How Many Bonno Are There? A Simple Guide to the Traditional Lists
Quick Summary
- “Bonno” (kleshas) are mental afflictions—habit energies that disturb clarity and ease.
- There isn’t one single “official” number; different traditional lists serve different purposes.
- The most famous number in Japan is 108 bonno, often referenced at year-end bell ringing.
- Other common frameworks include the “three poisons” and the “six root afflictions,” which are easier to apply day-to-day.
- Lists aren’t meant to make you count your flaws; they help you recognize patterns in real time.
- Different counts can all be “right” because they categorize the same inner movements at different levels of detail.
- A practical approach: learn one small list well, then use the 108 as a symbolic reminder of breadth.
Introduction: Why the Number of Bonno Feels Confusing
You keep seeing different answers—108, three, six, even more—and it can feel like someone is moving the goalposts on a basic question: how many bonno are there, really? The honest answer is that “bonno” is a category of experience, and the numbers are traditional ways of organizing that experience for clarity, not a single fixed inventory you’re supposed to memorize. This guide is written for Gassho by a Zen/Buddhism-focused SEO writer who regularly translates traditional terms into plain, usable English.
Once you see what the lists are trying to do, the different counts stop competing with each other. They start working like different maps of the same terrain: one map shows highways, another shows neighborhood streets, and a third shows elevation.
A Clear Lens: What “Bonno” Points To
Bonno are the inner forces that “stir up” the mind—impulses, fixations, and reactive stories that make experience feel tight, urgent, or self-centered. They’re not sins, and they’re not proof that you’re broken. They’re closer to habits of perception and reaction that keep repeating because they once seemed useful.
Traditional lists of bonno are best understood as lenses. Each list highlights a different level of granularity: some name the broad roots (like craving or aversion), while others break those roots into many specific variations (like jealousy, stinginess, restlessness, and so on). The point is recognition: “Ah—this is that pattern again.”
When people ask, “How many bonno are there?” they often mean, “Which list should I trust?” A more helpful question is, “Which list helps me notice what’s happening right now?” The lists are practical tools for naming experience, not a test of doctrinal correctness.
So the central perspective is simple: bonno are repeatable mental-emotional movements that cloud clarity, and the traditional numbers are different ways of classifying those movements so you can see them sooner and feed them less.
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How Bonno Show Up in Ordinary Moments
You open your phone for one quick task, and ten minutes later you’re scrolling, slightly tense, chasing the next hit of interest. That “pull” is a bonno-flavored movement: attention narrows, the body leans forward, and the mind starts bargaining—just one more.
Someone gives you mild feedback, and before you can respond, a defensive narrative appears: “They don’t respect me.” The chest tightens, the jaw sets, and the mind begins collecting evidence. The bonno here isn’t only anger; it’s also the quick construction of a self-image that must be protected.
You see a friend’s good news and feel happy for them—then a second later, a sour comparison arises. It’s subtle: a dip in the stomach, a thought like “Must be nice,” and a quiet urge to minimize their success. This is how bonno can be: not dramatic, just a small turn away from openness.
In conversation, you notice the urge to interrupt. It can feel like heat in the throat or a pressure behind the words. The mind insists, “My point matters more,” even if you’d never say it out loud. Seeing that urge clearly is already a loosening.
Sometimes bonno look like fog rather than fire: dullness, procrastination, or a vague resistance to starting. There may be no strong emotion—just a heavy “later.” The list language can help you name this as a pattern rather than a personal failure.
Bonno also show up as “rightness.” You replay an argument in your head, polishing your best lines, and the body gets a small reward from winning an imaginary debate. The mind loves this because it feels stabilizing, but it also keeps you stuck.
In all these cases, the practical move is not to count bonno but to notice their signature: contraction, compulsion, and a story that feels urgently true. Traditional lists give you labels so you can recognize the signature faster, with less drama.
Common Misunderstandings About the Traditional Numbers
Misunderstanding 1: “If it’s not 108, it’s wrong.” The number 108 is famous and meaningful, but it’s not the only valid framework. Other lists (like three or six) are simply different ways of grouping the same territory.
