The Buddhist Abhidhamma texts explain that there are fourteen different aspects of greed, hate and ignorance which manifest in our minds as specific mental components or mental cetiskas (Pali).
These different factors arise in conjunction with our different states of consciousness. They are referred to as unwholesome because they contribute to our unpleasant mental experiences and if acted upon contribute to making kamma which will fruit as some form of suffering.
The fourteen unwholesome mental states (cetasikas) and the twenty-five wholesome mental states (cetasikas) are listed below.
We can relate to these lists as being the mind equivalents of the periodic table of elements of matter as described from the scientific viewpoint.
It is very useful to have these lists to refer to as they are some of the real building blocks of our mental life. Using them as checklists helps us recognise these mental factors operating in our consciousness from moment to moment.
If we can accurately identify which cetisika is arising in our mind, we can decide what to do next; either cultivate them if they are beneficial or apply the correct antidote practice to reduce them if they are not beneficial.