Ahmad Qadri Student ID: 1081119

Philosophy Essay

What do Buddhist philosophers mean by tṛṣna? Why did they take this to be a bad thing? Do
you agree? Why or why not?

The founder of Buddhism, Siddhartha Gauthama, commonly referred to as the ‘buddha’ or

the ‘awakened one’, derived a form of philosophical thought after an analysis of society and
his environment. These evolved in to the philosophical teachings of Buddhism, in relation to
living an ethical life of virtue and ideally, enlightenment. Indeed, a fundamental component
of Buddhist philosophy is comprised of a set of principles, namely, the four noble truths.
They are, that suffering exists; this suffering has a cause; that it is possible to end this
suffering; that there exists a methodology of ending it (RADHAKRISHNAN, S. & MOORE, 2014
p. 274). It is vital for one to recognize that these are the inevitable realities within the world
and this sets the foundation of Buddhist philosophy. In this essay, I will examine one key
aspect of the Four Noble Truths, that is, the root cause of suffering manifested through
craving and desire (trsna). I will explain the reason as to why they are rightfully perceived as
a negative quality and the practical implications of one attempting to apply the ideal of the
‘Middle Way’ within his or her lifestyle in the modernized world.

Within the general Buddhist philosophical framework, trsna, defined as craving, is viewed as
being the root cause of suffering within the world. That is, the desires of an individual lead
to notions of greed and consequently pain and suffering (RADHAKRISHNAN, S. & MOORE,
2014 p.274). The idea of trsna can be divided in to two distinct parts, these are the desires
related to existence and non-existence. Evidently, it is incontestable that the human being
experiences forms of attachment in their lifetime, where we begin to believe that we rely on
something or someone’s existence in order to live the ideal life (RADHAKRISHNAN, S. &
MOORE, 2014 p.274). An example of this can often be seen within our desires through our
relationships, we begin to rely on having friends that we are constantly satisfied with, or a
partner that consistently meets our expectations and standards. Naturally, when they fall
short of our demands, we move in to a state of suffering and despair. Furthermore, as an
extension of this example, most people become dependent upon avoiding these states of
despair and sadness. We do not wish to experience any sort of grief or physical pain within
the world that we live and interact within. This is known as the craving for non-existence,
which is also perceived negatively by Buddhist philosophers. This notion of trsna is indeed
considered a negative aspect of our lifestyle, simply because we hold desires that are not in
line with the noble truths and reality and as our well-being becomes controlled by our
desires for existence and non-existence, we forget that nothing in this world is truly
permanent including our own being (atman).
Ahmad Qadri Student ID: 1081119

Although it is agreeable that one should not allow their cravings and desire to become
something upon which they depend, the aim of being able to control one’s trsna can
become impractical and even self-defeating. When looked at within the context of the
modern, capitalistic world it becomes near impossible for one to reach the state of resisting
the notion of becoming dependent upon the desires. Not only because the age we live in is
one based upon advertising and promoting the idea of craving for perfect products and
perfect job, but the philosophy of the modern world focuses very much on the concept of
the individual. That is, to act purely within one’s own interest by using competition to gain a
financial and social advantage. Indeed, the modern societal norms, especially within the
west, make it extremely difficult for the concept of trshna to be understood by people who
have not been guided rigorously within practical Buddhist ethics in order to achieve the
state the ‘Middle Way’ (RADHAKRISHNAN, S. & MOORE, 2014, p.274). In fact, one may even
become consumed by the idea of attempting to reach the Middle Way and in doing so may
easily be trapped by the craving of non-existence, especially if they fail to implement the
idea of there being no such thing as the atman.

In conclusion, it can be ascertained that in a theoretical sense, the origin of suffering within
Buddhist philosophy can soundly be traced back to the idea of trsna. If one is able to control
their trsna and find the ‘Middle Way’ it would become very much possible to be able to
reach the state of enlightenment. However, when examining the practical aspects of an
individual attempting to apply this philosophy, the Capitalistic and desire-oriented
philosophy of society makes it near impossible to achieve control the notion of trsna. So,
although the Buddhist philosophers correctly identify trsna as the root of suffering
(RADHAKRISHNAN, S. & MOORE, 2014, p.274) it would be very difficult to implement this
philosophy without rigorous guidance from a young age.

RADHAKRISHNAN, S. & MOORE, C. A. 2014. A source book in Indian philosophy, Princeton University
Press.