The Burning Hatred
In Buddhism, there is a term called ‘akusala-mula’. Akusala-mula or also known as Three Unwholesome Roots are the source of all evil in this world. They are lobha, dvesha, and moha. Lobha means greed represented as a cock; dvesha means hatred represented as a snake; moha means ignorance represented as a pig. In this article, we will dig deeper about hatred.
Dvesha (Sanskrit) or dosa (Pali) can mean anger, aversion, and hatred. Anger comes from many sources and vary widely. The sources could be personal problems, traumatic events, hormonal changes, or underlying mental disorders. People filled by anger tend to be more hostile by words and actions. Anger that is held within will pile themselves up and give rise to hatred.
The suffering caused by hatred goes on and on. Hatred leads to revenge, revenge leads to more hatred. Let’s picture our emotions as a flame. When controlled, it is a tame shining light, but as the hatred fuel is added, it becomes a wildfire. What do wildfires do? It burns everything on its way. If our mind is a forest, it leaps from one tree to another, scorching and leaving destructive trails. And that is what it do to ourselves. It consumes us.
As stated in Dhammapada 3-5:
“Look how he abused me and beat me,
how he threw me down and robbed me”
Live with such thoughts and you live in hate.
Abandon such thoughts and live in love.
In this world, hate never yet dispelled hate.
Only love dispels hate.
This is the law, ancient and inexhaustible.Buddha preached that hate can’t be ceased with hate, but with love (mettā). Mettā can be translated as ‘loving-kindness’ or ‘boundless love’. It is unconditional love and non-judgmental. It is something beyond our physical world and connects us to something greater than ourselves. A love that heals, a love that gives us a purpose, and a love that extinguishes hatred.
When you realize the cause and the solution is yourself, you know how to cease it. Let go of the hate you grow for so long and be free from the poison. Share your love to the world and it will come back to you as what you sow is what you reap.
Writer’s Profile:
Tan Rendy, an editor staff of Eka-citta and a student majoring in Biology at Universitas Gadjah Mada. Writer has interest for self development, nature, environmental, and biology related topics. A step closer to him is achieved by contacting him via email tanrendy@mail.ugm.ac.id or Instagram @trfvl.
Reference:
Cirino, E., 2023, Why Am I So Angry?, viewed on 20 June 2023, from https://www.healthline.com/health/why-am-i-so-angry#home-treatments.
Doering, S., 2004, In This World, Hate Never Yet Dispelled Hate, viewed on 20 June 2023, from https://www.buddhistinquiry.org/article/in-this-world-hate-never-yet-dispelled-hate/.
O’Brien, B., 2018, The Three Poisons, viewed on 20 June 2023, from https://www.learnreligions.com/the-three-poisons-449603.
Serenity, C.S., 2023, Eternal Love, viewed on 20 June 2023, from https://drpiyushdholariya.medium.com/eternal-love-bd577fb8cb7b.