108 Defilements of Mind

The 108 defilements of our minds

It is said there are 108 defilements, impure thoughts or unwholesome qualities to our minds. In Mahayana and Theravada Buddhism the use of Mala Beads consisting of 108 small wooden balls represents the impurities or defilements of our minds and are traditional used to count the number breaths while meditating or to keep count of the repetition of a mantra.

How do we come by 108 Defilements?

We experience everything through our 5 senses of sight, sound, taste, smell and touch. In Buddhism there is a six sense that of our consciousness. Consciousness is where everything we experience from the 5 senses is processed. The eyes cannot know what it sees that is the job of consciousness. Ears do not know what they hear, that is formed in our consciousness.

The 6 Senses

Our five core senses plus our consciousness, gives us six senses and these can be experience in three ways. Either negative, positive, or neutral. Six senses times three experiences gives us eighteen feelings. These eighteen feelings can either be attached to pleasure or detached from pleasure. This then gives us eighteen feelings times two pleasures which makes thirty six passions. These thirty six passions can then be formed in either the past, future or the present events which now gives us the grand total of 108 defilements of mind. Those thirty six passions times those three events, equals 108 defilements of mind.

The 108 Defilements Of Mind

These pollutions or states of mind can and will cause us no end of suffering. What we must realise is each of these 108 defilements of mind is subject to something called impermanence, a forever changing state. This is known as one of The Three Facts Of Our Life’s in Buddhism. With the deep understanding or realisation that impermanence, everything in a forever changing state, is a fact of life, we can begin to see how suffering is only ever caused by our attachment to these impermanent objects. This
naturally leads us to a realisation of the Non self or egoless and eventually spiritual enlightenment.

How we all experience the world around us

Every circumstance or event we experience in life comes from our five senses. This experience, event or circumstance is then processed in our conscious mind. We then filter what we are experiencing using previously developed ideology’s, concepts and understandings of the world. These ideas and concepts produce our thoughts and our behaviours act out on those thoughts.

“Much of what we struggle with in life is not caused by circumstances themselves, but by how those circumstances are experienced through thought”

Outside-in vs Inside-out

Each of us experiences life uniquely, not because the world treats us differently, but because experience is always created from the inside out, moment by moment, through thought. Even when we share the same event, no two inner worlds are ever the same.

From this understanding, we begin to see that peace of mind doesn’t come from controlling life or fixing ourselves. It comes from recognising the temporary nature of thought. When thoughts are seen as passing experiences rather than solid truths, the grip they once held begins to loosen naturally.

This quiet shift is at the heart of Everyone’s Mind Matters — not changing who we are, but rediscovering the calm and clarity that already exist beneath the noise. And in moments when the mind feels busy or heavy, returning to The Quiet Space can be a gentle reminder that nothing has gone wrong.

“Freedom, in this sense, is not something we achieve. It is what remains when misunderstanding falls away”

An A-Z Of The 108 Defilements

Below is a list of the 108 defilements of mind. Feel free to add to it if you feel something is missing or subtract those that seem to be repeated. This is still a work in progress as language develops over time and some words from the translation of Pali to English may be lost. Simple write a comment at the bottom or send me a quick email at dhammatapasa@4enlightenment.com or use the contact form here.

Abuse to Falsness

Abuse – of substance or person or animal

Aggression – the action of attacking without provocation

Anger – a very strong feeling of displeasure or outrage at something or someone

Arrogance – exaggerated experience of ones own importance

Baseness – lack of moral principles

Belittlement – to make someone feel less important than yourself

Blasphemy – speaking badly about sacred or religious things

Calculating – to be calculating in ones actions towards another.

Callousness – insensitive and cruel towards others

Capriciousness – impulsive and unpredictable

Censoriousness – to find wrongs in everything

Coercion – the practice of persuading someone to do somthing by using force or threats

Conceit – excessive pride in oneself

Contempt – a disregarding Of something or someone

Cowardice – a lack of bravery

Cruelty – behaviour that cause physics or mental harm to others animal or human

Cursing – to cause offence usually associated with anger

Deception – to mislead or misguide someone

Delusion – maintaining belief in something despite that of rational argument and proof

Denial – the refusal of the truth

Derision – ridicule or mockery

Desire – strong feeling of wanting or wishing

Deviousness – to be deceitful and underhanded

Dipsomania – interment bouts of alcoholism

Discontent – dissatisfaction with ones circumstances

Discord – lack of harmony with others

Disrespectful – showing a lack of courtesy to others and possessions

Dissatisfaction – the lack of satisfaction

Dogmatism – the tendency to lay down principles as truth, without evidence or opinions of others.

