Theos-Talk Archives (May 1999 Message tl00035)

In a message dated 5/20/99 7:12:07 AM Central Daylight Time, 
gschueler@netgsi.com writes:

> liberation from samsara (not necessarily an escape to nirvana)

This misunderstands nirvana, which is not escape or place.  Since many also 
assume nirvana is a state of self-extinction, I address that too.  The 
driving fuel of samsara, which makes the cycle of reincarnation one of 
compulsion like an out of control tailspin, is tanha.  Tanha is usually 
translated as desire but this is inadequate.  Look in the center of the 
Buddhist Wheel of Life diagram.  In the center is a snake, a rooster, and a 
pig chasing each other.  These are the three forms of tanha or its three 
components.  Anger, lust (drive to use others as object, whether sexual or 
political or whatever), and hunger.  Nirvana is the extinction of tanha only.