ON THE THREE

EVILS
READING AND WRITING
Vocabulary: The following words are found in the selection On The Three
Evils. Try to match the words with their meanings. Write the letter of your
answers on the spaces provided.
_____1. phenomena A. give an incentive or encouragement
_____2. transitory B. impossible to satisfy
_____3. insatiable C. designed to be useful or practical rather
than attractive
_____4. commodities D. a raw material or primary agricultural
product that can be bought and sold
_____5. utilitarian E. not permanent
_____6. ad infinitum F. again and again in the same way; forever
_____7. Spurred G. fact or situation that is observed to exist or
happen, especially one whose cause or
explanation is in que
Author Spotlight: Prime Minister U Nu of
Myanmar U Nu (1907-1995) was the first prime
minister of independent Burma (now called
Myanmar) after freedom was obtained in 1948
from British colonial rule. He was also a leader
of the Buddhist revival and a noted writer. After
being ousted by the military in 1962, he
remained an opposition leader in exile and a
proponent of democracy for Myanmar until his
death
 On the Three Evils
Humanity has been led astray by three evils – greed, hatred and
ignorance. Whether we are Buddhists, Hindus, Muslims,
Christians, Animists, or Atheists, we cannot escape the three
inevitables: old age, disease, and death. Nobody can deny that
the five sense objects – pretty sight, delightful sound, fragrant
smell, savory taste, and nice touch – are only fleeting
phenomena. They are neither lasting nor permanent.

Nor can anybody deny that property is transitory: no one can

carry away his property after death. Men have been chasing
these transitory pleasures with a dogged tenacity mainly because
they hold false views regarding property. They forget that this life
is not even one-millionth part of the whirlpool of Samsara (the
cycles of rebirth), and go on amassing wealth even though it
This insatiable greed for wealth results in the profit motive,
which is not directed toward any utilitarian purpose. Once
upon a time all commodities were common property, and
everybody had a right to use them for his own benefit. But
with the advent of the profit motive these commodities
became objects of exploitation. They became instruments of
wealth and stimulus for greed. This led to the following
phenomena:
• 1. Human society was split into two classes: Haves and Have-
nots.
• 2. The Have-nots had to depend on the Haves for their living,
and thus the evil system of exploitation of one class by another
emerged.
• 3. With class exploitation, the poor became poorer because
they could not get adequate returns for their work. They had to
resort to evil ways like stealing, looting, and prostitution.
 4. The Lord Buddha has taught us that there are four causes
of death: kamma, frame of mind, weather, and food. Under
the system of class exploitation, how can the Havenots enjoy
good food and protect themselves from extremes of weather?
Can there be any sense of happiness or contentment for
them? Can even a good kamma favor one who is cheerless?
Thus one who is born into the class of Have-nots is
handicapped in all the above four factors, and disease is the
inevitable result.
5. How can the Have-nots care for education with their hard
struggle for a bare living? Lack of education breeds an ever-
increasing band of ignoramuses and Mr. Zeros.
6. How can a country abounding in ignoramuses and Mr. Zeros
ever progress?
It is evident that most of the evils in the world can be
traced to the advent of the profit motive. Do you
remember the legend of the Padaythabin (the tree of
fulfillment) we heard as children? According to the
legend, there was once a time when men and women
could get whatever they wanted from the Padaythabin
tree. There was no problem of food or clothes or
housing, and there was no crime. Disease was
comparatively unknown. In course of time, however, the
people fell victim to greed and spoiled the tree of
fulfillment, which eventually disappeared. Then a class
of people who could not afford to eat well, dress well, or
live well appeared, and crime became rampant.
Now I ask you to think of the Padaythabin as the natural
wealth of our country, both above and under the ground.
If only this natural wealth is used for the common good of
mankind it will be inexhaustible, besides satisfying the
needs of everybody. But greed comes in the way. The
poorest of the poor wants to become rich; the rich want
to become richer, and the process goes on ad infinitum.
Spurred on by greed, people are apt to "botanize on their
mothers‘ graves," so to say, in order to become richer.
Thus the distribution of wealth becomes unequal. While
some can amass wealth, which cannot be spent in ten
lives, others have to wallow in extreme poverty with bare
rags on their bodies.
Comprehension: Answer the following questions about the selection On The
Three Evils:
1. What are the three evils according to the selection?
___________________________________________________________
2. What do the Haves and the Have-Nots classify?
_____________________________________________________________
3. What problem does the division of classes into Haves and Have-Nots
pose?
______________________________________________________________
4. What ignites the Haves and Have-Nots’ anger and hatred toward each
other?
______________________________________________________________
5. What evil do you think we should remove first in order for us to eradicate
the other two evils?
______________________________________________________________
B. Fill in the blanks with the appropriate words.
1. Humanity has been led astray by __________ evils – greed,
hatred and ignorance.

2. This insatiable __________ for wealth results in the profit

motive, which is not directed toward any utilitarian purpose.
3. Human society was split into two classes: __________.

4. With class exploitation, the poor became

__________.because they could not get adequate returns for
their work. They had to resort to evil ways like __________.

5. The __________ wants to become rich; the __________want

to become richer, and the process goes on __________.
Directions: Replace the underlined word in each statement with a
word from the given choices.
• 1. Knowledge is impermanent. It changes in time.
a. phenomena b. spurred c. transitory d. utilitarian
• 2. Aurora Borealis is a natural occurrence.
a. phenomena b. spurred c. transitory d. utilitarian
• 3. Motivated on by his goals to finish his studies, he strived hard
and studies earnestly.
a. phenomena b. spurred c. transitory d. utilitarian
• 4. For the greedy, their hunger to get everything they want is
cannot be satisfied.
a. phenomena b. insatiable c. transitory d. utilitarian
• 5. For practical purpose, planet Earth supplies us with limitless
reserves of oxygen to breathe.
End of Presentation

Thank you!