The Buddha teaches that three things—emptiness immersion, signless immersion, and undirected immersion—should be developed for insight into and the complete ending of greed, hate, delusion, and other unwholesome qualities.

AN 3.183-352 Untitled Discourses on Greed, Etc.

“Rāgassa, bhikkhave, abhiññāya tayo dhammā bhāvetabbā. Katame tayo? Suññato samādhi, animitto samādhi, appaṇihito samādhi rāgassa, bhikkhave, abhiññāya ime tayo dhammā bhāvetabbā. (…)

Rāgassa, bhikkhave, pariññāya …pe… parikkhayāyapahānāyakhayāyavayāyavirāgāyanirodhāyacāgāyapaṭinissaggāya ime tayo dhammā bhāvetabbā.

Dosassamohassakodhassaupanāhassamakkhassapaḷāsassaissāyamacchariyassamāyāyasāṭheyyassathambhassasārambhassamānassaatimānassamadassapamādassaabhiññāyapariññāyaparikkhayāyapahānāyakhayāyavayāyavirāgāyanirodhāyacāgāyapaṭinissaggāya ime tayo dhammā bhāvetabbā”ti.

Idamavoca bhagavā. Attamanā te bhikkhū bhagavato bhāsitaṁ abhinandunti.

Rāgapeyyālaṁ niṭṭhitaṁ.

Tassuddānaṁ

Rāgaṁ dosañca mohañca,
kodhūpanāhapañcamaṁ;
Makkhapaḷāsaissā ca,
maccharimāyāsāṭheyyā.

Thambhasārambhamānañca,
atimānamadassa ca;
Pamādā sattarasa vuttā,
rāgapeyyālanissitā.

Ete opammayuttena,
āpādena abhiññāya;
Pariññāya parikkhayā,
pahānakkhayabbayena;
Virāganirodhacāgaṁ,
paṭinissagge ime dasa.

Suññato animitto ca,
appaṇihito ca tayo;
Samādhimūlakā peyyā
lesupi vavatthitā cāti.

Tatiyo paṇṇāsako niṭṭhito.

Tikanipātapāḷi niṭṭhitā.

Reference Translation by Bhikkhu Sujato (CC0).

“Rāgassa, bhikkhave, abhiññāya tayo dhammā bhāvetabbā.

“For insight into greed, three things should be developed.

Katame tayo?

What three?

Suññato samādhi, animitto samādhi, appaṇihito samādhi

Emptiness immersion; signless immersion; and undirected immersion.

rāgassa, bhikkhave, abhiññāya ime tayo dhammā bhāvetabbā. (…)

For insight into greed, these three things should be developed.

Rāgassa, bhikkhave, pariññāya …pe…

For the complete understanding of greed …

parikkhayāya

complete ending …

pahānāya

giving up …

khayāya

ending …

vayāya

vanishing …

virāgāya

fading away …

nirodhāya

cessation …

cāgāya

giving away …

paṭinissaggāya ime tayo dhammā bhāvetabbā.

letting go …

Dosassa

hate …

mohassa

delusion …

kodhassa

anger …

upanāhassa

acrimony …

makkhassa

disdain …

paḷāsassa

contempt …

issāya

jealousy …

macchariyassa

stinginess …

māyāya

deceitfulness …

sāṭheyyassa

deviousness …

thambhassa

obstinacy …

sārambhassa

aggression …

mānassa

conceit …

atimānassa

arrogance …

madassa

vanity …

pamādassa

negligence …

abhiññāya

insight …

pariññāya

complete understanding …

parikkhayāya

complete ending …

pahānāya

giving up …

khayāya

ending …

vayāya

vanishing …

virāgāya

fading away …

nirodhāya

cessation …

cāgāya

giving away …

paṭinissaggāya ime tayo dhammā bhāvetabbā”ti.

For the letting go of negligence, these three things should be developed.”

Idamavoca bhagavā.

That is what the Buddha said.

Attamanā te bhikkhū bhagavato bhāsitaṁ abhinandunti.

Satisfied, the mendicants approved what the Buddha said.

Rāgapeyyālaṁ niṭṭhitaṁ.

Tassuddānaṁ

Rāgaṁ dosañca mohañca,

kodhūpanāhapañcamaṁ;

Makkhapaḷāsaissā ca,

maccharimāyāsāṭheyyā.

Thambhasārambhamānañca,

atimānamadassa ca;

Pamādā sattarasa vuttā,

rāgapeyyālanissitā.

Ete opammayuttena,

āpādena abhiññāya;

Pariññāya parikkhayā,

pahānakkhayabbayena;

Virāganirodhacāgaṁ,

paṭinissagge ime dasa.

Suññato animitto ca,

appaṇihito ca tayo;

Samādhimūlakā peyyā

lesupi vavatthitā cāti.

Tatiyo paṇṇāsako niṭṭhito.

Tikanipātapāḷi niṭṭhitā.

The Book of the Threes is finished.

Topics & Qualities:

Conceit

Conceit

Self-view expressed as comparison—seeing oneself as superior, inferior, or equal; the persistent “I am” conceit (asmimāna) that underlies identification and fuels rebirth

Also known as: arrogance, egotism, pride, self-importance, tendency of self-comparison
Pāli: māna, atimāna, unnaḷa
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Ending

Ending

The complete exhaustion and ending of craving, aversion, and delusion—the three roots of suffering. It refers to both the gradual wearing away of defilements through practice and the final cessation that constitutes Nibbāna.

Also known as: cessation, exhaustion, gradual ending, wearing away
Pāli: khaya, khīṇa, nirodha
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Giving

Giving

The act of generosity, sharing, or offering to others without expecting anything in return. Giving is considered a foundational virtue in Buddhist practice, fostering selflessness and compassion.

Also known as: generosity, charity, donation, almsgiving, donating, philanthropy, providing with, gift with
Pāli: dāna
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Giving up

Giving up

The mental quality of renunciation and release from attachment. It delights in simplicity and freedom rather than in sensual pleasure. Giving up is not loss but the joyful abandoning of burden, opening the way to peace and insight.

Also known as: renunciation, relinquishment, letting go, abandonment
Pāli: nekkhamma
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Greed

Greed

A grasping mental quality of craving, possessiveness, or lustful wanting that clings to objects or experiences; it fuels attachment and obstructs renunciation and contentment

Also known as: acquisitiveness, avarice, covetousness, rapacity, money grabbing, grabbiness
Pāli: lobha, gedha
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Insight

Insight

Insight is deep, intuitive realization that transforms understanding and guides practice.

Also known as: having insight, with understanding, right knowledge
Pāli: ñāṇa, sammāñāṇa
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Last updated on July 27, 2026