--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: afflictions are classed as peripheral…" description: "\"“afflictions are classed as peripheral mental factors and are not themselves any of the six main minds [eye, ear, nose, tongue, body and mental conscio..." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/b2e/dalai-lama-xiv-1700_emptiness_afflictions-are-classed-as-peripheral-me_1418999.jpg" --- # afflictions are classed as peripheral mental factors and… ![“afflictions are classed as peripheral mental factors and are not themselves any of the six main minds [eye, ear, nose, tongue, body and mental consciousnesses]. however, when any of the afflicting mental factors becomes manifest, a main mind [a mental consciousness] comes under its influence, goes…” quote by Dalai Lama XIV](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/b2e/dalai-lama-xiv-1700_emptiness_afflictions-are-classed-as-peripheral-me_1418999.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/b2e/dalai-lama-xiv-1700_emptiness_afflictions-are-classed-as-peripheral-me_1418999.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/b2e/dalai-lama-xiv-1700_emptiness_afflictions-are-classed-as-peripheral-me_1418999.jpg) > ““afflictions are classed as peripheral mental factors and are not themselves any of the six main minds \[eye, ear, nose, tongue, body and mental consciousnesses\]. however, when any of the afflicting mental factors becomes manifest, a main mind \[a mental consciousness\] comes under its influence, goes wherever the affliction leads it, and 'accumulates' a bad action. there are a great many different kinds of afflictions, but the chief of them are desire, hatred, pride, wrong view and so forth. of these, desire and hatred are chief. because of an initial attachment to oneself, hatred arises when something undesirable occurs. further, through being attached to oneself the pride that holds one to be superior arises, and similarly when one has no knowledge of something, a wrong view that holds the object of this knowledge to be non-existent arises. how do self-attachment and so forth arise in such great force? because of beginningless conditioning, the mind tightly holds to 'i, i' even in dreams, and through the power of this conception, self-attachment and so forth occur. this false conception of 'i' arises because of one's lack of knowledge concerning the mode of existence of things. the fact that all objects are empty of inherent existence is obscured and one conceives things to exist inherently; the strong conception of 'i' derives from this. therefore, the conception that phenomena inherently exist is the afflicting ignorance that is the ultimate root of all afflictions.”” [Dalai Lama XIV](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dalai-lama-xiv/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. Attachment to a self‑concept fuels desire, hatred, pride, and wrong view, leading to negative actions; recognizing emptiness of self reduces suffering. **In simple terms:** Clinging to “I” creates suffering; seeing emptiness eases it. Key Takeaway Cultivate awareness of self‑emptiness. Themes attachment ego afflictions Mood contemplative serene Type spiritual philosophical When to use this quote - meditation - ethical decision making - psychotherapy Key Concepts Buddhist philosophy mindfulness Questions to Reflect On - How does the notion of “no‑self” affect my daily life? - What practices help dissolve self‑attachment? A Different Perspective Understanding emptiness can be intellectually challenging and emotionally unsettling. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Afflicting Mental](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/afflicting-mental-5020506/) [Affliction](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/affliction/) [Afflictions](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/afflictions/) [Consciousnesses Afflicting](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/consciousnesses-afflicting-5020507/) [Emptiness](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/emptiness/) [Empty](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/empty/) [Great man](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/great-man/) [Identity](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/identity/) [Kinds Afflictions](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/kinds-afflictions-5020508/) [Lack of knowledge](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/lack-of-knowledge/) [Psychology](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/psychology/) [Self](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/self/) [Selflessness](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/selflessness/) [The-middle-way](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/the-middle-way-187650/) ## Related quotes > [“It's not about binary but awareness of Oneness riddle. Between two extremes I choose the way in the middle.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ana-claudia-antunes/it-s-not-about-binary-but-awareness-of-oneness-riddle-between-two/) [Ana Claudia Antunes](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ana-claudia-antunes/) > [“Forget black and white and try on gray. In hair color, wardrobe or life choices, it may feel more enlivening than you imagine.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/gina-greenlee/forget-black-and-white-and-try-on-gray-in-hair-color-wardrobe-or-life/) [Gina Greenlee](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/gina-greenlee/) > [“when you are at the top you only see shadows and when your at the bottom you are blinded by the light but from…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/robert-wesley-miller/when-you-are-at-the-top-you-only-see-shadows-and-when-your-at-the/) [Robert Wesley Miller](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/robert-wesley-miller/) > [“Afflictions are but the shadow of His wings.