5.6. Craving, Aversion and Ignorance

Now, with a good experiential understanding of vedanā, we come to the sixth group of six in the Chachakkasuttaṃ.

"cha taṇhākāyā veditabbā’ti – iti kho panetaṃ vuttaṃ. kiñcetaṃ paṭicca vuttaṃ? cakkhuñca paṭicca rūpe ca uppajjati cakkhuviññāṇaṃ, tiṇṇaṃ saṅgati phasso, phassapaccayā vedanā, vedanāpaccayā taṇhā, sotañca paṭicca sadde … ghānañca paṭicca gandhe … jivhañca paṭicca rase … kāyañca paṭicca phoṭṭhabbe … manañca paṭicca dhamme ca uppajjati manoviññāṇaṃ, tiṇṇaṃ saṅgati phasso, phassapaccayā vedanā, vedanāpaccayā taṇhā. cha taṇhākāyā veditabbā’ti – iti yaṃ taṃ vuttaṃ, idametaṃ paṭicca vuttaṃ. idaṃ chaṭṭhaṃ chakkaṃ.
MN148 chachakkasuttaṃ

Dependent on the eye and forms, eye consciousness arises. The meeting of the three is phassa. Dependent on phassa, there is vedanā. Dependent on vedanā there is craving.

Dependent on the ear and sounds, ear consciousness arises. The meeting of the three is phassa. Dependent on phassa, there is vedanā. Dependent on vedanā there is craving.

Dependent on the nose and smells, nose consciousness arises. The meeting of the three is phassa. Dependent on phassa, there is vedanā. Dependent on vedanā there is craving.

Dependent on the tongue and tastes, tongue consciousness arises. The meeting of the three is phassa. Dependent on phassa, there is vedanā. Dependent on vedanā there is craving.

Dependent on the body and tangible sensations, body consciousness arises. The meeting of the three is phassa. Dependent on phassa, there is vedanā. Dependent on vedanā there is craving.

Dependent on the mind and mental phenomena, mind consciousness arises. The meeting of the three is phassa. Dependent on phassa, there is vedanā. Dependent on vedanā there is craving.

It was with reference to this that it was said, "The six classes of craving should be known." This is the sixth group of six.

Now we come to the full picture of how conditioned sense experiences produce a response. The response mentioned here is craving, in Pāḷi, taṇhā, in Sanskrit, tṛṣṇā, literally 'thirst'. Used figuratively in this context, it represents the insatiable quality of desire. But desire is just one type of response, aversion is another, and indifference the third common response. Liking, disliking and couldn't care less.

This is neatly summed up by the awakened nun Dhammadinnā in the Majjhima Nikāya.

sukhāya kho, āvuso visākha, vedanāya rāgānusayo anuseti, dukkhāya vedanāya paṭighānusayo anuseti, adukkhamasukhāya vedanāya avijjānusayo anusetī'ti.
MN44 cūḷavedallasuttaṃ

Comfortable vedanā have the underlying tendency toward desire. Uncomfortable vedanā have the underlying tendency toward aversion. Neither-comfortable-nor-uncomfortable vedanā have the underlying tendency toward ignorance.

Notice that 'desire, aversion and ignorance' is just another way of saying that the habitual response to vedanā is greed, hatred and delusion.

We have very little control of what type of vedanā arises in response to any experience, mostly it is conditioned by a lifetime of previous experiences and responses, and by your present mood and circumstances.

How we respond to the vedanā is even more automatic. We will almost always respond to pleasantness with want and desire. We will almost always respond to unpleasantness with aversion and repulsion. And we will almost always respond to neutral vedanā with indifference, simply ignoring what is occurring, effectively not knowing and not understanding what is happening. That is the definition of ignorance.

We may think we are autonomous human beings with free will and the choice to respond to life's experiences as we wish, but mostly we are puppets of vedanā. The push and pull of these subtle feelings in the mind exert the most powerful control over our entire existence. This is some very deep programming that cannot be overcome with mere theoretical understanding, wishful thinking, or by any external agent. Nobody can help you with thus but yourself.

In order to get rid of craving, aversion and ignorance, first we have to see them actually occurring within experience.

