Iti 88
Itivuttaka: The Group of Threes
translated from the Pali by
Thanissaro Bhikkhu
This was said by the Blessed One, said by the Arahant, so I have heard: "There are these three inside stains, inside enemies, inside foes, inside murderers, inside adversaries. Which three? Greed is an inside stain, inside enemy, inside foe, inside murderer, inside adversary. Aversion is an inside stain... Delusion is an inside stain, inside enemy, inside foe, inside murderer, inside adversary. These are the three inside stains, inside enemies, inside foes, inside murderers, inside adversaries."
Greed causes harm. Greed provokes the mind. People don't realize it as a danger born from within. A person, when greedy, doesn't know his own welfare; when greedy, doesn't see Dhamma.
Overcome with greed, he's in the dark, blind. But when one, abandoning greed, feels no greed for what would merit greed, greed gets shed from him like a drop of water off a lotus leaf.
Aversion causes harm. Aversion provokes the mind. People don't realize it as a danger born from within. A person, when aversive, doesn't know his own welfare; when aversive, doesn't see Dhamma. Overcome with aversion he's in the dark, blind. But when one, abandoning aversion, feels no aversion for what would merit aversion, aversion drops away from him like a palm leaf from its stem.
Delusion causes harm. Delusion provokes the mind. People don't realize it as a danger born from within. A person, when deluded, doesn't know his own welfare; when deluded, doesn't see Dhamma. Overcome with delusion he's in the dark, blind. But when one, abandoning delusion, feels no delusion for what would merit delusion, he disperses all delusion as the rising of the sun, the dark.