ABSTRACT
Kāma is a Sanskrit noun which we will usually translate as “desire.” Desire is familiar to all human beings, whether we think of it as something to be followed or as something to be resisted. We may say, therefore, that kāma is a constant, given in nature. On the other hand, like any of the apparent constants of human experience, it varies from culture to culture. This chapter will examine some aspects of the concept of kāma and its various cultural contexts.
