Tanha
Taṇhā (Pāli; Sanskrit: tṛ́ṣṇā तृष्णा IPA: [tr̩ʂɳaː] ) is an important concept in Buddhism, referring to "thirst, desire, longing, greed", either physical or mental.[1][2] It is typically translated as craving,[3] and is of three types: kāma-taṇhā (craving for sensual pleasures), bhava-taṇhā (craving for existence), and vibhava-taṇhā (craving for non-existence).[4][5]
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ta%E1%B9%87h%C4%81I discontinued this thread until yesterday when I was practicing the presence for quite a while and suddenly had an experience- as many of you most likely have had that are now reading this-that all our relationships and experiences in life are a result of our desires. Having this experience I came back to this thread to see if one of the noble truths stated this. And somewhat by synchronicity I found that it was noble truth number two. Surprisingly, I read an answer to my question of why I have had challenges with some friends recently. And it is explained with clarity in the second noble truth.
Taṇhā, states Peter Harvey, is the key origin of dukkha in Buddhism.[5] It reflects a mental state of craving. Greater the craving, more is the frustration because the world is always changing and innately unsatisfactory; craving also brings about pain through conflict and quarrels between individuals, which are all a state of dukkha.
The Buddha identified three types of taṇhā:[8][14][15][a]
Kāma-taṇhā (sensual pleasures craving):[5] craving for sense objects which provide pleasant feeling, or craving for sensory pleasures.[15] Walpola Rahula states that taṇhā includes not only desire for sense-pleasures, wealth and power, but also "desire for, and attachment to, ideas and ideals, views, opinions, theories, conceptions and beliefs (dhamma-taṇhā)."[8]
Bhava-taṇhā (craving for being):[5] craving to be something, to unite with an experience.[15] This is ego-related, states Harvey, the seeking of certain identity and desire for certain type of rebirth eternally.[5] Other scholars explain that this type of craving is driven by the wrong view of eternalism (eternal life) and about permanence.[4][16]
-taṇhā (craving for non-existence):[4] craving to not experience unpleasant things in the current or future life, such as unpleasant people or situations.[5] This sort of craving may include attempts at suicide and self-annihilation, and this only results in further rebirth in a worse realm of existence.[5] This type of craving, states Phra Thepyanmongkol, is driven by the wrong view of annihilationism, that there is no rebirth.[16]
The second noble truth;
The Second Noble Truth teaches that the cause of suffering is greed or desire. The actual word from the early scriptures is tanha, and this is more accurately translated as "thirst" or "craving."
We continually search for something outside ourselves to make us happy. But no matter how successful we are, we never remain satisfied. The Second Truth is not telling us that we must give up everything we love to find happiness. The real issue here is more subtle; it's the attachment to what we desire that gets us into trouble.
The Buddha taught that this thirst grows from ignorance of the self. We go through life grabbing one thing after another to get a sense of security about ourselves. We attach not only to physical things but also to ideas and opinions about ourselves and the world around us. Then we grow frustrated when the world doesn't behave the way we think it should and our lives don't conform to our expectations.
Buddhist practice brings about a radical change in perspective. Our tendency to divide the universe into "me" and "everything else" fades away. In time, the practitioner is better able to enjoy life's experiences without judgment, bias, manipulation, or any of the other mental barriers we erect between ourselves and what's real.
The Buddha's teachings on karma and rebirth are closely related to the Second Noble Truth.
https://www.learnreligions.com/the-four-noble-truths-450095#The%20First%20Noble%20Truth