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/george-macdonald/afflictions-are-but-the-shadow-of-his-wings/) [George MacDonald](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/george-macdonald/) > [The afflictions to which we are accustomed, do not disturb us.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/claudius-claudianus/the-afflictions-to-which-we-are-accustomed-do-not-disturb-us/) [Claudius Claudianus](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/claudius-claudianus/) > [Afflictions are but the shadows of God's wings.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/george-macdonald/afflictions-are-but-the-shadows-of-god-s-wings/) [George MacDonald](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/george-macdonald/) > [Afflictions clarify the soul.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/francis-quarles/afflictions-clarify-the-soul/) [Francis Quarles](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/francis-quarles/) > [Afflictions, like bills and pikes, make a terrible show when they cannot reach us; but the temptations of prosperity, like unseen bullets, wound and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/george-downame/afflictions-like-bills-and-pikes-make-a-terrible-show-when-they/) [George Downame](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/george-downame/) > [ “As Christians, if sin were the reason for our afflictions, then we should all be in ICU" ~ R. Alan Woods \[2012\]” ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/r-alan-woods/as-christians-if-sin-were-the-reason-for-our-afflictions-then-we/) [R. Alan Woods](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/r-alan-woods/) > [Afflictions tend to wean us from the world - and to fix our affections on things above.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-angell-james/afflictions-tend-to-wean-us-from-the-world-and-to-fix-our-affections/) [John Angell James](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-angell-james/) > [Saints spring and thrive most internally, when they are most externally afflicted. Afflictions are the mother of virtue.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/thomas-brooks/saints-spring-and-thrive-most-internally-when-they-are-most/) [Thomas Brooks](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/thomas-brooks/) > [“What kind of person is void of compassion? A heartless one. But alas, compassion cannot exist without the endurance of afflictions.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/richelle-e-goodrich/what-kind-of-person-is-void-of-compassion-a-heartless-one-but-alas/) [Richelle E. Goodrich](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/richelle-e-goodrich/) > [Afflictions make the heart more deep, more experimental, more knowing and profound, and so, more able to hold, to contain, and beat more.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-bunyan/afflictions-make-the-heart-more-deep-more-experimental-more-knowing/) [John Bunyan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-bunyan/) > [We are infinitely more than our limitations and afflictions.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jeffrey-r-holland/we-are-infinitely-more-than-our-limitations-and-afflictions/) [Jeffrey R. Holland](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jeffrey-r-holland/) > [There is nothing in afflictions which ought to disturb our joy.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-calvin/there-is-nothing-in-afflictions-which-ought-to-disturb-our-joy/) [John Calvin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-calvin/) ## More by Dalai Lama XIV > [This is my simple religion. No need for temples. No need for complicated philosophy. Your own mind, your own heart is the temple. Your…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dalai-lama-xiv/this-is-my-simple-religion-no-need-for-temples-no-need-for/) [Dalai Lama XIV](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dalai-lama-xiv/) > [“Transforming the mind involves first learning to know it, then identifying how it functions so as to eliminate the three main mental poisons, which…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dalai-lama-xiv/transforming-the-mind-involves-first-learning-to-know-it-then/) [Dalai Lama XIV](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dalai-lama-xiv/) > [“our ability to reframe our situation more positively”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dalai-lama-xiv/our-ability-to-reframe-our-situation-more-positively/) [Dalai Lama XIV](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dalai-lama-xiv/) > [“The fourth and final circuit is “our ability to be generous.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dalai-lama-xiv/the-fourth-and-final-circuit-is-our-ability-to-be-generous/) [Dalai Lama XIV](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dalai-lama-xiv/) > [“In general, if we carefully examine any given situation in a very unbiased and honest way, we will realize that to a large extent…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dalai-lama-xiv/in-general-if-we-carefully-examine-any-given-situation-in-a-very/) [Dalai Lama XIV](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dalai-lama-xiv/) > [“No matter what activity or practice we are pursuing, there isn't anything that isn't made easier through constant familiarity and training. Through training, we…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dalai-lama-xiv/no-matter-what-activity-or-practice-we-are-pursuing-there-isn-t/) [Dalai Lama XIV](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dalai-lama-xiv/) > [“Live so when your children think of fairness and integrity they think of you.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dalai-lama-xiv/live-so-when-your-children-think-of-fairness-and-integrity-they-think/) [Dalai Lama XIV](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dalai-lama-xiv/) > [“It is important to consider others at least as important as ourselves. This is the essence of spirituality.