”You must be a Deluded type,” said my retreat dishwashing partner. “I can tell by the way you’ve loaded the dish drainer.”

I glanced at my dish drainer with its skewed plates, a glass perched on top of a pot, and serving spoons stuck at odd angles. It looked like a circus balancing act. Next to it was the dish drainer he had stacked before me. His dishes were meticulously in line from smallest to largest, glasses were in a particular place and order, and everything looked as if it could be hermetically sealed in plastic and sent as a compact UPS package.

“And what type are you?” I asked, suspecting I already knew.

“Aversive.”

Awa, Andres Michelena, 2006, detail of 108 glycerinsoap Buddha's heads; © Andres Michelena, photo by Mariano Costa Pueser

We weren’t in the midst of some new dishwashing mindfulness practice. We were meditation students talking about the Buddhist personality types, a 1,600-yearold system of typology set forth in the Visuddhimagga, or “The Path of Purification,” which summarizes and interprets the teachings in the Pali canon. One of the principal noncanonical works, the Visuddhimagga was composed eight centuries after the Buddha’s death and has been attributed to Buddhaghosa, the great fifthcentury Theravada commentator. The discussion of Buddhist personality types arises in the chapter on choosing a meditation object on which to focus during concentration practice; the types are described as part of Buddhaghosa’s commentary on the canonical text that explains that a teacher should give instructions that “suit the temperament” of the student.

The Visuddhimagga offers descriptions of six personality temperaments: three unwholesome types and three wholesome types. The text suggests that the unwholesome and wholesome types “parallel” each other. The modern-day application of the personality-type system focuses primarily on the three unwholesome types and pairs them with their positive attributes. The three types of Buddhist personalities, paired with their positive tendencies, are Greed/Faith, Aversive/Discerning Wisdom, and Deluded/Speculative. The Greed/Faith personality type is characterized by craving and optimism, the Aversive/Discerning type by criticism and clarity, and the Deluded/Speculative type by doubt and equanimity. Each type has its neurotic tendencies and its awakened tendencies, and the spiritual task is to learn how to strengthen the awakened aspects. (See page 78 for descriptions of the spiritual tasks for each personality type.)

Buddhaghosa suggests that you can know your type by observing such basic things as your posture, eating habits, actions, and moods. For example, the posture of the greedy temperament is confident and graceful, the aversive temperament is rigid, and the deluded temperament is slipshod. If all three were on a dance floor, the greedy type would float with ease, the aversive temperament would hold his partner stiffly, and a deluded personality type would have two left feet. The greedy temperament likes rich sweet food, eats unhurriedly savoring the various tastes, and enjoys gourmet treats. The aversive temperament likes sour tastes, eats hurriedly, and is critical of their food. The deluded temperament has no settled choice of foods. The Visuddhimagga continues with numerous references to the temperaments in examples of how a monk wears his robes, sweeps the floor, and makes his bed. In addition to these examples from the text, more contemporary questions can be asked to uncover your personality type. (To see which description fits you most consistently, take the quiz on page 76.)

Although there can be a natural tendency to use this, or any typology system, to judge or stereotype, the system was originally intended as a skillful means to support awakening. The actual word used in the Visuddhimagga, cariya, is closer to “temperament” than “type.” The Pali word comes from the verbal root car, “to walk,” which can (as here) refer to a way of acting. Since cariya is how you habitually behave, rather than who you “are,” the temperament system is most effective as a tool to hone the practice of mindfulness of mind and behavior. Recognizing the patterns associated with your temperament can help you release your habitual reactions and bring greater awareness and balance.

Even though it can be tempting to predict the type of a close friend or coworker, it’s best to concentrate only on your own temperament. It’s also important to take care with yourself and not use the system to justify further self-loathing. I’ve heard sangha members say, “I’m hopelessly aversive,” or “I can’t know anything, I’m just deluded.” Instead of defining yourself critically, use your type to focus on specific behaviors that can bring greater mindfulness, such as “This is an aversive thought pattern” or “That was an example of being lost in delusion.” If you apply the personality types with curiosity to your own tendencies, you can develop an attitude of affectionate awareness in situations that would normally be irritating or overwhelming. When my retreat partner and I were washing the dishes we were able to see how our personality types played out in different styles; therefore we didn’t have to blame each other or create a right or wrong way of doing the job.

Knowing your own type and those of others around you can come in handy in all sorts of situations, from traveling to matchmaking. The appreciation of greedy types for the material world makes them excellent hosts. I always enjoy visiting my friends in New Hampshire with greedy temperaments. They give me a room with a fantastic view in their million-dollar house, offer me lavish foods, and take me to concerts and poetry readings. Aversive types’ penchant for the facts make them excellent reference guides and teachers. You can bet that aversive types don’t get their information from Google like the rest of us. When I want the facts, I call a sangha member in New Mexico who can answer knowledgeably about anything from esoteric Pali canon questions to the way to construct a solar dryer. Deluded types’ easygoing nature makes them good guests and traveling companions. A greedy-type dharma teacher told me that he enjoys traveling with a deluded colleague because “she doesn’t care about her sleeping accommodations or her airplane seat. This means I can have the best one without an argument!”

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