Thanha & Chandha
(Originally written in from July, 2001)
It's hot, hot, hot in my neck of the woods [Stittsville, Canada]. And I just love it.
Here's one of those thoughtful ditties. Useful? Up to you.
Your Gaga
~~~~~~~
From Buddhist Economics by P. A. Payutto.
... Buddhism recognizes 2 different kinds of wanting: 1) thanha-- the desire for pleasure objects and 2) chandha-- the desire for well-being. Thanha is based on ignorance; chandha is based on wisdom, and thus is part of the process of solving problems.
Tanha and chandha both lead to satisfaction, but of different kinds. Using the example of eating, people who are driven by tanha will seek to satisfy this blind craving for sensual pleasure, which, in this case, is the flavor of the food that gives rise to taste contact, and then the feelings of pleasure associated with taste. Satisfaction results from the experience of eating the food. But when guided by chandha, desires are directed towards well-being--one is not compelled to overeat or eat eat kinds of food that are not nutritious simply because they taste good. Instead, we eat to satisfy hunger and nourish the body. Here satisfaction results from the assurance of well-being provided by the act of eating. We enjoy our food, but not in ways that can lead to remorse.
Chandha leads to effort and action based on intelligence and clear thinking. By contrast, tanha leads to blind seeking based on ignorance. Both these internal desires motivate behavior, but wiith very different ethical consequences. In Buddhism, ethical value can be judged by whether it is motivated by tanha or chandha, and (on a deeper level) by ignorance or wisdom.
When greed (tanha) drives economic decisions, behavior tends to be morally unskillful, but when desire for well-being (chandha) is guiding them, economic behavior will be morally skillful. By judging economic behavior in this way, we see how mental states, moral behavior and economic activity are linked in the cause and effect stream.
From the Buddhist point of view, economic activity should be a means to a good and noble life. Production, consumption and other economic activities are not ends in themselves; they are the means, with the well-being of the individual within society as the goal.
Contrary to the misconception that Buddhism is only for renunciants, Buddhists recognize the acquiring of wealth is one of life's fundamental activities, and the Buddha gave many teachings on the proper way to acquire wealth. But he always stressed that the purpose of wealth is to facilitate the development of the highest human potential.
Since the major part of our lives are spent in economic activities, if economics is to have any real part to play in the resolution of human problems, then all economic activities-- production, consumption, and spending-- must contribute to well-being and help realize the potential for a good and noble life. This will ensure the quality of our lives. ...
~~~~~
Stay well... and watch what you eat, say, and do ;-)
It's hot, hot, hot in my neck of the woods [Stittsville, Canada]. And I just love it.
Here's one of those thoughtful ditties. Useful? Up to you.
Your Gaga
~~~~~~~
From Buddhist Economics by P. A. Payutto.
... Buddhism recognizes 2 different kinds of wanting: 1) thanha-- the desire for pleasure objects and 2) chandha-- the desire for well-being. Thanha is based on ignorance; chandha is based on wisdom, and thus is part of the process of solving problems.
Tanha and chandha both lead to satisfaction, but of different kinds. Using the example of eating, people who are driven by tanha will seek to satisfy this blind craving for sensual pleasure, which, in this case, is the flavor of the food that gives rise to taste contact, and then the feelings of pleasure associated with taste. Satisfaction results from the experience of eating the food. But when guided by chandha, desires are directed towards well-being--one is not compelled to overeat or eat eat kinds of food that are not nutritious simply because they taste good. Instead, we eat to satisfy hunger and nourish the body. Here satisfaction results from the assurance of well-being provided by the act of eating. We enjoy our food, but not in ways that can lead to remorse.
Chandha leads to effort and action based on intelligence and clear thinking. By contrast, tanha leads to blind seeking based on ignorance. Both these internal desires motivate behavior, but wiith very different ethical consequences. In Buddhism, ethical value can be judged by whether it is motivated by tanha or chandha, and (on a deeper level) by ignorance or wisdom.
When greed (tanha) drives economic decisions, behavior tends to be morally unskillful, but when desire for well-being (chandha) is guiding them, economic behavior will be morally skillful. By judging economic behavior in this way, we see how mental states, moral behavior and economic activity are linked in the cause and effect stream.
From the Buddhist point of view, economic activity should be a means to a good and noble life. Production, consumption and other economic activities are not ends in themselves; they are the means, with the well-being of the individual within society as the goal.
Contrary to the misconception that Buddhism is only for renunciants, Buddhists recognize the acquiring of wealth is one of life's fundamental activities, and the Buddha gave many teachings on the proper way to acquire wealth. But he always stressed that the purpose of wealth is to facilitate the development of the highest human potential.
Since the major part of our lives are spent in economic activities, if economics is to have any real part to play in the resolution of human problems, then all economic activities-- production, consumption, and spending-- must contribute to well-being and help realize the potential for a good and noble life. This will ensure the quality of our lives. ...
~~~~~
Stay well... and watch what you eat, say, and do ;-)
posted by Gaga | 2:36 PM
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