Before we can live a life of pure, unadulterated love for others and exist in harmony with the world, we need to clear away and empty our minds of its wonton tendency to gravitate harmfully toward the pollutants and poisons of greed, hate, delusion and other such impurities.
Before we can live nobly, with our minds fully radiating loving-kindness and compassion, we need to deal with and eradicate our unsavory human tendencies spiraling down and inwards toward the 16 different worldly impurities or defilements which contaminate and color our thoughts, motivations, and inclinations. These make it difficult or almost impossible for us to get along with other people, both in our close inner circle and in the wider outside world.
Sixteen defilements of the mind
The first pollutant or poison is greed or covetousness, which may be defined as a reprehensible desire for satisfaction through sensual pleasures or the accumulation of properties and wealth, developing vain acquisitive wishes. These are selfish, insatiable, and never satisfying, even though we will still seem to want more and more. The thing to do is to cut greed off at the root as it arises in the mind, and let love flow and radiate from within an unsullied, untroubled, and empty mind.
The second pollutant or poison is hatred or ill will, which may be defined as intense dislike, feeling antipathy or aversion toward someone or something, which can lead to harmful action. The thing to do is to cut hate off at the root as it arises in the mind, and let love flow and radiate up and out from within an unsullied, untroubled, and empty mind.
The third pollutant or poison is anger or wrath, which may be defined as strong feelings and emotions leading to potential harmfulness due to an imagined envy, grudge, or grievance. The thing to do is to cut anger off at the root as it arises in the mind, and let love flow and radiate from within an unsullied, untroubled, and empty mind.
The fourth pollutant or poison is hostility or enmity, which may be defined as a deep-seated bitter ill-will leading to rancor, antagonism, and aggression. The thing to do is to cut hostility off at the root as it arises in the mind, and let love flow and radiate up and out from within an unsullied, untroubled, and empty mind.
The fifth pollutant or poison is defamation or slander, which may be defined as casting aspersions and false accusations with ill intent to belittle and denigrate another person. The thing to do is to cut the tendency toward defamation off at the root as it arises in the mind, and let love flow and radiate up and out from within an unsullied, untroubled, and empty mind.
The sixth pollutant or poison is domineering or tyrannizing, which may be defined as taking over and exercising power over someone within a social group in a cruel, oppressive, and autocratic manner, such that they may lose their sense of worth, identity, or power. The thing to do is to cut the desire to domineer off at the root as it arises in the mind, and let love flow and radiate up and out from within an unsullied, untroubled, and empty mind.
The seventh pollutant or poison is envying or begrudging, which may be defined as a mean-spirited, jealous, covetous sense of resentment and ill-will due to the fact that someone, somehow, is perceived to have something more than, or is in some way more fortunate than, oneself. The thing to do is to cut the feeling of envy off at the root as it arised in the mind, and let love flow and radiate up and out from within an unsullied, untroubled, and empty mind.
The eighth pollutant or poison is jealousy or cherishing, which may be defined as feeling vigilant, watchful, heedful, defensive, and protective when guarding one’s own rights, position, authority, or possessions, so that no one will ever be able to share or take them away. The thing to do is to cut jealousy off at the root as it arises in the mind, and let love flow and radiate up and out from within an unsullied, untroubled, and empty mind.
The ninth pollutant or poison is hypocrisy or two-facedness, which may be defined as action based on deliberate deception, especially when pretending to have one set of feelings while acting under the influence of hidden motives. The thing to do is to cut hypocrisy off at the root as it arises in the mind, and let love flow and radiate up and out from within an unsullied, untroubled, and empty mind.
The 10th pollutant or poison is fraud or deception, which may be defined as insincerely, deceitfully claiming that one has advantages, properties, qualities, and values in order to take unfair advantage of a victim. The thing to do is to cut the intention of fraud off at the root as it arises in the mind, and let love flow and radiate up and out from within an unsullied, untroubled, and empty mind.
The 11th pollutant or poison is obstinacy or stubbornness, which may be defined as being bullheaded and difficult to influence or convince to comply, or incapable of changing one’s mind to benefit another or others. The thing to do is to cut the tendency to obstinacy off at the root as it arises in the mind, and let love flow and radiate up and out from within an unsullied, untroubled, and empty mind.
The 12th pollutant or poison is presumption or arrogance, which may be defined as audacious and even arrogant behavior—a kind of artificial haughtiness—assuming a false, overbearing pride, a superior attitude toward others that the antagonist has no claim or right to assume. The thing to do is to cut the feeling of arrogance off at the root as it arises in the mind, and let love flow and radiate up and out from within an unsullied, untroubled, and empty mind.
The 13th pollutant or poison is conceit or self-love, which may be defined as excessive pride, vanity, or narcissism, assuming that oneself is better than others. The thing to do is to cut the tendency to such conceit off at the root as it arises in the mind, and let love flow and radiate up and out from within an unsullied, untroubled, and empty mind.
The 14th pollutant or poison is arrogance or haughtiness, which may be defined as a high-handed attitude while lording oneself over others, assuming airs under the illusion of being superior to others. The thing to do is to cut the tendency to arrogance off at the root as it arises in the mind, and let love flow and radiate up and out from within an unsullied, untroubled, and empty mind.
The 15th pollutant or poison is vanity or pride, which may be defined as being unduly vain and conceited due to an excess of false pride. The thing to do is to cut the tendency to vanity off at the root as it arises in the mind, and let love flow and radiate up and out from within an unsullied, untroubled, and empty mind.
The 16th pollutant or poison is negligence or carelessness, which may be defined as a lack of heedfulness and, as a result, having to suffer the inevitable consequences of one’s mental sloppiness. The thing to do is to cut the tendency to negligence off at the root as it arises in the mind, and let love flow and radiate up and out from within an unsullied, untroubled, and empty mind.
In our practice, we must always remain mindful of the above 16 points and keep working on them, individually and concomitantly, striving to purify, eradicate, and alleviate them. If we are able to practice ardently, applying sufficient energy and effort, we will gradually make consistent progress, always developing mindfully on the Path to Purity.
Related features from BDG
On the Seven Factors of Enlightenment, Part One
On the Seven Factors of Enlightenment, Part Two: Mindfulness and Keen Awareness
On the Seven Factors of Enlightenment, Part Three: Arousing Energy and Attaining Rapture
On the Seven Factors of Enlightenment, Part Four: Tranquility, Concentration, and Equanimity
