Posted: May 1st, 2022

Tanha and Nirvana in Buddhism

Tanha and Nirvana in Buddhism
Buddhism’s concepts of Tanha and Nirvana
Tanha is a Buddhist term that refers to want, hunger, avarice, or longing. The yearning can be for material objects, sexual pleasures, or even for one’s own existence. Additional to this, the desire for negative aspects such as death is included in tanha. Buddhism says that tanha is the root cause of sorrow and pain, which is referred to as dukkha in Buddhist terminology. According to Buddhists, tanha is responsible for suffering since it causes irritation because the world is constantly changing and never fulfilling (smith, 1991, p. 92). In addition, tanha causes confrontations between political parties and individuals, which results in pain and suffering for everybody involved. As stated by Voorst (2000), tanha leads to samsara, which is characterized by repeated rebirths, tiresome worldly existence, and death, all of which are experienced by all living beings at some point in time. Samsara is said to be a type of dukkha because it is painful and unsatisfying. It is brought on by three factors: desire, ignorance, and karma.

There is sufficient evidence to support the hypothesis that tanha is the root cause of human suffering. Craving continues to generate a great deal of suffering, ranging from the painful and frustrating pursuit of wishes to conflicts on an individual, community, national, and worldwide scale. People injure themselves and others as a result of their desires. As a result of tanha, there is no evidence to support the belief in the cycle of rebirth, which is contrary to popular belief.

The Path to Enlightenment’s Contribution to Tanha Reduction
In Buddhism, enlightenment is achieved by the completion of an eight-fold path that leads to the cessation or ending of dukkha. One must exercise self-control, establish discipline, and cultivate mindfulness in order to follow the path of meditation. In the eightfold path, one concept is the appropriate view, which can either result in an advantageous rebirth state and so minimize suffering, or it can result in awakening and freedom from rebirths. The individual’s proclivity towards tanha diminishes as a result of their pursuit of the proper view. When one has the right perspective, one is protected from the confusion, misguided thinking, and misunderstanding that might occur from tanha (Voorst, 2000, p. 90). An individual’s right viewpoint assists them in seeing that every action results in karma and that their realm in future rebirths is determined by their right viewpoint.

In the second notion, right determination, the person is guided through the process of practicing renunciation by leaving home, giving up worldly living, and dedicating one’s life to spiritual study. According to Voorst (2000), proper resolve is the practice of renunciation, which allows one to “be free from ill will, to be harmless” (p. 82). As a result, having the correct determination can result in a reduction in tanha. An additional notion is right conduct, which advises people to refrain from engaging in activities like as murder, stealing, and sexual misconduct. The Buddhist is required to abstain from the killing of any sentient being, including humans, animals, birds, and other insects. Furthermore, the individual is not permitted to take what belongs to another by force, stealth, deception, or fraud (Smith, 1991, p. 97). In addition, the person is prohibited from having sexual contact with an unmarried person, another person’s spouse, a betrothed person, or female prisoners. All of the abstinences result in a reduction in tanha and dukkha, respectively.

Why Buddhists Avoid Bringing Up the Subject of God
The reason for this is that Buddhists avoid discussing God in their pursuit of nirvana, and it is a fundamental premise of Buddhist thought. Any attempt to achieve one’s goals by shortcuts or with assistance other than one’s own efforts in self-awareness and understanding is discouraged by the teachings of Buddha. It is unnecessary for someone to be self-aware if they are striving for enlightenment through a god oriented religious tradition. When it comes to understanding good and wrong, Buddhists rely on three ideas. The concepts are as follows: the aim, the effect on oneself, and the influence on another (Voorst, 2000, p. 88). Buddhism is neither a religious tradition, nor is it a religion of spirituality or rituals. It warns against the practice of divination, foretelling the future, and performing miracles. Instead, it encourages individuals to make personal sacrifices in order to achieve nirvana.

The conviction in one’s own efforts to achieve nirvana can assist a person in living a positive life free of harmful cravings and in alleviating suffering. Those trying to deepen their spirituality, on the other hand, may find that the religion’s emphasis on the individual may be a hindrance. As humans, we all have our own limitations, and relying solely on one’s own abilities to be entirely enlightened may cause one’s progress to be slowed down by one’s own constraints.

References
Smith, H., et al (1991). The faiths of the world are our great wisdom traditions. HarperSanFrancisco is based in San Francisco.
R. E. Voorst, R. E. Voorst (2000). Anthology of religious texts from around the world. Wadsworth Pub is located in Belmont, California.

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