Taṇhā (Pāli; Sanskrit: tṛ́ṣṇā तृष्णा IPA:[trʂɳa]) is an important concept in Buddhism, referring to "thirst, desire, longing, greed", either physical or mental.[1][2] It is typically translated as craving,[3] and is of three types: kāma-taṇhā (craving for sensual pleasures), bhava-taṇhā (craving for existence), and vibhava-taṇhā (craving for non-existence).[4][5]
Taṇhā appears in the Four Noble Truths, wherein taṇhā is the cause of dukkha (suffering, pain, unsatisfactoriness) and the cycle of repeated birth, becoming and death (Saṃsāra).[1][2][4]