Misunderstanding 2: “The lists are a moral scorecard.” Bonno lists are descriptive, not condemning. They describe how suffering is manufactured in the mind—often in very ordinary ways—so you can see the mechanism.
Misunderstanding 3: “I need to identify all 108 in myself.” That turns the teaching into self-surveillance. The more workable approach is to learn a small set of root patterns and notice how they branch into daily life.
Misunderstanding 4: “Bonno are only ‘bad emotions.’” Some bonno are emotional (anger, jealousy), but others are cognitive (wrong views, stubborn certainty) or attentional (restlessness, dullness). They can be loud or quiet.
Misunderstanding 5: “If I still have bonno, practice isn’t working.” Bonno are part of being human. The shift is often in how quickly you notice, how strongly you believe the story, and how long you stay entangled—not in achieving a permanently blank mind.
Why These Lists Matter in Daily Life
Knowing that there are multiple traditional lists gives you permission to be practical. If 108 feels too big, you can start with a smaller list that’s easier to remember and apply. The value is in recognition, not in recitation.
Lists also reduce shame. When you can name a pattern as “a common human affliction,” it becomes less personal and less fatalistic. You’re not uniquely flawed; you’re seeing a well-known mechanism of grasping, pushing away, and confusion.
They improve relationships because they shift attention from “Who’s right?” to “What’s happening in me right now?” Even a small pause—recognizing irritation as irritation—can change the next sentence you speak.
Finally, the lists help you notice the difference between a clean preference and a compulsive demand. “I’d like this” is flexible; “I must have this” is bonno territory. That distinction alone can save a lot of energy.
Conclusion: One Question, Many Useful Answers
So, how many bonno are there? In traditional language, you’ll most often hear 108, but you’ll also encounter smaller and larger lists that categorize the same inner patterns at different levels of detail. If you want something you can use immediately, learn a simple root list and watch how it branches into your day; if you want a symbolic reminder of the mind’s many tangles, keep 108 as a wide-angle reference.
The best list is the one that helps you recognize contraction, compulsion, and confusion as they arise—gently, clearly, and without turning your life into a counting exercise.
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Frequently Asked Questions
- FAQ 1: How many bonno are there in Buddhism?
- FAQ 2: Why is 108 the most famous number of bonno?
- FAQ 3: Are the 108 bonno a fixed, identical list everywhere?
- FAQ 4: What are bonno in simple terms?
- FAQ 5: How do the “three poisons” relate to the number of bonno?
- FAQ 6: Is “bonno” the same as “klesha”?
- FAQ 7: Are there lists of bonno besides 108?
- FAQ 8: Which bonno list should a beginner learn first?
- FAQ 9: Does “108 bonno” mean there are only 108 negative emotions?
- FAQ 10: Why do different sources give different counts for bonno?
- FAQ 11: Are bonno the same as “desires”?
- FAQ 12: Is the point to eliminate all bonno?
- FAQ 13: How do I use the 108 bonno idea in daily life without memorizing a list?
- FAQ 14: Are the 108 bonno connected to the senses or perception?
- FAQ 15: If there are multiple traditional lists, is “How many bonno are there?” the wrong question?
FAQ 1: How many bonno are there in Buddhism?
Answer: There isn’t a single universal number; multiple traditional lists exist. In Japan, the best-known count is 108 bonno, but other frameworks (like 3 or 6) are also widely used to describe the same kinds of mental afflictions at different levels of detail.
Takeaway: Different numbers reflect different ways of organizing the same inner patterns.
FAQ 2: Why is 108 the most famous number of bonno?
Answer: 108 became culturally prominent (especially in Japan) as a symbolic way to represent the many forms of human mental entanglement, often referenced in year-end bell ringing. It functions as a comprehensive, memorable number rather than a checklist you must personally verify.
Takeaway: 108 is a symbolic “wide-angle” total, not a demand to count every affliction.
FAQ 3: Are the 108 bonno a fixed, identical list everywhere?
Answer: Not always. Different texts and traditions may explain or derive “108” in different ways, and the subcategories can vary. What stays consistent is the intent: to point to the breadth of afflictive patterns that disturb clarity.
Takeaway: The meaning of 108 is consistent even when the breakdown differs.
