The primary drivers of suffering, often described as the source of
conflict, are the three poisons (kiletha, Pali kilesa): greed, hate, and
ignorance. Actions considered ethically “good” are those that are not
motivated by greed, hate, or ignorance. By cultivating the byama-so
taya, one reduces the degree to which one is motivated by these three
poisons. For example, as Buddhaghosa wrote, cultivating myitta helps one “seclude the mind from hate” (Dharmasiri 1989, 44). But this loving
kindness cannot be limited to one’s own community or those who
are “likeable.” The Buddha insists that one must extend loving kindness
to all possible types of sentient beings (Karamiya Metta Sutta), and
this practice of loving kindness is said to be the most powerful means
to make merit (Itivuttaka).