Download Buddhist concept of the bond of craving

Buddhist Era 2547 Binara Full Moon- Wednesday September 10, 2003
Buddhist concept of the bond of craving
by Ven.Boralesgamuwe
Pemaratana
London Buddhist Vihara
Buddhism teaches an entire way of life, how to live in practical ways
that can be applied to all aspects of our living. The Buddha, the
supreme teacher, has shown us the way to free ourselves from suffering, revealing a path leading to peace and happiness. Here we discuss
how greed (Tanha) affects all of our lives. Freeing our emotions from
greed leads to both material and spiritual progress in this world and in
the worlds to come. Tanha is the cause of suffering, and is also considered a cause of immorality and crimes such as theft, telling lies, violence and corruption. It can also result in fear.
A well-known verse in the Dhammapada explains:
“Thanhaya jayati soko - thanhaya jayati bhayam
Tanhaya vippamuttassa - natthi soka kuto bhayam.”
“From greed arises grief, from greed arises fear, for him who is free of
greed, there is no grief and no fear.
The Pali term Tanha is usually translated as greed or desire, lust or attachment. However these English translations do not convey the true meaning, so let us now explore the true meaning.
According to the Buddhist point of view. Tanha is the strongest bond
which binds us to pleasurable sensations in the hope of making them permanent. If not corrected quickly, this bond of desire steadily is able to
completely take over your life - both your thoughts and your actions
become irresponsible and unrealistic leading eventually to a very
demented state of mind that stops all progress towards any spiritual fulfilment.
There are many kinds of Tanha.
Firstly, there is this bond to pleasure through the senses. Human beings
consist of mind, and body, that is mind and five senses. The six senses are
eye, ear, nose, tongue, body and mind. Craving arises when the six senses meet with an object. This is how it happen:
When the eye meets a visual object visual consciousness arises.
The ear meets a sound object, hearing consciousness arises,
The nose meets smell, smelling consciousness arises.
The tongue meets the taste object, taste consciousness arises.
The body meets a physical object, touching consciousness arises
The mind meets a mental object, mind consciousness arises.
So in this way, from the meeting of these three elements - the sense
base, the object and contact there is consciousness. This consciousness
is either a feeling of pleasure or displeasure. We desire to repeat pleasurable sensations and become addicted to them, or we desire to repel a
feeling of displeasure and eradicate them.
It is human nature that one is not satisfied with pleasurable sensations
for, as one desire is satisfied, we generate another. The more we get, the
more we want. We desire to repeat pleasurable sensations and become
addicted to them. In this way craving is developed. We also find that all
pleasurable things do not stay the same. The pleasure fades, it loses its
interest, the thing may not live up to expectations, it produces unforeseen complications. Things rust, break, get lost. What had seemed so
good is now proved not to be. What you thought so useful causes problems, what seemed beautiful is now not lastly so. Now we experience feelings of displeasure and desire to eradicate them and try to get rid of them.
Everything is impermanent. This is common to all animate objects and
to all living beings. Mankind is deceived with illusory pleasure. This is the
reality. Those who are unable to understand the reality of these changes
cry and wail; but a person who understands the true nature of things is not
shaken by such changes. Therefore they do not have any grief, and as they
are free from grief they also do not have of suffering.
Another form of this important bond is the deep rooted attachment to
“I”. We create this attachment due to the concept of self, the ego.
Why does this bring suffering to us? According to the Buddhist point of
view there are three universal characteristics of all phenomena, Annicha
- impermanence, Dukkha - suffering, Annatta - non-self. All phenomenal
things are impermanent and are subject to change and decay - thus they
produce suffering. This suffering comes to us as we try to grasp the concept “this is mine”. Those who are unable to understand the reality of
these changes grieve over losing something, or someone, as they are
clinging to the idea of “this is mine”. They feel great fear over losing their
dearest companions and objects. One who understands the real nature
of the world is free from such selfish thoughts, as fear and grief.
There is another way of attaching to the world. That is by our own beliefs
and views. Some people in the society are convinced that their views and
traditions are the best. They do not like to be criticized by anyone. They
fail to neither recognize nor acknowledge that each person is an individual with a different background and upbringing. Their attachment to their
own views and non-acceptance of different beliefs again causes them to
be upset. This non-agreement amongst each individual causes dispute
and trouble - the consequence is the arising of grief.
In the Kalama Sutta the Buddha said that any belief and any dogma
should be examined and accepted only after one feels that it is conductive to wellbeing and happiness. He was very specific that his teaching
should not be accepted by one merely led by reports, or tradition or
hearsay; nor by the authority of religious text; nor by mere logic or inference; nor by considering appearances; nor by delighting in speculative
opinion or by seeming possibilities; nor by the idea: “This is our teacher”.
The Buddha clearly explained that when you know for yourselves that certain things are unwholesome, wrong, or bad - then give them up. And
when you know for yourselves that certain things are wholesome and
good, accept them and follow them.
Our strongest attachment is the attachment to life. Not one of us likes
to die. Death is not the end of a life - it is the temporary end of a temporary
phenomenon. At the death moment, according to our past deeds, we
move to the next becoming. The Buddha, who saw this strong attachment
of living beings to life, proclaimed with compassion:
“In the world I see this people racked by craving for being,
wretched men quivering in the face of death,
still craving, hoping for some kind of being.
See how they tremble over what they claim as “mine”,
like fish in the puddles of a failing stream.
Now let us examine what the causes for attachment to life are? How do
they arise?
The Buddha explained that body, or person is made of five component
parts. What are these five component parts? Form (Rupa) is the physical
part. The four mental processes are feeling (Vedana), perceptions
(Sanna), mental formations, (Sankara) and consciousness (Vinnana). It is
these five parts we take as self, or soul, or I. As it is ever changing, the Buddha referred to them as “processes”.
Let us observe how attachment happens.
The first process is the receiving part of the consciousness. It simply registers any phenomena. It notes the raw data of experience without assigning any labels or making value judgments.
The second mental process is perception. It identifies and evaluates the
raw data, and categorizes them into positive and negative.
Then the third process, sensation arises. Once evaluated, the sensation
becomes pleasant or unpleasant, depending on the evaluation. If not
strong enough in either direction the evaluated sensation is neutral.
When the sensations are pleasant the mind enjoys them and tries to
bond with them to prolong these feelings. This is volitional action. It is
because of this volitional action being repeated, that craving arises.
So if we eradicate craving, if we can control our senses mindfully, then
there is no craving, no bonding and then there is no suffering.
Let us all try to realize the consequence of Tanha and strive to become
free from the bond of greed and achieve strength to attain the noble bliss
of nibbana.
☞