greed

delusion

behavior

tension

feel

arises

latent

word

sprout

redwood tree

irritation

holding

small

relax

places

unhelpful

Continuing the topic of wholesome and unwholesome, a fundamental concept for the entire teachings of the Buddha. The focus today will be more on the unwholesome. Next week it will be more on the wholesome.

The unwholesome is said to have three roots. The roots are greed, hatred, and delusion. The idea of roots is very interesting. The root of a plant is underground and you cannot see it. But some plants, if you chop them off at the surface level – the ground, then the roots are still alive and the plant will still sprout or grow again from the roots. Sometimes plants die back and they are not at all visible above the ground. But then spring comes, and maybe the rainy season comes, and they start growing again. And there they are.

Sometimes, greed, hate and delusion, as roots, are called latent tendencies. They may lay inside us latently, ready to sprout whenever conditions are right for it. Some people might feel that they have no greed, hatred, and delusion because they do not see it in themselves. But then, at some point, conditions come together, and Boy! Is it ever there!

There is a story in the Suttas (maybe I told you this. I don't think I told you last week, but I was thinking of it), of a woman who was always kind. But then someone said, maybe this is only surface deep. So someone challenged her in a simple way. And, sure enough, she got angry, and violent, even.

So there is the idea of latent roots, the roots inside. And they are greed, hatred, and delusion. Teachers like me, and a lot of Theravāda teachers, will repeat the phrase "greed, hatred, and delusion" a lot. When I was a younger student I heard it a lot. I think part of my brain just checked out when I heard it. I heard it so often. It was so repetitive. So rote. It was almost like I did not hear it anymore because it was emphasized so much.

But the reason it is emphasized is that these are the roots, deep inside, that give birth to all kinds of unwholesome behavior. I find it very compassionate to call it unwholesome behavior, as opposed to bad behavior, evil behavior, or wrong behavior. There are a lot of judgements around some of the ways we judge and understand people's behavior. But unwholesome means that you can change it into something wholesome. Unwholesome is more the quality of the activity, and does not necessarily judge the person. Some behavior is unwholesome.

But they had these three roots. Inside of ourself, there is a deep inside, unseen many times. It can be living inside us – a source from which unhelpful, unbeneficial behavior arises. In the simplest kind of way, it is related to tension, to holding, to places we feel hurt, places where we have coagulated or condensed around our pain, sadness, or conceit. There are all kinds of things we are holding onto. And that can be very deep, subliminal, and not even seen. They are latent, these tensions. But they are ready to express themselves in all kinds of ways.

Part of this practice of the Dharma is to really reach down into the roots of our very being. Not just the places that we can see and know, but deep inside, the places from which unwholesome behavior springs, these deep holding patterns and tensions inside.

And so, for that, there is a process of relaxing and feeling safer and safer, relaxing deeper and deeper, releasing, releasing until we touch these places that are usually not seen, but where the roots are deep inside. So when we pull the root of the plant out of the ground, the plant doesn't sprout again.

We have the idea of these three roots of greed, hatred and delusion. I think of these as umbrella terms for a whole family of related motivations, feelings, or attitudes. In the ancient texts, there are synonyms to describe the words for some of the other elements of that family. With greed, that is related to lust – to relishing. Relishing is enjoying, but holding on and really wanting more, getting the most, squeezing the most, out of it. Longing, attachment, clinging, and craving – these are all in the family of greed. When we say greed, we include all of these elements within it.

Where do those surface from? What is the root of those inside you? When you feel greed, lust, a deep longing or attachment, clinging or craving, really respect these in a way that is beneficial. Respect the power of them and the influence they have on us. Where are the roots? Where are they arising out of? What is the deeper disposition from which they come? What is the deeper feeling tone? What is the deeper tension we carry with us that seems to be from where they arise?

Hatred. The synonym for that is wanting to harm – anger, hostility. Anger is a bit confusing – the word anger – because not all anger is wanting to harm. But in this Buddhist list, it all has to do with wanting to harm. So, hostility or wrath, malice, obstructing. One word is irritation. But the question is, irritation? How does that mean causing harm? But some kind of ill will is there as part of it.

Delusion, ignorance, bewilderment, foolishness – interesting – not really understanding suffering. If we do not understand our suffering in some deep way, seeing how it arises, how it ceases, if we do not really understand it, suffering, not understood, is a source for delusion. Then that gets expressed often in greed, hatred, and ill will. These have a wide influence on us.

What is interesting in the Buddhist analysis of human behavior, is that all unwholesome behavior – all behavior that is harmful, in some ways, to ourselves or to others, has its roots in these three forces inside us, these three categories of things. If these are the roots, then the task is to somehow get sensitive enough, still enough, feel comfortable enough in oneself, feel enough security in oneself, to really be quiet and touch those roots. Really feel what is subliminal. Feel what is often latent.

One of the avenues to do that is physical. Feel the physical tension with a very heightened sense of mindfulness. Really tune in deeply, deeply, deeply, to the subtlest forms of tension that sometimes only are felt if the surface tension is finally relaxed enough.

Even after a long period of peace and ease, we get a sense, "Oh. Look at that. There's a little tightening, a contraction, a little kernel of tightness, or pressure." And then help that soften and relax. Let that release. And even though it might feel like a small kernel – subtle, deep inside, it is often the very seed.

Just like a seed of a redwood tree is quite small, but the tree grows really big, so, in the same way, these little seeds deep inside of greed, hate and delusion, might seem inconsequential because they are so small. But in deep, quiet meditation, that is the place where we can sometimes touch those roots or those seeds, and let them relax and release. Because all unwholesome behavior comes from these, it becomes really useful to address them, to meet them, and to understand them.

One of the practices in Buddhism is to recognize greed, hatred, and delusion as it arises. But not "recognize." Sometimes such big words seem to represent big, obvious, movements of greed and hatred that everyone can see. But the tendency in Buddhism is to see them even in very subtle movements. One word for – one synonym or connection to – hatred is irritation. And attachment can be very, very small, very mild. But any movement like that, where there is any kind of self harm or self tension involved – any tension we have (holding, tightening) that is chronic, creates very unhelpful conditions for us.

As we relax that and soften that, we create conditions for something very positive: the opposite of greed, hatred and delusion. Those also can be roots. To have the roots of non-greed, non-hatred, non-delusion be the source from which we operate, is a whole sea change in how we can live our lives. That, also, is discovered by deeply relaxing. They are waiting for us. Those seeds are waiting for us. And they also grow into big redwood trees and become strong.

Greed, hatred and delusion: some of the things to become sensitive to, so we are not pushed around by them, caught in bondage to their their influence.

Thank you. I offer these words and thoughts about the deep roots inside us with tremendous respect for your depth, your roots, and care for it. Really wishing that, in the depth of who you are, you can find peace, well-being, love and freedom. And something deep inside can release and let go. Thank you.