Passion and love  - Photo credit/https://pixabay.com/

Meta Description: Explore the profound Buddhist perspective on life's true nature. This deep dive into the Buddha's teachings on desire (kāma), clinging, and fear offers a path to genuine liberation, supported by original Pali suttas and practical wisdom.

                   "Fear" - Photo credit/https://pixabay.com/

Why "Fear" is a Synonym for Desires

"Kasmā ca, bhikkhave, bhayanti kāmānametaṃ adhivacanaṃ"
(Why, monks, is 'fear' an alternative term for desires?)

The Buddha posed this probing question to the Sangha. He was directing their attention to a profound truth: our most sought-after pleasures are, at their core, intertwined with our deepest anxieties.

He explains this with unparalleled clarity:

"Yasmā ca kāmarāgarattāyaṃ, bhikkhave, chandarāgavinibaddho diṭṭhadhammikāpi bhayā na parimuccati, samparāyikāpi bhayā na parimuccati."
(Because, monks, a person who is consumed by lust for desires, bound by craving and passion, is not freed from fear in this very life, nor is he freed from fear in the next life.)

This single definition from the Buddha opens a door. It allows us to examine our own lives and see the intricate web of suffering (samsara) we are entangled in, and more importantly, it points towards a path to freedom.

    What Are We Truly Chasing - Photo credit/https://pixabay.com/

The Inner Investigation: What Are We Truly Chasing?

What is the Buddha trying to reveal by guiding our attention inward?

We spend our days and nights running relentlessly, like our heads are on fire, striving to outpace one another in a race to acquire and possess. In this frantic pursuit, we endure immense struggle and pain. The Buddha redirects our focus to an unexamined aspect of these desires we chase.

We typically define our life and our world in terms of forms, sounds, smells, tastes, and bodily contacts. We then operate under the assumption that if we can just accumulate enough of these pleasant sensations, we can construct a perfect, suffering-free life. We believe suffering exists due to a lack of these things.

Consequently, a person spends their life chasing vehicles, money, property, family, friends, status, and security. This is the realm of kāma (desire).

Deconstructing Desire: The Twofold Nature of Kāma

To understand this, we must first ask: what are desires? Desires are characterized by upādāna (clinging or grasping)—a tight, unrelenting hold on something. Where there is clinging, the mind is pulled toward it.

Buddhism breaks down desire into two categories:

1.     Vatthu Kāma (Object-based Desires): The things we cling to.

2.     Kilesa Kāma (Defilement-based Desires): The mental state of clinging itself.

The objects of desire are classified into the Five Strands of Sensual Pleasure (Pañca Kāma Guṇā):

"Pañcime, bhikkhave, kāmagunā - cakkhuviññeyyā rūpā iṭṭhā kantā manāpā piyarūpā kāmūpasaṃhitā rajanīyā, sotaviññeyyā saddā... ghānaviññeyyā gandhā... jivhāviññeyyā rasā... kāyaviññeyyā phoṭṭhabbā iṭṭhā kantā manāpā piyarūpā kāmūpasaṃhitā rajanīyā."
(There are these five strands of sensual pleasure, monks: forms cognizable by the eye that are desirable, appealing, agreeable, pleasant, tied to sensual pleasure, and enticing; sounds... smells... tastes... tactile objects...)

1.     Sight: Pleasing, attractive forms that stimulate craving.

2.     Sound: Enchanting sounds that capture the mind.

3.     Smell: Alluring fragrances that we crave.

4.     Taste: Delicious flavours we become attached to.

5.     Touch: Pleasant bodily sensations we seek.

The Critical Misunderstanding: Objects vs. Craving

Here lies a crucial point often misunderstood. The Buddha clarifies that these objects themselves are not the desires.

"Nete, bhikkhave, kāmā, api ca kāmagunā nāmete ariyassa vinaye"
(Monks, these are not desires. In the Noble Discipline, these are called 'strands of sensual pleasure.')

The ordinary mind mistakes the objects for the desire itself. However, the real desire is the mental reaction—the liking, the wanting, the craving (taṇhā) that arises in relation to these objects. This mental craving is the Kilesa Kāma.

As the Buddha stated: "Saṅkapparāgo purisassa kāmo" – the desire of a person is the lust and intention of the mind.

                   The world we create -  Photo credit/https://pixabay.com/

The World We Create and the Fear We Inhabit

Therefore, the "world" we live in is largely a construct of our own minds. Within this self-created world, we may experience either regret or boastful pride, mistaking our transient experiences for something permanent.

The fundamental law of Anicca (Impermanence) dictates that anything that has come into being will inevitably cease. Money is spent, possessions break, relationships change. Because we forget this, our desperate effort to maintain things is permeated with fear.

In essence, beneath the pleasure we derive from what we cling to, there is a greater undercurrent of fear—the fear of loss, the fear of change, the fear that it will not last. This fear is the very essence of that craving.

Even when we are amidst pleasure, the shadow of Jarā Maraṇa (Aging and Death) looms over us. Our entire lives are, in many ways, a rebellion against this truth. We eat healthily, exercise, take medicine, dye our hair, and pursue various rituals and beliefs—all ultimately driven by the fear of aging and death.

The Illusion of Love and Attachment

This leads us to a stark realization about the nature of our attachments.

If we examine closely, the fear of separation—of losing people or things we "love"—is a constant source of our suffering. So, what do we mean when we say we love someone? If our "love" is primarily a reliance on the happiness and comfort we derive from them, then are we truly loving them, or are we loving the pleasant feelings they provide?

Upon honest introspection, we may find that what we call love is often the nourishment of Avijjā (Ignorance) and Taṇhā (Craving). We are clinging to a mirage, trying to possess and control what is inherently subject to change and loss. This is the great illusion (Moha) that keeps us bound in Samsara.

The Path to Liberation: Seeing Things As They Are

The Buddha's analysis is not meant to discourage us, but to liberate us. By understanding the fearful nature of clinging to desires, we can begin to let go.

The path out of this cycle is through Yathābhūta Ñāṇadassana – knowing and seeing things as they really are. This is developed through:

·         Aniccānupassanā: Contemplation of impermanence.

·         Dukkhānupassanā: Contemplation of suffering.

·         Anattānupassanā: Contemplation of non-self.

When we truly see that whatever is impermanent is inherently unsatisfactory ("Yad aniccaṃ taṃ dukkhaṃ"), and whatever is unsatisfactory cannot be a permanent, satisfying self ("Yaṃ dukkhaṃ tad anattā"), the mind naturally loosens its grip.

This profound inquiry into life, guided by the Buddha's words, is not a mere intellectual exercise. It is a transformative journey from a life driven by fear and craving to one of genuine freedom and peace—the unborn, unaging, undying state of Nibbāna.

May this Dhamma discussion be a supporting condition for your journey towards liberation.

Sabbe sattā bhavantu sukhitattā!
(May all beings be happy!)

Sources & References:

·         Aṅguttara Nikāya

·         Saṃyutta Nikāya

·         Dhammapada

·         Majjhima Nikāya

·         Nibbedhika Sutta