Luckily, desire is not some abstract term, but something tangible within our own experience. In fact, the Buddha even used it as the definition of something "directly visible".

atha kho āyasmā upavāṇo yena bhagavā tenupasaṅkami … ekamantaṃ nisinno kho āyasmā upavāṇo bhagavantaṃ etadavoca – "‘sandiṭṭhiko dhammo, sandiṭṭhiko dhammo’ti, bhante, vuccati. kittāvatā nu kho, bhante, sandiṭṭhiko dhammo hoti, akāliko ehipassiko opaneyyiko paccattaṃ veditabbo viññūhī"ti?

"idha pana, upavāṇa, bhikkhu cakkhunā rūpaṃ disvā rūpappaṭisaṃvedī ca hoti rūparāgappaṭisaṃvedī ca. santañca ajjhattaṃ rūpesu rāgaṃ ‘atthi me ajjhattaṃ rūpesu rāgo’ti pajānāti. yaṃ taṃ, upavāṇa, bhikkhu cakkhunā rūpaṃ disvā rūpappaṭisaṃvedī ca hoti rūparāgappaṭisaṃvedī ca. santañca ajjhattaṃ rūpesu rāgaṃ ‘atthi me ajjhattaṃ rūpesu rāgo’ti pajānāti. evampi kho, upavāṇa, sandiṭṭhiko dhammo hoti akāliko ehipassiko opaneyyiko paccattaṃ veditabbo viññūhī"ti
SN35.70 upavāṇasandiṭṭhikasuttaṃ

Then the Venerable Upavāṇa approached the Buddha… seated to one side he said this, "Bhante, it is said, 'something directly visible, something directly visible. In what way is something directly visible, immediate, open to inspection, progressing onward, and to be personally understood by the wise?"

"In this case, Upavāṇa, a monk, having seen a visible form with the eye, experiences the form as well as desire for the form. When desire is present for forms, he knows, 'This desire for forms exists within me'. Since he knows this to exist … thus it is something directly visible, immediate, open to inspection, progressing onward, and to be personally understood by the wise."

If we are able to see craving, aversion and ignorance in response to vedanā, we will be able to understand more about ourselves than any psychologist can ever tell us. It's worth a century of analysis, or decades of plant based psychedelic experiences. From this, it is possible to truly understand the Buddha's epithet of being the mahābhisakka, the Great Healer. It's no exaggeration to say that actually seeing subtle rāga, dosa and moha within our own minds can transform our entire relationship with the world.

In order to bring this subtle aspect of experience to our attention, we must learn to recognize types of behaviour that are typical of craving. It can be seen indirectly in any compulsive behaviours. Underneath the action, there's a desire for something, otherwise we wouldn't perform the action. Likewise, ill will can be seen indirectly in the mind whenever we find ourselves mentally explaining to someone why they are wrong, and—of course—we are right. Ignorance can be seen indirectly whenever mind wandering and day dreaming is occurring, watching fictional soap operas in the mind.

Greed, hatred and delusion are called akusalmūla, the unwholesome roots of intentional action by mind, speech and body. Anything that we think, say, or do while they are present in the mind is akusala with akusala results. When not present, everything we think, say, or do is kusala with kusala results.

sabbapāpassa akaraṇaṃ, kusalassa upasampadā, sacittapariyodapanaṃ , etaṃ buddhāna sāsanaṃ.
DHP14 Dhammapada, Buddhavagga, verse 183

Not doing any wrong, undertaking what is skilful, cleaning one's own mind, this is the instruction of the Buddhas

This sacittapariyodapanaṃ, the process of cleaning our minds, can only begin when we actually can see the dirt in our minds. It's like trying to sweep a room clean when it is pitch-black dark. Sure, we can move a bit of dust around, but it's a a hit-and-miss job. Only when we actually see the dirt—see the cobwebs, see the dust bunnies running around—can we properly remove them.

In terms of progress along the path, a stream-enterer still has a full complement of defilements, just not so strong as to take one to hell. A once-returner has further reduced greed and hatred. An anāgāmī has finished the process of cleaning craving and aversion from their minds. An arahant has completely removed all traces of ignorance as well.

Meditation on Craving, Aversion and Ignorance

Q&A

Q: Do you have any questions or doubts at this point?

References