The Characteristic of Lobha - Lobha
Lobha is 'clinging' or 'attachment'. The 'Visuddhimagga' (XIV, 162) states:
....lobha has the characteristic of grasping an object,
like birdlime (lit. 'monkey lime').
Its function is sticking,
like meat put in a hot pan.
It is manifested as not giving up,
like the dye of lampblack.
Its proximate cause is seeing enjoyment in things that lead to bondage.
Swelling with the current of craving,
it should be regarded as taking (beings) with it to states of loss,
as a swift-flowing river does to the great ocean.
Lobha is sometimes translated as 'greed' or 'craving'; it can be translated by
different words, since there are many degrees of lobha. Lobha can be
coarse, medium or subtle. Most people can recognize lobha when it is very
obvious, but not when it is of a lesser degree. For example, we can recognize
lobha when we are inclined to eat too much of a delicious meal, or when we
are attached to alcoholic drinks and cigarettes. We are attached to people and
we suffer when we lose those who are dear to us through death. Then we
can see that attachment brings sorrow. Sometimes attachment is very
obvious, but there are many degrees of lobha and often we may not know
that we have lobha. Cittas arise and fall away very rapidly and we may not
realize it when lobha arises on account of what we experience in daily life
through the six doors, especially if the degree of lobha is not as intense as
greed or lust. Every time there is a pleasant sight, sound, odour, taste or
tangible object, lobha is likely to arise. It arises countless times a day.