Effrontery – impertinent behaviour

Egotism – excessively conceited or absorbed in oneself

Envy – a feeling of discontented or resentful longing aroused by someone else’s possessions, qualities, or luck

Excessiveness – going beyond what is necessary or needed

Faithlessness – betrayal or disloyalty of moral or religious principles

Falseness – the quality of not be open and truthful

Fame – a state of being known and admired by many

Gambling to Opression

Gambling – the act of risking for a greater reward

Garrulity – excessive talkativeness

Gluttony – overindulgence, excess of food, luxury or wealth

Greed – greed of money, possessions

Grudgingly – in a reluctant or resentful manner

Hard heartedly – lacking in sympathy or compassion

Hatred – an intense dislike

Haughtiness – arrogantly superior

Headiness – intoxication or inhibiting of the senses

High handedness – showing no sign of regard to the rights of others

Hostility – unfriendly or opposing tactics

Humiliation – to shame and humiliate others.

Hurtfulness – to cause pain or injury especially psychological

Hypocrisy – the claiming of higher standards than upholding

Ignorance – lack of knowledge or information

Imperiousness – domineering in a haughty manner, dictatorial and overbearing

Imposture – pretending to be someone or something other than yourself

Inattentiveness – without paying attention or particular notice

Indifference – lack of interest concern or sympathy

Ingratitude – a disagreeable lack of thanks

Insidiousness – intending entrapment of harmful rumours or misinformation

Instability – tendencies towards unpredictable behaviour

Intolerance – unwillingness to accept views, beliefs, or behaviour that differ from one’s own

Impudence – being rude and disrespectful

Impulsive – actions done suddenly and without forethought

Irresponsibility – lack of a proper sense of care or responsibility

Jealousy – of others

Lechery – is unrestrained indulgence in sexual activity

Lying – to oneself or others

Lust – lust for the flesh, money, fame

Manipulation – to manipulate ones dealings with others

Masochism – to derive sexual gratification from one’s own pain or humiliation

Melancholy – a feeling of pensive sadness, typically with no obvious cause

Mendacity – untruthfulness

Mercilessness – having or showing no mercy, pity

Negativity – criticism or pessimism over something

Obsession – the continual preoccupation of idea or thought

Obstinacy – a stubbornness within ones mind

Oppression – prolonged cruel or unjust treatment or exercise of authority

Ostentatiousness – pretentious show in an attempt to impress others

Positive Mind Training

My life has been shaped by trauma, deep inquiry, and years spent living simply in nature. Through deep insight gained into how the mind truly creates our experience, I developed the PACT-RICA Framework. Because when understanding deepens, the mind naturally settles and clarity will return.

Pessimism to Sarcasm

Pessimism – a tendency to see the worst aspect of things

Power – the ability to direct or influence the behaviour of others and there actions.

Prejudice – preconceived opinion not based on experience or reason

Presumption – meaning arrogance and being disrespectful to the limits of what is permitted appropriate

Pretence – to make something that is not the case appear true

Pride – satisfaction in ones own achievement and successes

Prodigality – excessive or wasteful spending

Quarrelsomeness – the continuous argument of everything

Rage – uncontrollable violent anger

Rapacity – aggressive greed

Ridicule – to subject someone to contemptuous language or behaviour

Sadism – inflicting pain and suffering on oneself or others

Sarcasm – the use of irony to mock

Seduction to Wrathful

Seduction – temptation in attractiveness by means of a lesser form of manipulation

Sexual Misconduct – with oneself and others partners our spouses

Shamelessness – behavior marked by a bold defiance of the lack of shame

Showoff – to boastfully display ones abilities

Spitefulness – desire to inflict injury or harm someone either physical or mental

Stinginess – unwilling to share with others

Stubbornness – sticking to one’s views, attitude or position on something or someone

Terrorise – to inflict mental of physical pain to animal or person

Torment – a continuation of something that causes suffering mentally

Tyranny – cruel and oppressive rule or control

Uncomprehending – the inability to grasp something even after logically argument

Uncompromising – unwillingness to make concessions for others

Unfriendliness – a state of being hostile towards others

Unyieldingness – inflexible in ones views or opinions

Vanity – excessive pride in ones appearance or achievements

Vindictiveness – to hold strong feelings of revenge towards someone

Violence – to cause or inflict violence of any form.

Voluptuousness – being lush and abundant to the pleasure senses

Wrathful – characterised by excess rage or anger

If you see any inaccuracies or indeed can think of anymore defilements or unwholesome qualities of mind then please contribute by leaving a comment below.

kind regards

Dhamma Tapasa

Why Not Add Your email & receive our free positive Well-Being newsletter

(Sent out every Tuesday & Friday, our Positive Well-Being newsletter is Filled with Loads of Actionable Advice, Short Stories, Updates and Sometimes Free Goodies. Make sure you check your email immediately after signing up for a surprise free gift)