Craving (SN45.170)

Linked Discourses 45.170

13. Searches

Craving

“Mendicants, there are these three cravings.

What three?

Craving for sensual pleasures, craving for continued existence, and craving for nonexistence.

These are the three cravings.

The noble eightfold path should be developed for the direct knowledge, complete understanding, finishing, and giving up of these three cravings.

What is the noble eightfold path?

It’s when a mendicant develops right view, right purpose, right speech, right action, right livelihood, right effort, right mindfulness, and right immersion, which rely on seclusion, fading away, and cessation, and ripen as letting go.

This is the noble eightfold path that should be developed for the direct knowledge, complete understanding, finishing, and giving up of these three cravings.”

Thirst¹

“Mendicants, there are these three thirsts.

What three?

Thirst for sensual pleasures, thirst to continue existence, and thirst to end existence.

For the direct knowledge, complete understanding, finishing, and giving up of these three thirsts …

… which culminates in the removal of greed, hate, and delusion.

… whose objective, destination, and culmination is freedom from death.

… which slants, slopes, and inclines to extinguishment.

The noble eightfold path should be developed for the direct knowledge, complete understanding, finishing, and giving up of these three thirsts.”