Overview
The Buddha placed immense value on the harmony of the monastic Saṅgha. He identified six specific toxic personality traits that guarantee the breakdown of community. If a monk possesses any of these roots, they will inevitably create disputes, arguments, and legal schisms within the Order.
The List
- Kodhana/Upanāhī - Angry and revengeful: A person who is easily irritated and holds onto grudges.
- Makkhī/Paḷāsī - Contemptuous and domineering: A person who belittles the good qualities of others and violently asserts their own dominance.
- Issukī/Maccharī - Envious and stingy: A person who cannot stand the success of others and refuses to share their own material or spiritual gains.
- Saṭho/Māyāvī - Deceitful and fraudulent: A person who is tricky, hides their faults, and presents a fake virtuous image.
- Pāpiccho/Micchādiṭṭhi - Having evil desires and wrong view: A person who secretly desires fame and holds views contrary to the Dhamma.
- Sandiṭṭhiparāmāsī/Ādhānaggāhī/Duppaṭinissaggī - Adhering to one’s own views, obstinate, and difficult to correct: A person who is fiercely dogmatic, refusing to let go of their opinions even when corrected by the wise.
Textual References
- Canonical: Sāmagāma Sutta (MN 104) – The Buddha instructs monks that if they see any of these six roots in themselves or others, they must strive diligently to abandon them to prevent schism.