Human tendencies to apply the Three Unwholesome Roots

August 11, 2026 at 8:05 AM PDT

In Buddhist philosophy, craving, aversion, and ignorance are commonly called the Three Poisons (triviṣa).

They are:

1. Craving / attachment (lobha/rāga) that manifests as wanting, grasping, clinging.
2. Aversion / hatred (dveṣa/doṣa) that manifests as resistance, anger, hostility, pushing away.
3. Ignorance / delusion (moha/avidyā): misunderstanding reality, particularly the nature of impermanence and the self.

They are called poisons because they distort perception and generate suffering and unskillful actions. Three Poisons emphasizes their corrupting/afflictive nature, while Three Unwholesome Roots emphasizes their causal role in producing unwholesome karma and suffering.

Once this framework is learnt, it is unsurprising how easy it is to take out the person involved in the action and categorize just the wrong in it. However I come from a different angle for this thought.

Humans usually apply cravings for things related to self, hatred for things related to others and delusion for both and for the unknown.