Desire

In page 4 of his book, The Philosophy of Desire in the Buddhist Pali Canon, David Webster quotes Mrs Caroline Rhys Davids saying "...that the one English word ‘desire’ is made to do duty for no less than seventeen Pali words." Davids, R., ‘On the Will in Buddhism.’ In The Journal of the Royal Asiatic Society of Great Britain and Ireland. Vol. 1, 1898. p. 55.

In her 1898 article, Mrs Rhys Davids wrote "In the 6th sutta of MN, 17 desires for self-improvement are met by advice as to how they may be realised." p.51

She continued on p.55, "For instance, a comparison of the translations made by such scholars as Burnouf, Foucaux, Max Muller, Fausboll, Oldenberg, and Warren with the originals, discloses the striking fact that the one English word 'desire' is made to do duty for no less than seventeen Pali words, not one of which means desire taken in its ordinary general sense, but rather in that of perverted, morbid, excessive desire."

Mrs Rhys Davids' original 1898 article can be found here. Or you can access a re-formatted, easier to read version here.

In the appendix to her article, on p.57 and p.58, Mrs Rhys Davids lists all the different words used by the scholars she named. I interpret her list below, omitting nekkhammam and chandaragaviratto, which are more about abandoning desire, although your mileage may vary.

Very loosely, the words for desire can be arranged on a continuum from unwholesome, or unskilful, to wholesome or skilful, or, if you prefer, from the gross to the more desirable.

Below is a list of Pali words with a proximate meaning of ‘desire’, arranged from the gross tanhā at the top through to the more desirable chanda. The first list is compiled by me, the second list by Mrs Rhys Davids' compiled from the named scholars quoted above.

Author's list

1. taṇhā - craving, thirst, hunger for, excitement, fever of unsatisfied longing, greed

2. nikanti - desire, craving, longing for, wish, wanting, attachment, fondness, appetite

3. rāga - lust, passion

4. gedha - greed, craving

5. giddhi - greed, desire

6. apekkhati – to desire, long for, look for, expect

7. kāmeti – to desire, to crave, to crave for any object of pleasure

8. ākaṅkhā (hope, expectation, to wish for, think of, desire, intend, plan, design)

9. abhikaṅkhati – to desire after, long for, wish

10. icchā (wish, wanting, longing, desire)

11. pattheti – to wish for, desire, pray for

12. nandi - delight, clinging Joy

13. kāma – to desire

14. āsā – expectation, wish, hope, longing, desire

15. ruci – inclination, liking, pleasure

16. abhilāsā – desire, wish, longing

17. chanda - wholesome desire, zeal, impulse, excitement, intention, will, desire for, delight in

Given the closeness in meaning of the English words desire, craving and greed, this list is open to further interpretation and further words for consideration are included below, although some are derivations of those listed above.

abhijjhā - covetousness, greed for what others have
abhikankhita – desired, wished, longed for
adhimokkha - resolution, determination
āsava - mental outflows
icchati – to wish, desire, ask for
icchita – wished, desired, longed for
kāmita – desired
lobha - covetousness, greed, craving
manoratha – desired object (of mind)
patthanā - aspiration
patthita – wished for, desired, sought after
pipāsā – desire to drink, thirst

Mrs Rhys Davids' list

1. upādānaṃ - grasping

2. taṇhā - thirst, craving

3. kāma - sensual desires

4. āsava - desire

5. vana - desire

6. sita - clinging bond, depending on, attached

7. nirāsasa - desireless, without wishes or expectations

8. anasaso - free from hankering after

9. sineho - cleaving, stickiness, lust, desire

10. chātatā - hunger

11. kaye chandaṃ - desire for the body

12. ussada - arrogance, fullness

13. paṇidhi - aspiration, after becoming and not-becoming, wish, resolve

14. ākāsaṃ - space, "puffed-up state"

15. visattikām - lust, desire, attachment, craving

16. anejo - greed (or free from desire?)

17. jappitani - mumblings, prayers

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