Pali Term: Vibhava

[Dmytro]

Hello Pali friends,

In Dhammacakkapavattana sutta, craving (taṇhā) is defined as being of three types:

And this, monks, is the noble truth of the origination of stress: the craving that makes for further becoming — accompanied by passion & delight, relishing now here & now there — i.e., craving for sensual pleasure, craving for becoming , craving for non-becoming.

“Katama~nca, bhikkhave, dukkhasamudaya.m ariyasacca.m? Yaaya.m ta.nhaa ponobbhavikaa nandiiraagasahagataa tatratatraabhinandinii. Seyyathida.m– kaamata.nhaa bhavata.nhaa vibhavata.nhaa.

MN 1.62

Explanation:

Tattha katamaa tisso ta.nhaa? Kaamata.nhaa, bhavata.nhaa, vibhavata.nhaa.
Tattha katamaa bhavata.nhaa? Bhavadi.t.thisahagato raago saaraago cittassa saaraago– aya.m vuccati “bhavata.nhaa”.
Tattha katamaa vibhavata.nhaa? Ucchedadi.t.thisahagato raago saaraago cittassa saaraago– aya.m vuccati “vibhavata.nhaa”. Avasesaa ta.nhaa kaamata.nhaa.
Tattha katamaa kaamata.nhaa? Kaamadhaatupa.tisa.myutto raago saaraago cittassa saaraago– aya.m vuccati “kaamata.nhaa”.
Ruupadhaatu-aruupadhaatupa.tisa.myutto raago saaraago cittassa saaraago– aya.m vuccati “bhavata.nhaa”.
Ucchedadi.t.thisahagato raago saaraago cittassa saaraago– aya.m vuccati “vibhavata.nhaa”. Imaa tisso ta.nhaa.

Vibhanga .365


Saa kaamaraagabhaavena ruupa.m assaadentii pavattamaanaa kaamata.nhaa. Sassatadi.t.thisahagataraagabhaavena ruupa.m nicca.m dhuva.m sassatanti eva.m assaadentii pavattamaanaa bhavata.nhaa. Ucchedadi.t.thisahagataraagabhaavena ruupa.m ucchijjati vinassati pecca na bhavissatiiti eva.m assaadentii pavattamaanaa vibhavata.nhaati eva.m tividhaa hoti.

Mulapannasa-Atthakatha 1.219


Vibhave ta.nhaa vibhavata.nhaa, ucchedadi.t.thisahagataraagasseta.m adhivacana.m.

Mahavagga-Atthakatha 3.800


Kaamata.nhaati pa~ncakaamagu.niko raago. ruupaaruupabhavesu pana raago jhaananikantisassatadi.t.thisahagato raago bhavavasena patthanaa bhavata.nhaa. ucchedadi.t.thisahagato raago vibhavata.nhaa. apica .thapetvaa pacchima.m ta.nhaadvaya.m sesata.nhaa kaamata.nhaa naama. yathaaha “tattha katamaa bhavata.nhaa? bhavadi.t.thisahagato raago saaraago cittassa saaraago. aya.m vuccati bhavata.nhaa. tattha katamaa vibhavata.nhaa? ucchedadi.t.thisahagato raago saaraago cittassa saaraago, aya.m vuccati vibhavata.nhaa. avasesaa ta.nhaa kaamata.nhaa”ti.

Pathikavagga-Atthakatha 3.988

Thus vibhava-ta.nhaa is a craving associated with a belief in a cessation of becoming after the death of the body.


As for the term 'vibhava':


Vibhavanti bhaavavigama.m.

Silakkhandhavagga-Atthakatha 1.120


Vibhavanti uccheda.m.

Itivuttaka-Atthakatha 1.179


Accordingly 'vibhava-ta.nhaa' can be translated as 'craving for cessation of becoming with the death of the body'.

See the suttas with the term 'vibhava':

"One neither fabricates nor mentally fashions for the sake of becoming or un-becoming."

http://www.accesstoinsight.org/canon/su ... mn140.html

"Bhikkhus, there are these two views: the view of being and the view of non-being. Any recluses or brahmans who rely on the view of being, adopt the view of being, accept the view of being, are opposed to the view of non-being. Any recluses or brahmans who rely on the view of non-being, adopt the view of non-being, accept the view of non-being, are opposed to the view of being."

http://www.accesstoinsight.org/lib/auth ... el390.html

See also:
http://groups.yahoo.com/group/Pali/message/7154
http://groups.yahoo.com/group/Pali/message/7146

Metta,

Dmytro

[Dmytro]

Ven. Gavesako wrote:

This was said by the Blessed One, said by the Arahant, so I have heard: "Overcome by two viewpoints, some human & divine beings adhere, other human & divine beings slip right past, while those with vision see.

"And how do some adhere? Human & divine beings enjoy becoming, delight in becoming, are satisfied with becoming. When the Dhamma is being taught for the sake of the cessation of becoming, their minds do not take to it, are not calmed by it, do not settle on it or become resolved on it. This is how some adhere.

"And how do some slip right past? Some, feeling horrified, humiliated, & disgusted with that very becoming, relish non-becoming: 'When this self, at the break-up of the body, after death, perishes & is destroyed, and does not exist after death, that is peaceful, that is exquisite, that is sufficiency!' This is how some slip right past.

"And how do those with vision see? There is the case where a monk sees what has come into being as come into being. Seeing what has come into being as come into being, he practices for disenchantment with what has come into being, dispassion toward what has come into being, cessation of what has come into being. This is how those with vision see."

Those, having seen
what's come to be
as what's come to be,
and what's gone beyond
what's come to be,
are released in line
with what's come to be,
through the exhaustion of craving
for
becoming.
If they've comprehended
what's come to be,
and are free from the craving
for becoming & non-,
with the non-becoming
of what's come to be,
monks come
to no further becoming.

Itivuttaka 49 (Thanissaro trs.)
http://www.accesstoinsight.org/tipitaka ... ml#iti-049

This is the Sutta passage in full to which the translator adds:
"Vibhava-ta.nhaa is a relishing of non-becoming, as opposed to the disenchantment, dispassion and cessation of becoming that constitute the proper attitude of one on the path -- a subtle distinction, but important. Vibhava-ta.nhaa assumes the existence of a self, which it may or may not regard as an illusion, but which it definitely wants to see annihilated. A person with vision, however, does not assume a self (doesn't even get involved in the question as to whether or not there is a self) He/she simply develops dispassion for whatever has come to be, and doesn't try to destroy what remains when all that has come into being finally ceases. ... It could cover anything from the death-wish to the sort of wish that finds fulfillment in very blank states of concentration. There is an element of self-annihilationism in the mind that finds satisfaction in the aruupa-jhana states and especially in what Ajaan Lee calls asa~n~nii-bhava." (source: private letter)

Bhikkhu Gavesako