Early Buddhist Theory of Knowledge c14.53

c14.53

(740) The impact of desire on belief is clearly recognized in Buddhism. One of the causal statements made is that 'on account of desire there is clinging' (taṇhāpaccayā upādānam, M. I.261). This 'clinging' is described as four-fold, viz. clinging to sense-pleasures (kāmupādānam), to rituals (sīlabbatupādānam), to *metaphysical beliefs* (diṭṭhupādānam) and to *soul- (or substance-) theories* (attavādupādānam) We are here only concerned with the latter two. This means that we believe in certain metaphysical theories and soul- or substance-theories because we are impelled by our desires to believe in them.¹ These desires are analysed as three-fold, viz. the desire for sense-gratification (kāma-taṇhā, M. I.48, 299; III.250), the desire for personal immortality (bhava-taṇhā, *loc. cit.*) and the desire for annihilation (or the desire for power?² vibhava-taṇhā, *loc. cit.*). These specific desires are not correlated with any particular beliefs in the Pāli tradition, but most probably it would have been thought that those whose desire for personal immortality (bhava-taṇhā) was strong would have believed in 'a theory of personal immortality' (bhava-diṭṭhi, A. I.83), while those who had a strong desire for annihilation (vibhava-taṇhā) would have believed in an 'annihilationist (Materialist) theory' (vibhava-diṭṭhi, M. I 65). The beliefs in soul and substance thus not only have their origins in our linguistic habits (*v. supra*, 133, 533) but is also rooted in a craving in us to believe in them. The acceptance of a causal impact of our desires on our beliefs did not, however, result in scepticism with regard to the possibility of knowledge, since according to the Buddhist theory, causation was not deterministic (*v. infra*, 764) and desires therefore did not necessitate all our beliefs The stress laid on the importance of eliminating subjective bias is therefore probably due to a realization of this impact of desire on belief. The objectivity that should be achieved in introspection after attaining the fourth jhāna is described as follows: