Overview
While the classical frameworks detail ten or more defilements (kilesā), the orthodox tradition continuously traces mental corruption back to three primary psychological stains. These three act as the core obscuring smoke that blinds ultimate vision, locks beings into cyclic wandering, and fuels the entirety of unwholesome kamma.
The List
- Rāga - Lust / Attachment: The burning stain of sensory greed, infatuation, and possessiveness that causes the mind to glue itself to pleasant conditioned objects.
- Dosa - Hatred / Aversion: The violent stain of anger, irritation, and ill-will that scorches the mind stream, causing it to react aggressively to unpleasant objects.
- Moha - Delusion / Ignorance: The foundational mental darkness that masks the Four Noble Truths, preventing the mind from seeing things as they truly arise and cease.
Textual References
- Canonical: Kilesa Saṃyutta (SN 36) – Outlines how these three operational defilements corrupt sensory contact at the six sense doors.
- Abhidhamma: Dhammasaṅgaṇī – Identifies these three elements as the primary unwholesome roots (akusala-mūla) governing all unwholesome consciousness.