Speaker: Venerable Won Bo (online, joining from Korea)
Monday 20 October | 7.00-8.30pm AEST
Location: In person at Western Sydney University (74 Rickard Rd, Bankstown City Campus), Room 1.4.34 on level 4 or Online (Zoom link below)
Cost: Free
The Buddha taught that the three poisons—craving, aversion, and ignorance—are the root of all suffering. In Buddhism, these are not considered personal faults or weaknesses, but deeply ingrained patterns of the mind. Unless we honestly look at them, recognize them, and practice with them, they will continue to control us, life after life, keeping us bound to samsara.
At the root of the False Self lies ignorance—the not-seeing of impermanence, emptiness, and selflessness. Because of this blindness, we build an identity out of craving and aversion and mistake it for who we really are.
In our contemporary societies, the three poisons and the illusion of Self are not only present—they are amplified. Consumer culture feeds endless craving, telling us we are never enough unless we have more, achieve more, or want more. Social and political life thrives on aversion, dividing people into “us” and “them.” Ignorance is reinforced by distraction, constant entertainment, and misleading information. Within such conditions, the illusion of Self grows stronger, appearing as our success, our image, and our identity.
Even in Buddhist practice, the three poisons can disguise themselves. They can appear as a pleasant self-image: “I am a practitioner, I am compassionate, I am wise.” Without noticing, at the center of this picture lies the illusion of Self once again.
In this talk, I will focus on how to recognize the three poisons, how not to be controlled by them, and how to practice our way out of their grip. Through awareness and steady practice, the poisons lose their power, and our true nature—beyond craving, aversion, and ignorance—can be realized.
Registration Coming Soon
Zoom Link
