We have already discussed the three types of craving according to the Truth of the Origin. I would like to explain further for better understanding in actual vipassanā practice.
We said that kāma-taṇhā is the delight and attachment to the five strands of sensual pleasure: sights, sounds, smells, tastes, and tangible objects. Why does this delight and attachment arise? It is because of the mistaken perception and wrong view of personality (sakkāya-diṭṭhi), which involves the concepts of 'I' and 'mine'. When one cannot see mind and matter (nāma-rūpa) as they truly are, but instead perceives and evaluates them through the filter of sakkāya-diṭṭhi, delight and attachment arise automatically.
When encountering these objects, to prevent delight from arising, one must contemplate the arising and passing away of the object itself, or the arising and passing away of the consciousness that perceives it. By knowing both the arising and the passing away, the characteristic of impermanence becomes clear, and attachment or delight can no longer arise.
If one naturally comes to understand that the visible form is not 'I', the seeing consciousness is not 'I', the nature of arising is not 'I', and the nature of passing away is not 'I', then the 'I'-conceit, sakkāya-diṭṭhi, will disappear through the practice of contemplation. Consequently, the sensual craving (kāma-taṇhā) that delights in objects finds no opportunity to arise, appear, or exist.
Bhava-taṇhā is the delight and attachment to existence and realms (bhava). For example, being happy with human life when born as a human, or being happy with divine life when born as a deva, and so on. This state of happiness and delight is also due to the view of eternity (sassata-diṭṭhi), the belief that one's life is permanent.
To explain in practical terms: suppose a pleasant feeling (sukha-vedanā) arises. It is natural for everyone to wish for this pleasant feeling to last long and endure. Why does this desire arise? Because one does not want the pleasant feeling to cease; one wants it to continue existing. This is the desire for the state (of pleasure) to persist. This is bhava-taṇhā, craving for existence. The desire for it to be permanent is the view of eternity (sassata-diṭṭhi). Therefore, it is said that bhava-taṇhā is usually accompanied by sassata-diṭṭhi. If one delights in the state of existence, both sassata (eternalism) and bhava-taṇhā arise.
Therefore, to prevent these undesirable states from arising, when a pleasant feeling arises, one must contemplate diligently and precisely, comprehending its nature of arising and passing away. If one clearly sees the passing away as it is, one will no longer delight in the state of existence. Then, taṇhā will not arise, and sassata-diṭṭhi will automatically fall away.
Delighting in existence is bhava-taṇhā. The view that accompanies this delight in existence is sassata-diṭṭhi. To purify this sassata-diṭṭhi, one must contemplate to see the passing away. Only by seeing the passing away does one cease to cling to the arising. To purify the view of permanence that accompanies the craving for existence, contemplate to see the passing away. Conversely, to purify the view of annihilation that accompanies the craving for non-existence, contemplate to see the arising.
The next one is vibhava-taṇhā. This is the craving for the cessation of existence, the desire for non-existence. The desire itself is taṇhā; the approval of annihilation is diṭṭhi. This diṭṭhi is called uccheda-diṭṭhi (the view of annihilationism).
To explain in practical terms: when one experiences a painful feeling (dukkha-vedanā), no one wants to endure it. It is the nature of all beings to wish for this suffering to cease quickly. Therefore, delighting in cessation is vibhava-taṇhā, and the view of annihilation is uccheda-diṭṭhi.
Even with such feelings, if one can diligently observe, without attachment, the process of change—the nature of arising and passing away—making it clear in one's awareness, then one will understand that it arises due to its nature to arise and passes away due to its nature to pass away. Because one knows the arising, one no longer desires the cessation, and the view of annihilation is also eliminated. When cessation is no longer desired, vibhava-taṇhā does not arise, and with the elimination of the annihilation view, uccheda-diṭṭhi is purified. Therefore, to eliminate uccheda-diṭṭhi, one must contemplate to see the arising.
In essence, no matter what feeling arises, the most important thing is to diligently observe, making the process of change—the altering nature of the feeling—clear in one's awareness. Knowing the process of change is seeing arising and passing away (udayabbaya). If one clearly comprehends that there are only the phenomena of arising and passing away, then there remains no basis upon which to project a concept of 'I', nor any basis to assume a person or a being. This is truly penetrating insight into the reality of things.
When one comprehends the nature of arising, the annihilation view (uccheda-diṭṭhi) is purified. When one comprehends the nature of passing away, the eternalist views (sassata-diṭṭhi) cannot arise.
In summary:
· Seeing arising and passing away purifies sakkāya-diṭṭhi.
· Seeing arising purifies uccheda-diṭṭhi.
· Seeing passing away purifies sassata-diṭṭhi.
At the moment of seeing arising and passing away, because the five path factors (of the Noble Eightfold Path) are present, the three types of taṇhā cannot arise. Thus, taṇhā ceases and diṭṭhi falls away.
These three types of taṇhā that we have discussed are what was taught in the Dhammacakkapavattana Sutta as the Truth of the Origin (samudayasaccā). The key to extinguishing this Truth of the Origin lies solely in the practice of contemplating arising and passing away; there is no other way.
Ven. Dr. Ashin Parami
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