FAQ 4: What are bonno in simple terms?
Answer: Bonno are mental-emotional habits that cloud the mind—things like craving, irritation, jealousy, pride, dullness, and stubborn views. They’re “afflictions” because they agitate experience and lead to unhelpful speech and actions.
Takeaway: Bonno are repeatable inner patterns that create stress and confusion.
FAQ 5: How do the “three poisons” relate to the number of bonno?
Answer: The three poisons (greed/craving, anger/aversion, and ignorance/confusion) are a compact root list. Many longer lists—including the idea of 108—can be understood as expansions and refinements of these basic roots.
Takeaway: Smaller lists often describe the roots; larger lists describe the branches.
FAQ 6: Is “bonno” the same as “klesha”?
Answer: Yes in meaning: “klesha” is a Sanskrit term commonly translated as mental affliction, and “bonno” is the Japanese term used for similar afflictive states. Translations vary, but the practical reference is the same kind of mind-clouding pattern.
Takeaway: Bonno and klesha point to the same general territory of afflictive mind states.
FAQ 7: Are there lists of bonno besides 108?
Answer: Yes. Traditional teachings also use shorter lists (like 3 or 6) and more detailed classifications (often grouped into root afflictions and secondary afflictions). These lists are educational tools, not competing “answers.”
Takeaway: 108 is one map; other lists are other maps of the same mind patterns.
FAQ 8: Which bonno list should a beginner learn first?
Answer: A beginner-friendly approach is to start with a small root list—such as the three poisons—because it’s easy to remember and apply in daily situations. You can treat 108 as a symbolic reminder that the mind’s patterns are many and varied.
Takeaway: Learn a small list for practice; keep 108 as a broad reference.
FAQ 9: Does “108 bonno” mean there are only 108 negative emotions?
Answer: Not exactly. Bonno include emotions, but also perceptions, fixations, and views that distort experience. The number 108 is better understood as a traditional way of expressing “a very wide range,” not a strict cap on human psychology.
Takeaway: Bonno are broader than emotions, and 108 isn’t a hard limit.
FAQ 10: Why do different sources give different counts for bonno?
Answer: Because the lists are classification systems. Some sources group similar patterns together, while others split them into finer distinctions. Both approaches can be accurate depending on whether the goal is simplicity or detail.
Takeaway: Different counts come from different ways of grouping and subdividing afflictions.
FAQ 11: Are bonno the same as “desires”?
Answer: Bonno include desire and craving, but they also include aversion, confusion, pride, jealousy, and many other mind states. In other words, desire is one major category, not the whole picture.
Takeaway: Desire is part of bonno, but bonno covers many more patterns.
FAQ 12: Is the point to eliminate all bonno?
Answer: Traditional teachings emphasize seeing bonno clearly and not being driven by them. Practically speaking, the immediate aim is often reduced entanglement—less automatic reaction and more clarity—rather than obsessively trying to “get rid of” inner life.
Takeaway: The lists support recognition and release, not perfectionism.
FAQ 13: How do I use the 108 bonno idea in daily life without memorizing a list?
Answer: Use “108” as a reminder that afflictions come in many disguises. When you notice contraction or compulsion, label it broadly (craving, aversion, confusion) and return to a more grounded response—pause, breathe, and choose the next action carefully.
Takeaway: Treat 108 as a reminder to notice patterns, not as homework to recite.
FAQ 14: Are the 108 bonno connected to the senses or perception?
Answer: Many explanations of 108 relate bonno to how experience is filtered through perception—how we meet sights, sounds, thoughts, and feelings with grasping, resistance, or confusion. The exact derivations vary, but the common theme is that affliction arises in the meeting between mind and experience.
Takeaway: Traditional explanations often link 108 to the many ways perception becomes entangled.
FAQ 15: If there are multiple traditional lists, is “How many bonno are there?” the wrong question?
Answer: It’s a reasonable question, but it helps to hear it as “Which traditional list is being used, and why?” Once you know the purpose—symbolic completeness (108) or practical roots (3, 6, and other groupings)—the numbers stop conflicting and start complementing each other.
Takeaway: The best answer depends on which list you’re using and what it’s for.