The non-virtuous actions

adapted by kam  from ‘Joyful path of good fortune’ by Geshe Kelsang Gyatso
(the complete path to enlightenment)

This article is an offering to help those who are searching for inner-peace, to help them let go or go deeper, for any other purpose it's worth nothing. During my lifetime I have done all the ten non-virtuous actions & had to experience their subsequent effects.    

The non-virtuous actions are paths that lead us away from love and towards suffering. We first need to identify them and see how they lead to misery and confusion. With this understanding we shall naturally strive to refrain from them. Non-virtuous actions are countless, but most of them are included within the ten:  

1    Killing-To kill something living we are usually motivated by one of the major delusions: Anger, Desirous attachment or ignorance. The state of mind is a mind of aversion, not love. To leave love is to suffer.

2   Stealing-To steal anything that is not ours we are usually motivated by desirous attachment. (Desirous attachment is a mental factor that observes an object, feels it to be attractive, exaggerates its attraction, considers it desirable, develops desire to posses it & becomes strongly identified with the object.)

3   Sexual misconduct-If we have a partner, the object of sexual misconduct is anyone else. If we have taken vows of celibacy the object of sexual misconduct is any other person. If we are not celibate & we do not have a partner, the object of sexual misconduct is any of the following: Anyone else's partner, a child, anyone with a vow of celibacy, animals, anyone who does not consent or anyone we do not love.

4   Lying-There are many objects of lying but most are included within the eight: Lying about what we see, lying about what we have heard, lying about what we have experienced, lying about what we know, lying about what we have not seen, lying about what we have not heard, lying about what we have not experienced, lying about what we do not know.

5   Divisive speech-With divisive speech we aim to separate two or more people who have a relationship with one another. We can destroy harmony & goodwill among people by speech, writing or by silence.

6   Hurtful Speech-The purpose of hurtful speech is to inflict pain upon others & there is always some degree of anger involved in this action.

7   Idle Chatter-The object of idle chatter is any object that is meaningless. Any talk that is mindless or of no real benefit is idle chatter. Talking without any purpose or what comes into our head is idle chatter.

8   Covetousness-Most often when we experience covetousness our mind is disturbed by desirous attachment. We may want someone else's possessions, job, position or partner & we consider repeatedly how to obtain this object, then we decide upon a method to obtain it.

9   Malice-We engage in malice by repeatedly considering how to harm someone else, we choose a method & decide to put it into effect.

10 Holding wrong views-We engage in holding wrong views by denying the "truth of reality" behind the appearance of what seems to be true. When our mind is closed & dogmatic we have completed the action.

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