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GCSE Religious Studies · key term
The three harmful mental roots of ignorance, greed and hatred, which sustain craving and suffering.
Used by AQA and Eduqas
Paper 1
Ignorance, greed and hate: harmful mental attitudes that sustain craving, suffering and the cycle of rebirth.
Revise: Four Noble TruthsThe Buddha’s Enlightenment shows that freedom from the Three Poisons can be realised during life. Liberation also means freedom from samsara, rather than another rebirth after death.
Paper 1, Paper 3
Distinguish tanha, meaning craving, from the Three Poisons: ignorance, greed and hate.
Link the Three Poisons to their consequences. For example, greed encourages craving and attachment, while hatred encourages harmful responses to others.
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The three harmful mental states of greed, hatred and ignorance, which Buddhism identifies as roots of suffering and harmful action.
These images connect Mara with the Three Poisons and attachment. The emphasis is not simply on an outside force causing evil: people can strengthen their resistance through wisdom, self-control and effort.
Greed, hatred and ignorance: the harmful mental states Buddhists seek to overcome.