The Buddha describes the five things—greed, hate, delusion, the feeling of being inspired to speak out, and thoughts of traveling, and these five things are hard to get rid of once they’ve arisen.”.

AN 5.160 Hard to Get Rid Of

“Pañcime, bhikkhave, uppannā duppaṭivinodayā. Katame pañca? Uppanno rāgo duppaṭivinodayo, uppanno doso duppaṭivinodayo, uppanno moho duppaṭivinodayo, uppannaṁ paṭibhānaṁ duppaṭivinodayaṁ, uppannaṁ gamikacittaṁ duppaṭivinodayaṁ. Ime kho, bhikkhave, pañca uppannā duppaṭivinodayā”ti.

Dasamaṁ.

Saddhammavaggo paṭhamo.

Tassuddānaṁ

Tayo sammattaniyāmā,
tayo saddhammasammosā;
Dukkathā ceva sārajjaṁ,
udāyidubbinodayāti.

Reference Translation by Bhikkhu Sujato (CC0).

“Pañcime, bhikkhave, uppannā duppaṭivinodayā.

“Mendicants, these five things are hard to get rid of once they’ve arisen.

Katame pañca?

What five?

Uppanno rāgo duppaṭivinodayo, uppanno doso duppaṭivinodayo, uppanno moho duppaṭivinodayo, uppannaṁ paṭibhānaṁ duppaṭivinodayaṁ, uppannaṁ gamikacittaṁ duppaṭivinodayaṁ.

Greed, hate, delusion, the feeling of being inspired to speak out, and thoughts of traveling.

Ime kho, bhikkhave, pañca uppannā duppaṭivinodayā”ti.

These five things are hard to get rid of once they’ve arisen.”

Dasamaṁ.

Saddhammavaggo paṭhamo.

Tassuddānaṁ

Tayo sammattaniyāmā,

tayo saddhammasammosā;

Dukkathā ceva sārajjaṁ,

udāyidubbinodayāti.

Qualities:

Aversion

Aversion

A rejecting mental quality rooted in perception, where one instinctively turns away from or resists unpleasant experiences or objects; it manifests as a tendency to push away discomfort, obstructing patience and acceptance.

Also known as: animosity, hate, hostility, fault-finding mindset, upset
Pāli: dosa, paṭighasaññā, vera
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Craving

Craving

A driving ‘thirst’ that reaches out toward experiences, identities, or outcomes as the place to find satisfaction—“if only I had that.” It spins stories of lack, binds the mind to becoming, and invariably leads to suffering.

Also known as: wanting, yearning, longing, lit. thirst
Pāli: taṇha, abhijjhā
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Delusion

Delusion

A fundamental distortion of reality that sustains confusion, clouds discernment, and fuels further doubt.

Also known as: illusion, hallucination, misapprehension, distorted view
Pāli: moha, micchāñāṇa
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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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Ill will

Ill will

A mental quality of actively opposing or rejecting others in thought, manifesting as deliberate thoughts or intentions that oppose kindness and compassion; it fuels conflict and obstructs goodwill.

Also known as: actively opposing or rejecting others in thought, thought of malevolence towards another, hostile reflections towards another
Pāli: byāpāda
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Last updated on July 27, 2026