BUDDHIST VIEW ON CRAVING

BUPH – 21734

Lecturer Name :- Lec.Walasmulle Bhaddiya Thero

Student Name :- N.D.S. PADMALAL
Student Number :- HS -2020-0836

Department Of Pali & Buddhist Studies

University Of Kelaniya
 Content

01.Introduction……………………………02.

02.Major Types Of Craving………………03.

03.Eradication of craving…………………08.

04.References………………………………10.

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 Introduction

In Buddhism, craving, often referred to as "tanha" in Pali, is a fundamental concept that plays a crucial
role in understanding the nature of suffering and the path to liberation. Craving is identified as one of
the root causes of suffering, according to the Four Noble Truths taught by Siddhartha Gautama, the
Buddha.

Craving encompasses a deep-seated desire or attachment to sensory pleasures, material possessions, or

even states of being. It is considered the driving force behind the cycle of birth, death, and rebirth
(samsara) in the Buddhist worldview. The Three Forms of Craving, known as the "three poisons" or
"three fires," include craving for sensual pleasure, craving for existence or becoming, and craving for
non-existence or annihilation.

Buddhism teaches that overcoming craving is essential for achieving Nirvana, the state of liberation from
suffering and the cycle of rebirth. The Eightfold Path, a core aspect of Buddhist teachings, provides a
practical guide for followers to cultivate mindfulness, ethical conduct, and mental discipline, ultimately
leading to the cessation of craving and the attainment of enlightenment.

Understanding and addressing craving is a central theme in Buddhist philosophy, encouraging

individuals to develop insight into the impermanent and unsatisfactory nature of all conditioned
phenomena. By transcending craving, practitioners aim to break free from the cycle of suffering and find
lasting peace and liberation.

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 02.Major Types Of craving.

Craving for sense pleasures (kama-tanha)

This is the intense desire for sense pleasure from the objects received through the six sense doors namely,
sights through the eye, sounds through the ear, smells through the nose, tastes through the tongue,
feelings through the body and thoughts and ideas through the mind. Craving for sense pleasures include
not only desire for sense-pleasures, wealth and power, but also the desire for ideas, views, opinions,
theories, and beliefs.
In the analysis of the Dependent Origination in the Vibhanga sutta of the Samyutta Nikaya, the Buddha
has divided craving for sense pleasures into six classes corresponding to the six classes of sense objects
received through the six sense doors;
1.Craving for pleasant visible forms (rupa tanha)
2.Craving for pleasant sounds (sadda tanha)
3.Craving for pleasant odours (gandha tanha)
4.Craving for pleasant tastes (rasa tanha)
5.Craving for pleasant tactile objects (potthabba tanha)
6.Craving for pleasant mental phenomena (dhamma tanha)

In addition to the craving for sense pleasure, craving for each of the six sense objects may also be
associated with a false belief of permanence (bhava tanha) and a false belief of annihilation (vibhava
tanha) resulting in eighteen types of craving based on the six sense objects. Each one of the eighteen
cravings may have an internal or an external object making it to thirty-six types of craving and when
they are considered in terms of the past, present and the future there are altogether one hundred and eight
cravings.
The main reason for craving for sensual pleasure is ignorance of the three universal characteristics of all
existing physical and mental phenomena; impermanence (anicca), suffering (dukkha) and not-self
(anatta). Through ignorance of the reality of all phenomena and through four ways of perverted thinking
(vipallasa), we accept;
1.What is impermanent as permanent
2.What is painful as pleasurable
3.What is not self as self and
4.What is unattractive as attractive

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No sense desire is satiable because by their very nature, any object of craving is transient and short-lived
and hence any pleasant feeling created by an object received through the sense doors will soon lead to
dissatisfaction and suffering. The quick ending of this short-lived pleasure will cause an un-quenchable

craving for more and more sensual pleasures. Craving is not necessarily limited to pleasant experiences.
When one is faced with an unpleasant experience, craving to get rid of it can arise. Craving for obtaining
Material possessions can also lead to suffering due to the effort involved in obtaining them, protecting
them and due to their eventual loss.
The mind would also crave for pleasant objects received through the other five sense organs. The basic
motive for most of the unethical or unwholesome verbal and physical actions such as killing, stealing,
sexual misconduct, lying and use of alcohol and drugs as well as interpersonal problems, family quarrels,
acts of hatred, homicide, and even wars between nations is likely to be based on craving for sense
pleasures.
In the Migajala sutta of the Samyutta Nikaya, the Buddha has stated that even if a monk lives in isolation
in a jungle not associating with anyone else, as long as he has craving for the sense objects received
through the six sense doors he still has a companion. But if someone has eliminated all cravings, even if
he lives in a village associating with other monks, lay followers, kings and ministers, other sectarians
and their followers he can be described as someone who is living alone.

