What is raag and dwesh
Answer
In Jain Dharma, raag means attachment, liking, or emotional clinging, and dwesh means hatred, dislike, or aversion.Explanation
- Raag happens when the mind strongly desires something, becomes attached to a person, object, situation, or pleasure.
- Dwesh happens when the mind strongly rejects, resists, or hates something.
- Both are considered inner passions that disturb the soul’s natural state of peace.
In Jain teaching:
- Raag binds the soul through attachment.
- Dwesh binds the soul through anger and aversion.
- Both create karma and keep the soul away from liberation.
Spiritual Understanding
Jain Dharma teaches that the soul is pure by nature, but raag and dwesh cover that purity. When a person becomes free from both attachment and hatred, the mind becomes calm, balanced, and closer to liberation.The goal is not just to avoid dwesh, but also to reduce raag. True equanimity means:
- not becoming too attached when things are pleasant
- not becoming angry or hateful when things are unpleasant