Tanha

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Tanhā (Pali: Taṇhā, Sanskrit: Tṛṣṇā, Chin: 愛) can be translated as desire, longing, greed, thirst or willing, the "I want" or "I don't want" spirit. Tanhā, “greed”, is considered in Buddhism to be the cause of all suffering ( dukkha ) that ties people to the cycle of rebirths ( samsara ). Tanha means all forms of desire, whether they are for food, life, sex, or any other object. The breeding ground for Tanha is the illusion of a solid core of being, only who has overcome this illusion ( Anatta ) can also overcome Tanha.

The definition of tanha goes beyond the desire for material objects or sensual pleasures. It also includes the desire for life, for fame, for sleep, for emotional states (joy, enthusiasm, love ...) regardless of the respective intensity of the desire. The Buddhist teaching describes with Tanha the desire for pleasant sensory impressions.

Tanha is the eighth link in the twelve-link chain of dependent arising (Pratitya-samutpada). Tanha is also part of Samudaya , the second of the Four Noble Truths .

According to the Buddhist scriptures, desire arises from the belief that its fulfillment could lead to lasting happiness or peace. Since, however, according to the teaching, all things are both painful, impermanent, and empty (see Three Characteristics of Existence ), there can be no lasting satisfaction. Therefore, new desires arise again and again, the fulfillment of which in turn should illusory lead to lasting happiness. This is graphically represented in the wheel of life : The repeated circling through mental and worldly states, driven by desire and its constant companions, hatred and delusion.

The Buddhist answer to the problem of Tanha is the third of the Four Noble Truths, Nirodha , the cessation of suffering through the eightfold path and the realization of paramitas . Especially by practicing generosity ( Dāna ), Tanha can be diminished and overcome.

In classical Buddhist scriptures, Tanha is further differentiated in various ways:

Basically:

  1. Sensual desire - kāma-tanhā
  2. Greed for existence - bhava-tanhā
  3. Greed for nonexistence - vibhava-tanhā

In relation to the sense objects:

  1. Forms - rūpa-tanhā
  2. Sounds - saddha-tanhā
  3. Smells - gandha-tanhā
  4. Tastes - rasa-tanhā
  5. Body sensations - potthabba-tanhā
  6. Mind objects - dhamma-tanhā

Regarding the desire for existence:

  1. Sensual desire - kama-tanhā
  2. Desire for subtle existence - rūpa-tanhā
  3. Desire for incorporeal existence - arūpa-tanhā

See also

literature