The three poisons
Lesson details
Learning outcome
I can explain the three poisons, why they cause suffering and how they influence Buddhists today.
Key learning points
- The three poisons are represented on the Wheel of Life as greed (cockerel), ignorance (pig) and hatred (snake).
- Buddhist teachings say the three poisons are the root of suffering (dukkha).
- There are diverse interpretations between Buddhists of the Wheel of Life and the three poisons.
- Belief in the three poisons influences Buddhists thoughts, beliefs and actions in different ways.
Keywords
The three poisons - causes of dukkha that affect all beings: ignorance, greed and hatred
Ignorance - the inability to see things as they really are
Greed - the attachment to material things and the ongoing selfish desire for more
Hatred - a feeling of intense dislike, anger; wishing others harm
Common misconception
That all Buddhists interpret and respond to the three poisons in the same way.
How Buddhists interpret and respond to the three poisons depends on the school of Buddhism they follow.
Teacher tip
This lesson can be linked to the second Noble Truth (Samudaya) on the causes of suffering.
Licence
Lesson video
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Prior knowledge starter quiz
6 Questions
Q1.What was the purpose of the Buddha’s Sermon at Benares?
Q2.Which of the following is NOT one of the three poisons in Buddhism?
Q3.Why do many Buddhists believe suffering is important?
Q4.In Buddhism, the ongoing state of desire that causes suffering is called ...
Q5.The Buddhist belief that all life includes suffering and unsatisfactoriness is known as ...
Q6.One of the three marks of existence, meaning nothing is permanent, is called ...
Assessment exit quiz
6 Questions
Q1.What are the three poisons in Buddhism?
Q2.How is greed symbolized on the Tibetan Wheel of Life?
Q3.Why do Buddhists believe it is important to overcome the three poisons?
Q4.The ongoing desire for material things and selfishness is known in Buddhism as ...
Q5.The Buddhist belief that hatred causes suffering is symbolised by a ...
Q6.The inability to see things as they really are is called ...
To help you plan your 10 religious education lesson on: The three poisons, download all teaching resources for free and adapt to suit your pupils' needs...
To help you plan your 10 religious education lesson on: The three poisons, download all teaching resources for free and adapt to suit your pupils' needs.
The starter quiz will activate and check your pupils' prior knowledge, with versions available both with and without answers in PDF format.
We use learning cycles to break down learning into key concepts or ideas linked to the learning outcome. Each learning cycle features explanations with checks for understanding and practice tasks with feedback. All of this is found in our slide decks, ready for you to download and edit. The practice tasks are also available as printable worksheets and some lessons have additional materials with extra material you might need for teaching the lesson.
The assessment exit quiz will test your pupils' understanding of the key learning points.
Our video is a tool for planning, showing how other teachers might teach the lesson, offering helpful tips, modelled explanations and inspiration for your own delivery in the classroom. Plus, you can set it as homework or revision for pupils and keep their learning on track by sharing an online pupil version of this lesson.
Explore more key stage 4 religious education lessons from the Buddhism: beliefs unit, dive into the full secondary religious education curriculum, or learn more about lesson planning.