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Is the desire for meaning considered an affliction or Kleshas in Buddhism?

IktomiIktomi
edited January 2012 in Philosophy
What do you think?

Comments

  • driedleafdriedleaf Veteran
    edited January 2012
    It depends on the meaning. Desire for meaning of what? Meaning of life? No.
  • personperson Don't believe everything you think The liminal space Veteran
    edited January 2012
    Compassion can be defined as the desire to rid others of their suffering. Some desires produce positive results, the desire for liberation, the desire for others to be happy.

    A problem can arise if we become attached to that desire. We desire to help someone but are somehow prevented from doing so and we become upset because of it. We have a natural desire to eat when hungry, but if we become attached to that desire to eat we can overeat and harm our health. A desire for success can help propel us to do well in life but if we're attached to that desire and fail we suffer mentally.

    There are desires that produce negative outcomes. A desire for another persons spouse, a desire for heroine.


    P.S. If you click on the word Categories there's a short explanation of each category. NewBuddhist.com is intended for technical issues related to the website.
  • IktomiIktomi
    Alright, for those unfamiliar with the subject matter, Kleshas (Sanskrit, also kleśa; Pali: kilesa; Tibetan: nyon mongs), in Buddhism, are mental states that cloud the mind and manifest in unwholesome actions. Kleshas include states of mind such as anxiety, fear, anger, jealousy, desire, depression, etc. Contemporary translators use a variety of English words to translate the term kleshas, such as: afflictions, passions, defilements, destructive emotions, disturbing emotions, negative emotions, mind poisons, etc.

    In the contemporary Mahayana and Theravada Buddhist traditions, the three kleshas of ignorance, attachment, and aversion are identified as the root or source of all other kleshas. These are referred to as the three poisons in the Mahayana tradition, or as the three unwholesome roots in the Theravada tradition.

    While the early Buddhist texts of the Pali canon do not specifically enumerate the three root kleshas, over time the three poisons (and the kleshas generally) came to be seen as the very roots of samsaric existence.
  • IktomiIktomi
    I didn't mean to start the topic in the technical category.
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