Reply To: Two Types of Desire

#31840
Lal
Keymaster

On August 20, 2020, at 6:37 am, Lal Posted:

Hello Granier,

You asked: “the ”good one” (dhamma-chanda or vibhava tanha) and the ”bad one”
(kama tanha), “desires” for sensory pleasures… (but what about bhava tanha?).”

The desire to attain Nibbana (chanda) is NOT the same as vibhava tanha.
– But I can see why one would think so.
– The key is to realize that vibhava tanha DOES NOT mean DESIRE for no more births. It is the WRONG VIEW that there will be no more rebirths. For example, most scientists today BELIEVE that there CANNOT BE rebirths because the physical body is all one has. When the physical body dies, that is the end of the story.

Furthermore, chanda is NOT a desire for non-existence. At least that is the wrong way to think about Nibbana.
– Nibbana means the desire to stop all future suffering.
– When one starts understanding the deeper teachings of the Buddha (anicca, dukkha, anatta nature) one will see that there is no “soul type” entity being reborn again and again. It is just good deeds (kamma) lead to good rebirths and bad deeds lead to bad rebirths. Since living-beings are tempted to do bad kamma (with kama tanha), most rebirths will be in bad realms.

Therefore, all three types of tanha are “bad.” They all keep one bound to the rebirth process.
– In the case of vibhava tanha, the wrong view that there will be no rebirths will (at least subconsciously) induce people to do immoral things to gain sense pleasures.

Nw, bhava tanha means one does believe in rebirth. But one believes one can get a “good birth” by engaging in “good deeds” or doing good kamma.
– But we all are likely to have done such bad deeds in past lives (if not in this life). Such kamma (vipaka) are just waiting to bring rebirth in bad realms. The only way to avoid that is to attain at least the SStream Entry (Sotapanna) by learning Dhamma.

More information on the three types of tanha: “Kāma Tanhā, Bhava Tanhā, Vibhava Tanhā

The other question: “if there is no more self (anatta), who will make ”good desires” (kusala-chanda)?” is a very comment question many people ask based on a wrong view they have.
– That wrong view is based on the view that there is a “soul” going from one birth to another.
– Rebirths happen ONLY as a result of good or bad kamma. There is no “self” or a “soul” going from this life to the next.
– That is essentially one aspect of the concept of anatta.

More information on that: “What Reincarnates? – Concept of a Lifestream

Finally a note: There have been several times during the past few days where the website did not load or took a long time to load. That technical glitch is being fixed. It seems to be much better now.