108 Tibetan Defilements of Mind: Transforming Your Life

Discover the secrets to peace, purpose, and well-being through ancient wisdom combined with modern techniques. Former Buddhist monk Dhamma Tāpasā offers profound insights into human consciousness with a 35-day Positive Mind Transformation program.

Positive Mind Transformation: Understanding the 108 Defilements

Buddhism speaks of 108 defilements—impure thoughts or unwholesome qualities that cloud the mind. In Mahayana and Theravada traditions, Mala beads, often consisting of 108 beads, symbolize these defilements and are used in meditation to count breaths or mantra repetitions.

The Origin of the 108 Defilements

We perceive the world through our five senses: sight, sound, taste, smell, and touch. Buddhism also recognizes a sixth sense: consciousness. This consciousness processes all sensory input. For example, the eyes merely receive visual information; it is consciousness that interprets what is seen. Similarly, the ears receive sound, but consciousness forms the perception of what is heard.

The Six Senses and the 108 Defilements

Each of the six senses (sight, sound, smell, taste, touch, and consciousness) can be experienced in three ways: positively, negatively, or neutrally. This results in 18 feelings (6 senses x 3). These 18 feelings can then be associated with pleasure or detachment from pleasure, creating 36 passions (18 feelings x 2). Finally, these 36 passions can manifest in the past, present, or future, culminating in the 108 defilements of mind (36 passions x 3).

The Impact and Impermanence of the 108 Defilements

These mental pollutants can cause significant suffering. However, they are subject to impermanence—the first of the Three Facts of Existence. Recognizing impermanence allows us to understand the suffering caused by attaching to impermanent things, whether material or not. This realization naturally leads to understanding Non-Self (egolessness) and the path to spiritual enlightenment.