Raga (Sanskrit: राग, IAST: rāga; Pali rāga; Tibetan: 'dod chags) is a Buddhist and Hindu concept of character affliction or poison referring to any form of "greed, sensuality, lust, desire" or "attachment to a sensory object".[1][2][3] Raga is represented in the Buddhist artwork (Sanskrit: bhāvacakra) as the bird or rooster. In Hinduism, it is one of the five Kleshas or poisons that afflict the soul. In Buddhism, Raga is identified in the following contexts:[4]
- One of the three poisons within the Mahayana Buddhist tradition
- One of the three unwholesome roots within the Theravada Buddhist tradition
- One of the six root kleshas within the Mahayana Abhidharma teachings
- One of the fourteen unwholesome mental factors within the Theravada Abhidharma teachings
| Translations of raga | |
|---|---|
| English | greed, sensuality, desire, attachment or excitement for sensory objects, lust, sexual desire, passion |
| Sanskrit | राग (rāga) |
| Pali | රාග (rāga) |
| Burmese | လောဘ (ရာဂ) |
| Chinese | 貪 (T) / 贪 (S) |
| Japanese | 貪 (Rōmaji: ton) |
| Khmer | រាគៈ, រាគ, លោភៈ, លោភ (UNGEGN: Réakeăk, Réak, Loŭpheăk, Loŭp) |
| Korean | 탐 (RR: tam) |
| Tibetan | འདོད་ཆགས་ (Wylie: ‘dod chags; THL: döchak) |
| Thai | ราคะ (RTGS: rakha) |
| Vietnamese | Tham 貪 |
| Glossary of Buddhism | |
Definitions edit
Rāga literally means 'color or hue' in Sanskrit. In Buddhist texts as a form of blemish, personal impurity or fundamental character affliction.[5][6] The term Raga also refers to a melodic mode in Indian music.
In Buddhism edit
As a Buddhist philosophical concept, the term refers to 'greed, sensuality, desire' or 'attachment to a sensory object'.[1] It includes any form of desire including sexual desire and sensual passion, as well as attachments to, excitement over and pleasure derived from objects of the senses.[5] Some scholars render it as 'craving'.[7]
Raga is one of three poisons and afflictions, also called the "threefold fires" in Buddhist Pali canon,[8] that prevents a being from reaching nirvana.[9][10] To extinguish all raga (greed, lust, desire, attachment) is one of the requirements of nirvana (liberation) in Buddhism.[8]
The Abhidharma-samuccaya states:
- What is craving (raga)? It is attachment to the three realms of existence. Its function consists of engendering suffering.[7]
Raga is said to arise from the identification of the self as being separate from everything else.[11] This mis-perception or misunderstanding is referred to as avidya (ignorance).
See also edit
References edit
- ^ a b Robert E. Buswell Jr.; Donald S. Lopez Jr. (2013). The Princeton Dictionary of Buddhism. Princeton University Press. pp. 59, 68, 589. ISBN 978-1-4008-4805-8.
- ^ Thomas William Rhys Davids; William Stede (1921). Pali-English Dictionary. Motilal Banarsidass. p. 567. ISBN 978-81-208-1144-7.
- ^ Damien Keown (2004). A Dictionary of Buddhism. Oxford University Press. pp. 8, 47, 143. ISBN 978-0-19-157917-2.
- ^ Guenther (1975), Kindle Locations 715-718.
- ^ a b David Webster (2005). The Philosophy of Desire in the Buddhist Pali Canon. Routledge. pp. 100–101. ISBN 978-0-415-34652-8.
- ^ Thomas William Rhys Davids; William Stede (1921). Pali-English Dictionary. Motilal Banarsidass. pp. 214, 567. ISBN 978-81-208-1144-7.
- ^ a b Asaṅga; Walpola Rahula; Sara Boin-Webb (2001). Abhidharmasamuccaya: The Compendium of the Higher Teaching. Jain Publishing. p. 11. ISBN 978-0-89581-941-3.
- ^ a b Frank Hoffman; Deegalle Mahinda (2013). Pali Buddhism. Routledge. pp. 106–107. ISBN 978-1-136-78553-5.
- ^ David Webster (2005). The Philosophy of Desire in the Buddhist Pali Canon. Routledge. pp. 2–3. ISBN 978-0-415-34652-8.
- ^ Thomas William Rhys Davids; William Stede (1921). Pali-English Dictionary. Motilal Banarsidass. p. 362. ISBN 978-81-208-1144-7.
- ^ Ringu Tulku (2005), p. 29
Sources edit
- Ajahn Sucitto (2010). Turning the Wheel of Truth: Commentary on the Buddha's First Teaching. Shambhala.
- Goleman, Daniel (2008). Destructive Emotions: A Scientific Dialogue with the Dalai Lama. Bantam. Kindle Edition.
- Guenther, Herbert V. & Leslie S. Kawamura (1975), Mind in Buddhist Psychology: A Translation of Ye-shes rgyal-mtshan's "The Necklace of Clear Understanding" Dharma Publishing. Kindle Edition.
- Kunsang, Erik Pema (translator) (2004). Gateway to Knowledge, Vol. 1. North Atlantic Books.
- Leifer, Ron (1997). The Happiness Project. Snow Lion.
- Ringu Tulku (2005). Daring Steps Toward Fearlessness: The Three Vehicles of Tibetan Buddhism, Snow Lion.