The Seven Deadly Sins: An Alchemical and Buddhist Perspective

Explore the profound intersection of Western alchemy and Buddhist wisdom as we examine the Seven Deadly Sins through a transformative lens. This chapter from "Albedo" reveals how ancient spiritual traditions offer practical insights into personal transformation and the nature of consciousness itself.

The journey through spiritual alchemy begins with nigredo, the blackening. For those who have completed this first stage, we turn our attention to a powerful framework that bridges Western and Eastern traditions – the Seven Deadly Sins.

Bridging Traditions

While alchemy provides our methodological foundation for enlightenment, we’ll examine these classical Western concepts through both alchemical and Buddhist lenses. Though sin belongs primarily to Christian mysticism, similar mechanisms exist in Eastern thought – particularly karma. Unlike sin’s judgment-punishment paradigm, karma operates as a natural law of cause and effect. It’s simply the consequence of imposing our deluded self-perspective into an otherwise perfect universal equation. Like Newton’s Third Law, each action creates an equal and opposite reaction, requiring no external judge.

The Paradox of Purification

Before exploring each sin, we must understand why we focus initially on the negative. This approach addresses the fundamental paradox of duality. Simply striving to be good strengthens its opposite – the more we chase virtue, the more vice asserts itself. Our goal isn’t to eliminate evil but to transcend duality itself, which creates the illusion of separateness.

We purify by focusing on recognizing and releasing harmful elements while allowing beneficial qualities to emerge naturally. Wholesome qualities already exist within us – they simply need space to flourish. By “weeding” the unwholesome, we create this space without strengthening duality through resistance.

Pride: The Persistent Challenge

Pride persists until the eighth fetter of conceit is mastered, remaining a threat until the eighth stage of bodhisattva development. It manifests in three forms of conceit:

  1. Superiority – believing we’re better than others
  2. Equality – comparing ourselves as equal to others
  3. Inferiority – viewing ourselves as lesser than others

The enlightened being uses these forms skillfully without attachment, accepting praise and criticism with appropriate gravity rather than from self-concept. True transcendence means moving beyond all comparison, recognising that no real basis for comparison exists.

Wrath: The Self-Deceptive Flame

Anger represents a fundamental misunderstanding of reality. We never truly experience others – we only interact with our mental constructs of them. When we feel anger toward “Bob,” we’re actually reacting to our concept of Bob, never Bob himself. This makes anger doubly futile – it’s one part of our mind raging against constructs created by another part of our mind.

Think of it as a theater where the director becomes furious with actors they themselves have cast and directed. Even if our mental construct accurately reflects reality (which is rare), it remains just that – a construct. Recognizing this truth helps us stop the cycle of self-inflicted suffering, like a snake releasing its own tail from its bite.

Lust: Beyond Sensory Craving

Lust represents one of eight types of consciousness dealing with attachment. It manifests as sensory craving, characterized by an innocent ignorance that fails to recognize attachment’s harmful nature. For the spiritual seeker, it’s crucial to distinguish between lust and natural sexual energy.

The Anagami (non-returner) transcends the fourth fetter of sensory desire not through rejection but through genuine recognition that desirelessness brings greater peace than any temporary pleasure. One still enjoys life’s pleasures but without attachment – like enjoying cake while remaining untroubled if the slice falls to the floor.

Envy and Jealousy: Understanding the Distinction

Envy manifests as ill-will – resenting others’ successes. This differs from jealousy, which roots itself in greed and desires to possess what others have. Both require conceit as their foundation, as they involve self-comparison. Recognizing envy as a form of ill-will rather than desire helps us address its true nature.

Gluttony: The Unfillable Void

Gluttony represents a disorder of appetite where satisfaction proves elusive. It often serves as compensation – attempting to fill an emotional or spiritual void with physical or material excess. While we commonly associate gluttony with food or drink, it can manifest in any form of overconsumption, whether of wealth, prestige, or even spiritual experiences.

Greed: The Pure Want

Greed differs from lust and gluttony in its purity of desire. Where lust craves experience and gluttony seeks consumption, greed wants possession and control. It manifests as the simple drive for “more” – more power, more control, more ownership. Some addictions stem not from the desire to experience but from this pure greed for possession and dominance.

Sloth: The Complex Hindrance

Sloth presents a nuanced challenge, often complicated by self-judgment and external criticism. For spiritual practitioners, the key lies not in harsh self-criticism but in understanding its roots. Often, sloth masks unrecognized lust, greed, or anger, with doubt and hesitation as symptoms rather than causes.

Progress requires sustained rather than intense effort. When study feels overwhelming, turn to meditation. When meditation proves difficult, engage with dharma talks or spiritual texts. Maintain connection to practice while allowing its form to shift with your energy and capacity.

Conclusion

The Seven Deadly Sins provide a valuable framework for self-examination, though less detailed than the Abhidhamma’s analysis. Each sin persists in subtle forms until late stages of spiritual development. Rather than viewing them as moral failings, see them as opportunities for insight and transformation.

In our next exploration, we’ll examine the Buddhist cosmos, providing context for understanding karma and rebirth in the Dharma.

Further Reading

The Seven Deadly Sins article is based in a chapter from “Albedo,” the second volume in Dr. Simon Robinson’s illuminating series “A Course in Modern Alchemy.” This profound work bridges Western alchemical traditions with Eastern Buddhist wisdom, offering a unique perspective on spiritual transformation and enlightenment.

In Albedo, Dr. Robinson masterfully explores the “whitening” stage of the alchemical process, where the practitioner begins to purify their subjective awareness through understanding karma and consciousness. The book weaves together complex concepts from Buddhist Abhidhamma, Christian mysticism, and Western esoteric traditions, making them accessible to modern seekers. From the nature of heavenly realms to the mechanics of hell, from the subtle workings of consciousness to the transformation of the alchemist’s stone, each chapter builds upon the foundation laid in the first volume, Nigredo.

What sets this work apart is its practical approach to spiritual development, grounded in both rational understanding and mystical insight. Rather than merely theoretical, the book offers a roadmap for personal transformation while maintaining scientific rigor in its exploration of consciousness and reality. Whether you’re fascinated by comparative religion, Buddhist psychology, or Western mysticism, having this comprehensive guide in your personal library provides an invaluable reference for your spiritual journey.

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