39b: Sakka’s Questions – 1416
wishes: “May that person not have those things!” Thus envy arises. This is envy
that springs from what other people already possess.
This latter explanation is not given in detail since it has already been
shown in the commentary. The former explanation is made in an
inferential way which is suitably modified to be in line with the sub-
commentary thereto, and
the sub-commentary to the Abundance of
Meaning (
Aṭṭha-sālinī
, DsA). If someone came and asked for a loan of
these persons or things of one’s liking even for a short time, the owner is
not willing to part with them. This is how persons or things that ought not
to be cherished can also become a source of envy and stinginess.
The Third Question on Like and Dislike
Sakka received with delight the Buddha’s answer and asked the next question:
“Venerable sir, what is the cause of like and dislike? What is their origin? What
is their genesis? What is their source? When what factor is present, do
[955]
like
and dislike arise? When what factor is not present, do like and dislike not arise?”
And the Buddha answered thus: “Sakka, the Lord of the Devas, like and dislike
have greedy craving (
chanda-taṇhā
) as their cause, as their origin, as their
genesis, as their source. When greedy craving is present, like and dislike arise.
When greedy craving is not present, like and dislike do not arise.”
Herein,
chanda
is synonymous with desires or wishes.
Chanda
is used in
two ways: wishing to see, hear, smell, taste, touch or to know, and craving
for sense objects. The former is a wholesome factor called desire to do
(
kattu-kamyatā chanda
) which has the mental concomitant desire (
chanda
),
a wish to do. The latter is craving (
taṇhā
) which has the mental
concomitant greed (
lobha
), hankering after various sense objects. What is
meant here is the latter type, greedy craving (
lobha-taṇhā-chanda
).
Five Kinds of Craving
1. Craving developed while seeking objects of sense pleasure (
pariyesana-
chanda
).
2. Craving developed while acquiring objects of sense pleasure (
paṭilābha-
chanda
).
3. Craving developed while enjoying objects of sense pleasure (
paribhoga-
chanda
).