Craving for becoming or existence (bhava-tanha)

Bhava means becoming or being. This is the craving to become some thing or someone in this life as
well as the urge to continue to exist in future lives, associated with the wrong view of life being an
eternal and immortal entity. It will include craving to be happy, rich, famous, powerful, popular,
attractive etc. as well as craving to attain various spiritual attainments in this life and to be reborn in
higher and happier planes of existence. Craving for existence is related to the belief in an ego (soul), an
absolute and eternal self, independent of the mind and matter (nama-rupa) which has the capacity to
survive eternally (sassata ditthi) through transmigration from one birth to the next. Craving for existence
may be considered as the desire to be born in the sensuous world (kama loka), one of the fine material
(rupa brahma loka) or formless worlds (arupa brahma loka).
In the Tanha sutta of the Anguttara Nikaya, the Buddha has stated that one can not pin point to a moment
in time before which craving for existence did not exist and that there is the factor of ignorance which
acts as the nutrient for the arising of the craving for existence. So, craving for existence is conditioned
by ignorance and together they function as the two main factors responsible for a being to keep travelling
from one birth to another in the cycle of birth and death.

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It is believed by Buddhist scholars that though craving has been divided into three types, craving for
sensual pleasure and craving for non-existence are different aspects of craving for existence which is
considered as the main form of craving.

Craving for non – becoming or non – existence (vibhava-tanha)

Craving for non-existence or self annihilation is the desire to get rid of something including the desire
to not exist after death. One may crave to get rid of anything that one may not like or cannot cope with
such as unbearable physical or mental distress, pain, anxiety, worry, suffering, anger, hatred, jealousy,
bad health, unpleasant situations or people. Craving for non-existence may be associated with the wrong
belief of annihilation (ucceda ditthi). This is the belief in the presence of an ego identity that is identical
with the mind and matter, which will be completely annihilated at the time of death with no possibility
of a re-birth. Contemplating suicide or an act of self-harming, may indicate an extreme form of craving

For non-existence. Whatever the craving of a person who commits suicide is, as long as the ingredients
For a re-birth such as ignorance, craving and kammic energy are present, there will be a re-birth most

Probably in an unhappy realm of existence as taking one’s own life is also an unwholesome volitional
action. When one becomes continually frustrated and disillusioned because of one’s failure to gain
sensual pleasures through kama tanha or unfulfilled craving for existence (bhava tanha), that may also
lead one to develop craving for non-existence.
Those who believe in the annihilation theory, also known as “nihilism”, are materialistic. They may go
after every object of sensual pleasure that they are able to get hold of in order to enjoy their life to the
fullest without any care as to how they attain their pleasures and happiness. Some may not hesitate to
Commit numerous unwholesome evil actions on others or themselves as they believe that they will not
have to face any undesirable consequences of their actions after death. Another unfortunate consequence
of this belief is that they will have no motivation to do any wholesome meritorious actions in this life.

Craving (tanha) and desire (chanda)

Desire (chanda) is one of the six occasional or particular mental factors (cetasika) in the Buddha’s Higher
Teachings (Abhidhamma). The other factors are application of thought (vitakka), examining (vicara),
decision (adhimokkha), energy (viriya) and rapture (piti). Desire is an ethically variable mental factor
depending on whether it is associated with a wholesome or unwholesome volition (cetana). In the
Buddhist literature it has also been referred to as interest, intention, aspiration, zeal and desire to act.
While craving always refers to unwholesome desire or greed, desire (chanda) may either be wholesome
or unwholesome depending on it’s context. If the desire is based on unwholesome roots of greed, hatred
and delusion it would be an unwholesome desire (akusala chanda) while if it is based on wholesome
roots of non-greed, non-hatred and non-delusion it would be a wholesome desire (kusala chanda).

