Raga (Sanskrit term)

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]

Translations of
raga
Englishgreed, sensuality, desire, attachment or excitement for sensory objects, lust, sexual desire, passion
Sanskritराग (rāga)
Paliරාග (rāga)
Burmeseလောဘ (ရာဂ)
Chinese貪 (T) / 贪 (S)
Japanese貪
(Rōmaji: ton)
Khmerរាគៈ, រាគ, លោភៈ, លោភ
(UNGEGN: Réakeăk, Réak, Loŭpheăk, Loŭp)
Korean탐
(RR: tam)
Tibetanའདོད་ཆགས་
(Wylie: ‘dod chags;
THL: döchak)
Thaiราคะ
(RTGS: rakha)
VietnameseTham
貪
Glossary of Buddhism

Definitions

Rāga literally means 'color or hue' in Sanskrit, but appears 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. 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

References
  1. 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.
  2. Thomas William Rhys Davids; William Stede (1921). Pali-English Dictionary. Motilal Banarsidass. p. 567. ISBN 978-81-208-1144-7.
  3. Damien Keown (2004). A Dictionary of Buddhism. Oxford University Press. pp. 8, 47, 143. ISBN 978-0-19-157917-2.
  4. Guenther (1975), Kindle Locations 715-718.
  5. David Webster (2005). The Philosophy of Desire in the Buddhist Pali Canon. Routledge. pp. 100–101. ISBN 978-0-415-34652-8.
  6. Thomas William Rhys Davids; William Stede (1921). Pali-English Dictionary. Motilal Banarsidass. pp. 214, 567. ISBN 978-81-208-1144-7.
  7. Asaṅga; Walpola Rahula; Sara Boin-Webb (2001). Abhidharmasamuccaya: The Compendium of the Higher Teaching. Jain Publishing. p. 11. ISBN 978-0-89581-941-3.
  8. Frank Hoffman; Deegalle Mahinda (2013). Pali Buddhism. Routledge. pp. 106–107. ISBN 978-1-136-78553-5.
  9. David Webster (2005). The Philosophy of Desire in the Buddhist Pali Canon. Routledge. pp. 2–3. ISBN 978-0-415-34652-8.
  10. Thomas William Rhys Davids; William Stede (1921). Pali-English Dictionary. Motilal Banarsidass. p. 362. ISBN 978-81-208-1144-7.
  11. Ringu Tulku (2005), p. 29

Sources
  • 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.
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