UC Berkeley

The Concept of Saṃvega (Distress) in Early Buddhist Scripture is a study dedicated to the conception of emotions in the earliest strata of Buddhist literature. At the heart of this study lies the concept of saṃvega—a Sanskrit and Pāli word that covers a wide range of emotional states, including distress, fear, melancholy, awe, revulsion, shock, agitation, and shame. The use of saṃvega in the early Buddhist canonical texts is rife with tensions. Saṃvega is depicted as a horrifying and dejecting experience, yet at the same time, it is unequivocally recognized as beneficial and even essential. The complexity of saṃvega is the product of articulating a distinctly Buddhist emotional state, an occurrence and disposition carefully attuned to the reality of impermanence and suffering disclosed by the Buddha’s teaching. This extensive inquiry of saṃvega unpacks the rich meaning of this philosophical concept and challenges some of the commonly held assumptions and beliefs about emotions in Buddhist thought. The textual sources presented in this dissertation reveal a largely neglected component of the early Buddhist vocabulary, imagination, and practice, providing the reader with materials to reconsider the role of emotions in early Buddhism.