Another way to approach purification is through the idea of the three poisons. The three poisons are mentioned several times in the Lotus Sutra, but are never discussed. In [Chapter 23], in accord with tradition, they are said to be greed, anger, and folly. Actually, while “greed” and “anger” are very common designations of the first two poisons, the third has sometimes been taken to be delusion, foolishness, or stupidity. Here we might best think of it as confusion. If we are going to be helpful to others, we need to purify ourselves of these three poisons. Our actions should not arise from greedy, selfish motives. Our actions should not be based on anger. And we should not be confused about what we are doing.