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Craving for sense pleasures (kama tanha), existence (bhava tanha) and non-existence (vibhava tanha)
are unwholesome desires leading to suffering and continued existence in the cycle of birth and death.
Desire for sense pleasures (kamachanda), one of the five mental hindrances (pancha nivarana), is also
an unwholesome desire negatively affecting mental concentration in both concentration (samatha
bhavana) and insight meditation (vipassana bhavana).
Desire to perform meritorious actions such as transfer of merits and loving kindness, meditation and
cultivation of the Noble Eightfold Path for the liberation from suffering are wholesome desires. Desire
or will to act, the first of the four bases of mental power (iddhipada), that the Buddha has described as
requisites of enlightenment is also a wholesome desire.

Four bases of mental power (iddhipada)

1. Desire or will to act (chanda)

2. Effort or energy (viriya)
3. Consciousness or mind (citta)
4. Investigation or discrimination (vimamsa)

Craving (tanha) and clinging (upadana)

While describing the four Noble Truths in His first sermon, the Buddha stated that
“In short, the five aggregates of clinging are suffering”.
The five aggregates of clinging are material form (rupa), feeling (vedana), perception (sanna), mental
formations (sankhara) and consciousness (vinnana) that constitute the Psycho-physical complex (nama-
rupa) known as a being or personality. It is the attachment or clinging to the five aggregates by
identifying with them as “Me”, “Mine” and “Myself” that is suffering.
In the Buddhist literature “Upadana” meaning “fuel” refers to clinging, attachment or grasping. There
are four types of clinging.

1.Sense pleasure clinging (kamupadana)

2.Wrong view clinging (ditthupadana)
3.Rites and rituals clinging (silabbatupadana)
4.Self doctrine clinging (attavadupadana)

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According to Dependent Origination, craving (tanha) conditions clinging (upadana) and clinging
conditions the next link of existence (bhava). So, within the process of cause and effect, it is through
clinging that craving causes existence and re-birth with all associated suffering.
As an unwholesome desire, when a particular craving for sense objects or any other experience is
fulfilled it will lead to craving for the same or a different object as no craving can lead to a lasting
fulfilment. This phenomenon can very clearly be observed in people who are addicted to alcohol, drugs,
food or whatever else. They end up as slaves to their craving. However, when a wholesome desire for
something is fulfilled it will not lead to any further desire. There is the risk that even when a particular
task is begun with a wholesome desire it may end up in an unwholesome desire or craving. For example,
someone starting meditation with the wholesome intention of ending suffering can end up developing
craving for the bliss attained through deep absorption states (jhana), craving to develop various psychic
powers or a re-birth in one of the celestial existences.

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 03.Eradication of craving

The third of the four Noble Truths is the cessation of suffering by attaining the state of of Nibbana
through the total abandonment and eradication of all forms of craving (tanha). Nibbana, which can be
attained in this life itself, here and now, is the final state of liberation from suffering and the repeated
cycle of birth and death. The word Nibbana in the Pali language has two constituents Ni and Vana. Ni is
negative particle indicating absence while Vana means craving. Nibbana is a supra mundane state of
ultimate happiness (nibbanam paramam sukham) beyond any form of conceptual thinking, which cannot
be properly described or explained in worldly conventional language or through worldly logic and
reasoning. Because it is attained by the total eradication of craving, Nibbana has also been known by the
term tanhakkhaya meaning extinction of thirst/craving.

The only way to totally eradicate all forms of craving is to cultivate the path of liberation which is the
Noble Eight-fold Path that the Buddha described as the fourth Noble Truth. According to Buddhist
teaching, one who cultivates the Noble Eight-fold Path as described by the Buddha with diligence, will
sooner or later attain full enlightenment or Nibbana passing through four progressive stages of spiritual
development namely;

1.Stream Enterer (sotapanna)

2.Once Returner (sakadagami)

3.Non-Returner (anagami)

4.Arahat (arahat)

The Stream Enterer has eradicated the first three fetters of illusion of self (sakkaya ditthi), sceptical doubt
(vicikicca) and attachment to rites and rituals (silabbata paramasa), but still possess all forms of craving.
The Once Returner has significantly weakened the next two fetters of sensual desire (kama raga) and ill-
will (patigha) which will be totally eradicated only when one attains the next stage of Non-Returner. So,
craving for sense pleasure is totally eradicated only at the stage of Non-Returner who still possesses the
craving for existence and craving for non-existence. Arahathood, the final stage of the enlightenment
process is attained by the total eradication of the five remaining fetters namely; desire to be born in fine
material worlds (rupa raga), desire to be born in formless immaterial worlds (arupa raga), conceit (mana),

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restlessness (uddacca) and ignorance (avijja). An Arahat has attained the state of Nibbana by totally
abandoning and eradicating the three forms of craving.

