The Three Poisons – Part II

Gerry Trione will present the second of a three part series on the “Three Poisons“, a core concept in Buddhism for understanding the barriers to lasting happiness.

Dvesha, Hate

“The Sanskrit dvesha, or dosa in Pali, can mean anger and aversion as well as hatred. Hate arises from ignorance because we don’t see the interconnectedness of all things ad beings and instead experience ourselves as standing apart. Dvesha is represented by the snake.

Because we see ourselves as separate from everything else we judge things to be desirable — and we want to grasp them — or we feel aversion, and we want to avoid them. We are also likely to be angry with anyone who gets between us and something we want. We are jealous of people who have things that we want. We hate things that frighten us or seem to pose a threat to us.

The antidote to hate/anger is loving kindness.”

– Barbara O’Brien