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dalai-lama-xiv/it-is-important-to-consider-others-at-least-as-important-as-ourselves/) [Dalai Lama XIV](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dalai-lama-xiv/) > [“I maintain that Buddhism, Christianity, Confucianism, Hinduism, Islam, Jainism, Judaism, Sikhism, Taoism, and Zoroastrianism all hold up love as an ideal, seek to benefit…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dalai-lama-xiv/i-maintain-that-buddhism-christianity-confucianism-hinduism-islam/) [Dalai Lama XIV](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dalai-lama-xiv/) > [“Marriages, even the best ones—perhaps especially the best ones—are an ongoing process of spoken and unspoken forgiveness. •”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dalai-lama-xiv/marriages-even-the-best-ones-perhaps-especially-the-best-ones-are-an/) [Dalai Lama XIV](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dalai-lama-xiv/) > [“You see, if there are no difficulties and you are always relaxed, then you complain more”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dalai-lama-xiv/you-see-if-there-are-no-difficulties-and-you-are-always-relaxed-then/) [Dalai Lama XIV](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dalai-lama-xiv/) > [“It is not happiness that makes us grateful. It is gratefulness that makes us happy. Every moment is a gift.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dalai-lama-xiv/it-is-not-happiness-that-makes-us-grateful-it-is-gratefulness-that/) [Dalai Lama XIV](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dalai-lama-xiv/) > [“Joy can span from the pleasure of others’ good fortune, what Buddhists call mudita, to the pleasure in others’ misfortune, what the Germans call…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dalai-lama-xiv/joy-can-span-from-the-pleasure-of-others-good-fortune-what-buddhists/) [Dalai Lama XIV](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dalai-lama-xiv/) > [“If you think only of yourself, if you forget the rights and well-being of others, or, worse still, if you exploit others, ultimately you…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dalai-lama-xiv/if-you-think-only-of-yourself-if-you-forget-the-rights-and-well-being/) [Dalai Lama XIV](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dalai-lama-xiv/) > [“It seems that scientific research reaches deeper and deeper. But it also seems that more and more people, at least scientists, are beginning to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dalai-lama-xiv/it-seems-that-scientific-research-reaches-deeper-and-deeper-but-it/) [Dalai Lama XIV](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dalai-lama-xiv/) [Explore all 206 Dalai Lama XIV quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dalai-lama-xiv/) ## More Affliction quotes > [I don't feel insecure about any of this work anymore. Maybe I don't have what I had when I was younger. I'm not really…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/edward-norton/i-don-t-feel-insecure-about-any-of-this-work-anymore-maybe-i-don-t/) [Edward Norton](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/edward-norton/) > [Every man will have his own criterion in forming his judgment of others. I depend very much on the effect of affliction. I consider…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/richard-cecil/every-man-will-have-his-own-criterion-in-forming-his-judgment-of/) [Richard Cecil](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/richard-cecil/) > [WHANGDEPOOTENAWAH, n. In the Ojibwa tongue, disaster; an unexpected affliction that strikes hard.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ambrose-bierce/whangdepootenawah-n-in-the-ojibwa-tongue-disaster-an-unexpected/) [Ambrose Bierce](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ambrose-bierce/) > [There is nothing in afflictions which ought to disturb our joy.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-calvin/there-is-nothing-in-afflictions-which-ought-to-disturb-our-joy/) [John Calvin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-calvin/) > [Come, then, affliction, if my Father wills, and be my frowning friend. A friend that frowns is better than a smiling enemy.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/george-macdonald/come-then-affliction-if-my-father-wills-and-be-my-frowning-friend-a/) [George MacDonald](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/george-macdonald/) > [Henceforth, I'll bear Affliction till it do cry out itself, 'Enough, enough, and die.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/william-shakespeare/henceforth-i-ll-bear-affliction-till-it-do-cry-out-itself-enough/) [William Shakespeare](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/william-shakespeare/) > [New materials are one of the great afflictions of contemporary art. Some artists confuse new materials with new ideas.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sol-lewitt/new-materials-are-one-of-the-great-afflictions-of-contemporary-art/) [Sol LeWitt](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sol-lewitt/) > [Aimee Parkison offers a distinct new voice to contemporary fiction. Her seductive stories explore childhood as a realm of sorrows, and reveal the afflictions…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/carol-anshaw/aimee-parkison-offers-a-distinct-new-voice-to-contemporary-fiction/) [Carol Anshaw](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/carol-anshaw/) > [May I strike my heart's keys clearly, and may none fail because of slack, uncertain, or fraying strings. May the tears that stream down…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rainer-maria-rilke/may-i-strike-my-heart-s-keys-clearly-and-may-none-fail-because-of/) [Rainer Maria Rilke](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rainer-maria-rilke/) > [We are infinitely more than our limitations and afflictions.