The path leading to eradication of craving

The path of liberation to attain Nibbana by eradicating the three types of craving was described by the
Buddha as the fourth Noble Truth of the path leading to the cessation of suffering. It involves cultivating
the Noble Eight-fold Path (ariya atthangika magga) also known as the Middle Path (majjhima patipada)
consisting of eight interrelated factors.

Noble Eight-fold Path

1.Right view (samma-ditthi)
2.Right intention (samma-sankappa)
3.Right speech (samma-vaca)
4.Right action (samma-kammanta)
5.Right livelihood (samma-ajiva)
6.Right effort (samma-vayama)
7.Right mindfulness (samma-sati)
8.Right concentration (samma-samadhi)

From a practical standpoint the above eight factors are divided into three groups:
Morality (sila), consisting of Right Speech, Right Action and Right Livelihood
Concentration (samadhi), consisting of Right Effort, Right Mindfulness and Right Concentration
Wisdom (panna), consisting of Right View and Right Intention
In the Dhammapada (Collection of the Buddha’s sayings in verse form), the Buddha has warned us that
craving will bring only grief and fear to ourselves and that for one who has eliminated craving there will
not be any grief or fear.

“Tanhaya jayati soko,

tanhaya jayati bhayam,
tanhaya vippamuttassa
natthi soko kuto bhayam”
“From craving springs grief,
from craving springs fear,
for him who is wholly free from craving,
there is no grief, how can there be fear”

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 04.REFERENCES

01. Dr. Walpola Rahula 1997, What the Buddha Taught, One World Publications, UK.

02. V. F. Gunaratna, 2008, The significance of the Four Noble Truths, Wheel Publication No.123,
Buddhist Publication Society, Sri Lanka.

03. Bhikkhu Bodhi 1999, Adittapariyaya sutta: The Fire Sermon (SN 35.28), The Connected
Discourses of the Buddha, A Translation of the Samyutta Nikaya, Wisdom Publications.

04. Bhikkhu Bodhi 2012, Anusaya sutta, The Numerical Discourses of the Buddha; Anguttara
Nikaya, Wisdom Publications.

05. Bhikkhu Bodhi 2012, Tanha sutta: Craving, (AN 4.199), The Numerical Discourses of the
Buddha; Anguttara Nikaya, Wisdom Publications.

06. Bhikkhu Bodhi 1999, Ahara sutta: Nutriment. (SN 12.11), The Connected Discourses of the
Buddha, A Translation of the Samyutta Nikaya, Wisdom Publications.

07. Piyadassi Thera, 2008, Dependent Origination (paticca samuppada), Wheel Publication No:
15, Buddhist Publication society, Kandy, Sri Lanka.

08. Ven. K.Gnanananda 2017, This Was Said by the Buddha: Itivuttaka, Mahamegha Publishers.

09. Bhikkhu Bodhi 1999, Vibhanga sutta (SN12.2) , The Connected Discourses of the Buddha, A
Translation of the Samyutta Nikaya, Wisdom Publications.

10. Bhikkhu Bodhi 1999, Migajala Sutta, (SN 35.63). The Connected Discourses of the Buddha, A
Translation of the Samyutta Nikaya, Wisdom Publications.

11. Bhikkhu Bodhi 2012, Ahara Tanha sutta (AN 10.62), The Numerical Discourses of the Buddha;
Anguttara Nikaya, Wisdom Publications.

12. Ven. Ledi Sayadaw 1971, The Requisites of Enlightenment: Bodhipakkhiya Dipani, Buddhist
Publication Society, Kandy, Sri Lanka.

13.Ven. Ledi. Sayadaw, 1977, The Noble Eightfold Path and It’s Factors Explained,The Wheel
Publication No: 245/247, Buddhist Publication Society, Kandy, Sri Lanka.

14.Verse 216, The Dhammapada, translated by Narada Thero, 2000, Buddhist Cultural Centre,
Dehiwala, Sri Lanka.

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