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 is our consciousness. Our Consciousness is where everything we experience from the 5 senses is processed. The eyes cannot know what it sees that is ther job of consciousness. The ears do not know what they hear, that is formed in our consciousness.
The 6 Senses
Now we have 6 senses, each individual sense can be experience in three ways. Either negative, positive, or neutral. This then makes 18 feelings. The 6 senses x 3. These 18 feelings can either be attached to pleasure or detached from pleasure making 36 passions. 18 Feelings X 2 is 36 passions. These 36 passions can be formed in either the past, future or present making a total of 108 defilements of mind. 36 Passions X 3 equals 108 defilements.
The 108 Defilements Of Mind
These pollutions or states of mind can cause us no end of suffering, however each is subject to impermanence, a forever changing state. This is the first law or, one of The Three Facts Of Our Life’s Existence. With realisation of impermanence we begin to see the suffering caused by attaching to these impermanent objects, material or not. This natuarally leads us to a realisation of the Non self or egoless and spiritual enlightenment.
How we all experience the world around us
Every circumstance or event we experience in life comes from our 5 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.
Outside-in vs Inside-out
This is what makes us truly unique. Not one of us can have the exact same experience as another from the same event. The truth of our exsistance is that we have no control of the outside world. What we do have control over is our inside world. We can change our way of thinking and therfore our behaviours by how we form our ideas, concepts and understnading of the world. A sort of re-programming if you like. Seeing the concept that are thought make us who we are is a beginning of that shift in thinking. Being aware of the first fact of exsistance that all things are impermanant, makes holding onto views easier to let go. We have the choice as to how we behave or react in any given circumstance.
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An A-Z Of The 108 Defilements
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
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Pessimism to Wrathful
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 – arrogant and 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 – 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 Tāpasā is a trained former Buddhist Monk and the spiritual name given to Andrew Hallas. Now a Life Changing and inspirational Positive Coach, a certified NLP Practitioner, Mindfulness Trainer, a Motivational Speaker and a Published Author.
Creator of the highly acclaimed “The Four Trees” a story of learning how we can all live a more fulfilled and content lifestyle.
By using his unique approach of storytelling, mixed with some ancient Buddhist Monk Secrets, 3 Simple Life Principles and all combined with 21st century scientifically proven NLP techniques, Dhamma Tāpasā is able to capture your imaginations whilst teaching you valuable Life Skills that will change every aspect of your life.
it’s only 106!
Many thanks for counting and checking
I constantly spent my half an hour to read this
blog’s content every day along with a mug of coffee.
Thanks for sharing. There are only 106 defilements, what are the two missing defilements?
Correction: “lechery: is unrestrained indulgence in sexual activity, not “lecturing”
Suggestion: “Coercion” and “cowardice” to add to your list so that it’s 108
Wow Samanta that’s awesome detective work. How wonderful that’s been a long time in the making. Thanks also for the spelling mistake think that could of happened due to auto correction. Many many thanks 🙏 🙏 🙏