noun
worldly desires; attachment to the secular world
Often used in Buddhist or literary contexts to describe lingering attachment to worldly pleasures and concerns, especially when contrasted with spiritual detachment. The word carries a slightly old-fashioned or formal tone.
出家しても娑婆っ気が抜けない人もいる。
Even after becoming a monk, some people cannot rid themselves of worldly desires.
彼の娑婆っ気は、金銭や名誉への執着に表れていた。
His attachment to the secular world showed itself in his obsession with money and fame.
A more common Buddhist term for worldly desires or passions that cause suffering. 娑婆っ気 is more colloquial and specifically refers to the lingering attachment to the mundane world.
Means 'worldliness' or 'vulgarity' in a more general sense, not necessarily tied to Buddhist context. 娑婆っ気 has a stronger nuance of attachment to the secular life.
From 娑婆 (しゃば, 'this world' or 'the secular world', from Sanskrit sahā) + 気 (け, 'feeling' or 'spirit'). The small っ is a euphonic insertion. The word literally means 'the spirit of the secular world'.