Basic Meaning
Often referred to as poisons, these are a class of disturbing or disruptive emotional states that, when aroused, negatively affect or taint the mind.
See page 438: In Sanskrit, “afflictions,” or “defilements”; mental factors that disturb the mind and incite unwholesome (akuśala) deeds of body, speech, and/or mind. In order to be liberated from rebirth, the kleśa and the actions they incite must be controlled and finally eliminated. A typical Standard list of kleśa includes the so-called three poisons (trjviṣa) of greed or sensuality (rāga or lobha), hatred or aversion (dveṣa), and delusion (moha).
Skt. kleshas. Emotions, conflicting/negative/obscuring. affliction [thd]. klesha 1) disturbed, weary/ troubled/ miserable; turbulent. 2) disturbing emotions, negative emotion. passions, affliction, emotionality, delusion, affect, bad thought, conflicting emotions, fettering passions; [something that is difficult which muddies the stream of awareness], hardship; Def: sems kyi rgyu'am byed pa ma zhi ba
(kleshaH) lus sems gdung ba'i dka' las sam ngal dub dang/ mi dge ba'i las bskul bas rang rgyud rab tu ma zhi bar byed pa'i sems byung/
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