Is there a list of things to abandon before abandoning craving?

Question

There are several things which Buddha asked us to abandon before we can abandon craving finally. For example Buddha asks us to abandon five fetters and hindrances.

My question is : Is there a complete list of things to abandon before abandoning craving ?

Answer 1

The mind can crave so many things. It's quite creative. You can see this creativity happen in the evolution of the Vinaya over time, as it has had to handle the rather bizarre cravings and loopholes that arise.

Given that delight is the root of suffering, you may notice the glow of delight and its relationship with cravings to be, cravings that are or cravings that were.

Consider greed, hate and delusion. One can see greed originating in delight. One can see hate as delight in rage. And one can also consider the role of delight in ignorance to be the seed of delusion (just a little bit won't hurt).

And one might consider that having a concrete, comprehensive list of cravings might suffice (e.g., the Vinaya). Yet any such list would still be incomplete. Mara is quite tricky. In mathematics, we can count. However we cannot enumerate the irrational numbers--there are just too many, and certainly an infinity in between. However, we can see delight.

Is there not delight here?

Monks, cultivated in what way does the perception of impermanence, being cultivated, much cultivated, enable abandoning all craving for sensual pleasures, craving for form, craving for the formless, restlessness, conceit, and ignorance

Answer 2

I have prepared a list of 20 unwholesome things to abandon before right concentration can be reached. (Without right concentration craving can not be removed.) I have taken these 20 unwholesome things from MN 117. They are based upon the Nobel Eight Fold Path.

Following is what Buddha has to say about these unwholesome states:

“Thus, bhikkhus, there are twenty factors on the side of the wholesome, and twenty factors on the side of the unwholesome. This Dhamma discourse on the Great Forty has been set rolling and cannot be stopped by any recluse or brahmin or god or Māra or Brahmā or anyone in the world.

Unwholesome factors are :

1. Abandon the view :There is nothing given, nothing offered, nothing sacrificed.
2. Abandon the view : There is no fruit or result of good and bad actions.
3. Abandon the view :There is no this world, no other world.
4. Abandon the view :There is no mother, no father.
5. Abandon the view : There are no beings who are reborn spontaneously.
6. Abandon the view: There are no good and virtuous recluses and brahmins in the world who have realised for themselves by direct knowledge and declare this world and the other world.
7. Abandon the intention : The intention of sensual desire.
8. Abandon the intention:the intention of ill will.
9. Abandon the intention:the intention of cruelty
10. Abandon the speech : False speech
11. Abandon the speech : malicious speech
12. Abandon the speech: harsh speech
13. Abandon the speech : Gossip
14. Abandon the action of: Killing living beings
15. Abandon the action of : taking what is not given
16. Abandon the action of : misconduct in sensual pleasures.
17. Abandon the livelihood based on : Scheming
18. Abandon the livelihood based on : talking
19. Abandon the livelihood based on: belittling
20. Abandon the livelihood based on: hinting

21. Abandon the livelihood based on: pursuing gain with gain

    (There is some counting mistake due to translation I guess. Otherwise there are 20 unwholesome factors which must be abandoned.)