How does one subdue and transform the heart filled with greed, anger, and stupidity? I would like to share some basic Buddhist thought as it relates to this question.
According to Buddhist teachings, the cause of what is called Dukkha (defined as suffering but also means imperfection, pain, impermanence, disharmony, discomfort, irritation, or awareness of incompleteness and insufficiency) are the three poisons, “ignorance, attachment and aversion” (stupidity, greed, and anger). These three poisons pervert our outlook and cause suffering. The most important poison that the others come from is ignorance. Buddha taught that the identification of the self as separate from everything else is ignorance. From the view of “I, me, mine” we create the two opposite views (the other two poisons). This person, situation, or thing I like and I must have. Then the opposite, this person, situation, or thing I don’t like, it is bad and anger or hate arises. The three poisons from Western psychological concepts could be compared to narcissism, desire, and anger. Buddha taught that Dukkha is the cause of all suffering as the second of the Four Noble Truths . The first Noble Truth is, life is suffering (birth, growing old, sickness, death). The third Noble Truth is, it is possible to end all suffering. The fourth Noble Truth is that there is a path that leads to the end of suffering. This path is called the Noble Eightfold Path.
The eightfold path
The eightfold path consists of Right View, Right Intention, Right Speech, Right Action, Right Livelihood, Right Effort, Right Mindfulness and Right Concentration. For my purpose here, I will group them into three categories.
1. Wisdom (Prajna) – Right view, Right intention.
2. Ethical Conduct (Precepts) – Right speech, Right action, Right livelihood
3. Concentration (ZaZen) – Right effort, Right mindfulness, Right concentration
The divisions of the noble eight fold path are developed more or less simultaneously according to an individuals capacity in our Zen practice. Right view comes from Right effort and Right view is no different than Right intention or Right mindfulness. Prajna comes from an awakening to our original nature through direct experience. The Precepts become Right action out of the wisdom gained in the true intimacy with all of life. One transforms greed, anger, and stupidity by countering them with Wisdom, Ethical Conduct and Concentration. They are not different, transforming means understanding how to use them. For example, ice is still water, water is water, hot or cold. In Zen the way is presented as, “To study the Buddha way is to study the self, to study the self is to forget the self.” To forget the self is to experience life just as it is, the whole phenomenal universe. The only difference is there is no longer a separation between you and it. This changes everything, the way you function in the world, relate, understand your self and all other things. The intimacy of no separation between self and other, this is essential Zen training. It is the enlightenment experience it self that is transformative. A famous Zen saying that you have likely heard says, “Before enlightenment, chop wood and carry water, after enlightenment, chop wood and carry water”. What does this mean? You answer.
May all beings be happy.