The Great Chronicle of Buddhas
by Ven. Mingun Sayadaw | 1990 | 1,044,401 words
This page describes how Craving arise due to Firm Opinion contained within the book called the Great Chronicle of Buddhas (maha-buddha-vamsa), a large compilation of stories revolving around the Buddhas and Buddhist disciples. This page is part of the series known as how the Āṭānāṭiya Paritta came to be Taught. This great chronicle of Buddhas was compiled by Ven. Mingun Sayadaw who had a thorough understanding of the thousands and thousands of Buddhist teachings (suttas).
Sakka’s Question (4): On how Craving arise due to Firm Opinion
After receiving with delight the Buddha’s answer, Sakka put his next question thus:
“Venerable Sir, what is the cause of craving or hankering (chanda taṇhā)? What is its origin? What is its genesis? What is its source? When what factor is present, does craving or hankering arises? When what factor is not present, does craving or hankering does not arise?”
The Buddha gave the answer:
“Sakka, King of Devas, craving or hankering has deliberation, decision, (vinicchaya-takka) as its cause, as its origin, as its genesis, as its source. When there is deliberation, decision, (vinicchaya-takka), craving or hankering arises. When there is no deliberation, decision, craving or hankering does not arise.”
(In this matter, vitakka is not mere thinking about something in general. It is making up the mind about something after due deliberation (vinicchaya-vitakka). In making up the mind, the Buddha has pointed out the decision may be made in two ways: (1) taṇhā-vinicchaya, decision that is influenced by kinds of craving and (2) diṭṭhi-vinicchaya, judgment made through 62 wrong views.
A decision influenced by craving cannot come to a judgment as to good or bad, agreeable or disagreeable. That is because, as the saying goes, one man’s food is another man’s poison. For example, earth-worm is a delicacy for certain rulers of the remote regions whereas it is nausea to those of the middle region or kingdoms. Venison is a delicacy for rulers of the middle region whereas it is disagreeable to those of the remote regions. In fact, decision influenced by craving is not a correct decision. After having acquired something, whether it relates to a visible object, or a sound, or an odour, or a taste, or a tangible object, one considers how much will go to others and how much will be kept for oneself. This manner of making a decision is the function of vinicchaya-vitakka.
Summing up: Where one makes up one’s mind about something that has been acquired after deliberating on it, and becomes attached to whatever is decided by oneself to remain one’s own, craving or hankering arises in respect of that object. That is the explanation of the Buddha’s answer that vinicchaya-vitakka is the cause of craving or hankering.