Why and how according to the Buddha should unenlightened beings try to Essay

Why and how according to the Buddha should unenlightened beings try to combat greed, hatred and delusion - Essay Example The fourth noble truth is the result of learning and practicing, which is the stage in which one becomes enlightened. The greed, hatred and delusion fall under the second noble truth. They are aspects of the causation of suffering. This paper purposes to discuss how and why the unenlightened should strive to deal with these three poisons of humanity, as perceived in Buddhism. Greed, hatred and delusion in Buddhism have commonly been referred to as the three poisons or the three fires. Other scholars of Buddhism have referred to them as the three unwholesome roots. Webster (2005 p 98) likens the three of them with evil desire. The reason for their being referred to as such is because of their nature to cause human beings to have a desire to happiness through the wrong motive. A close look at these metaphorical references to these three aspects reveals that they can be very dangerous if not dealt with from a deterministic perspective. They can induce afflictive emotions and thoughts. Buddhism teaches that the three are a byproduct of ignorance. By referring to them as a byproduct of ignorance, the teachings of Buddha point to the fact that there is a means of combating them. This way will be by applying the teachings of Buddha and practicing them so that the person who harbored them can become intelligent, or realize the fourth noble truth. Going by the fa ct that these three aspects are a result of ignorance, it is reasonable that the person experiencing them follows the recommendations of Buddha’s teachings so that they can become knowledgeable. This is to mean that the essence of combating greed, hatred and delusion is to become intelligent. This will be advantageous to the persuerer because they will become intelligent, and will have cured the disease of suffering. The Buddhist hypothesis behind greed, hatred and