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jeffrey-r-holland/we-are-infinitely-more-than-our-limitations-and-afflictions/) [Jeffrey R. Holland](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jeffrey-r-holland/) > [God measures out affliction to our need.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/saint-john-chrysostom/god-measures-out-affliction-to-our-need/) [Saint John Chrysostom](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/saint-john-chrysostom/) > [Afflictions make the heart more deep, more experimental, more knowing and profound, and so, more able to hold, to contain, and beat more.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-bunyan/afflictions-make-the-heart-more-deep-more-experimental-more-knowing/) [John Bunyan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-bunyan/) > [Religion prescribes to every miserable man the means of bettering his condition; nay, it shows him that the bearing of his afflictions as he…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/joseph-addison/religion-prescribes-to-every-miserable-man-the-means-of-bettering-his/) [Joseph Addison](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/joseph-addison/) > [Short-term amnesia is not the worst affliction if you have an Irish flair for the sauce.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/norman-mailer/short-term-amnesia-is-not-the-worst-affliction-if-you-have-an-irish/) [Norman Mailer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/norman-mailer/) > [Revolution will free society of its afflictions, while science will free the individual of his.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mario-vargas-llosa/revolution-will-free-society-of-its-afflictions-while-science-will/) [Mario Vargas Llosa](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mario-vargas-llosa/) [Browse all 598 Affliction quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/affliction/) ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "“afflictions are classed as peripheral mental factors and are not themselves any of the six main minds [eye, ear, nose, tongue, body and mental consciousnesses]. however, when any of the afflicting mental factors becomes manifest, a main mind [a mental consciousness] comes under its influence, goes wherever the affliction leads it, and 'accumulates' a bad action. there are a great many different kinds of afflictions, but the chief of them are desire, hatred, pride, wrong view and so forth. of these, desire and hatred are chief. because of an initial attachment to oneself, hatred arises when something undesirable occurs. further, through being attached to oneself the pride that holds one to be superior arises, and similarly when one has no knowledge of something, a wrong view that holds the object of this knowledge to be non-existent arises. how do self-attachment and so forth arise in such great force? because of beginningless conditioning, the mind tightly holds to 'i, i' even in dreams, and through the power of this conception, self-attachment and so forth occur. this false conception of 'i' arises because of one's lack of knowledge concerning the mode of existence of things. the fact that all objects are empty of inherent existence is obscured and one conceives things to exist inherently; the strong conception of 'i' derives from this. therefore, the conception that phenomena inherently exist is the afflicting ignorance that is the ultimate root of all afflictions.”", "creator": { "@type": "Person", "name": "Dalai Lama XIV" }, "isPartOf": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website" }, "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dalai-lama-xiv/afflictions-are-classed-as-peripheral-mental-factors-and-are-not/", "about": { "@type": "Thing", "name": "Affliction" }, "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dalai-lama-xiv/afflictions-are-classed-as-peripheral-mental-factors-and-are-not/#quotation", "image": { "@type": "ImageObject", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/b2e/dalai-lama-xiv-1700_emptiness_afflictions-are-classed-as-peripheral-me_1418999.jpg", "contentUrl": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/b2e/dalai-lama-xiv-1700_emptiness_afflictions-are-classed-as-peripheral-me_1418999.jpg", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/b2e/dalai-lama-xiv-1700_emptiness_afflictions-are-classed-as-peripheral-me_1418999.jpg", "width": 1080, "height": 1080, "caption": "“afflictions are classed as peripheral mental factors and are not themselves any of the six main minds [eye…” — Dalai Lama XIV", "creditText": "SMS4Smile Quotes", "creator": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization" } } }, { "@type": "BreadcrumbList", "itemListElement": [ { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 1, "name": "Home", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 2, "name": "Quotes", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 3, "name": "Dalai Lama XIV", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dalai-lama-xiv/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 4, "name": "“afflictions are classed as peripheral mental...", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dalai-lama-xiv/afflictions-are-classed-as-peripheral-mental-factors-and-are-not/" } ], "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dalai-lama-xiv/afflictions-are-classed-as-peripheral-mental-factors-and-are-not/#breadcrumb" }, { "@type": "WebSite", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website", "name": "SMS4Smile Quotes", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/", "publisher": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization" } }, { "@type": "Organization", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization", "name": "SMS4Smile Quotes", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/", "logo": { "@type": "ImageObject", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/wp-content/themes/sq/assets/icons/icon-512.png", "width": 512, "height": 512 } } ] } ```