Dukkha Suffering

The significance of the Buddhist teachings has impacted the everyday lives of Buddhist adherents as it provides a set of guidance, in which the goal of individuals is to improve themselves through effort and ultimately reach Nirvana, enlightenment. Through the Four Noble truths; The existence of Dukkha (Suffering),

The book of Job 1:3, in The New Oxford Annonated Bible, states "Job was the

Suffering is something everyone has to deal with, but what we become from it changes us.The definition of suffering is the state of undergoing pain, distress, or hardship. When undergoing pain, we might be hurting on the outside and the inside, but in the long run, we can put that suffering to some great use. In A Separate Peace written by John Knowles, some characters experience suffering throughout their lives. The act of suffering caused Phineas to be tough enough to do anything without fear standing in his way. Suffering can make a person stronger because it gives one strength, allows one to control the future, and prepares one for difficult situations.

A common emotion towards death in the Buddhist culture is being scared to die. This is because Buddhists all believe in a never ending life cycle called reincarnation. This means that when somebody dies their spirit will be brought back but not in the same form as their former life. It was believed that when Genji passed away he was reincarnated as his son Kaoru who acts just like Genji did and displays the same heroism. Who or what they are in their next life all revolves around karma. If they were a bad person and they were something such as an emperor in their next life they will be reincarnated into a lower status such as being a peasant. If they were a good person, they will earn a better position in their subsequent life. No matter the status of the person in their current existence, they were all petrified of dying because even feeling simple emotions that can seem uncontrollable such as jealously or anger can be enough to be demoted in your next life. The only way to escape this reincarnation cycle was to become “enlightened”. Being enlightened is the ultimate goal when practicing Buddhism as it is the highest level that can be achieved.

Throughout the first part of the novel Siddhartha written by Herman Hesse, each chapter represents one of the Four Noble Truths. This chapter “The Brahmin Son” represents the Noble Truth “Life is Suffering”, in translation life consists of suffering and dissatisfaction. Suffering does not only come from the body but there also forms of mental suffering. On page 5 of the novel it states, “That was how everybody loved Siddhartha. He delighted and made everybody happy. But Siddhartha himself was not happy.” This quote shows that Siddhartha is in fact mentally suffering because he is not happy. From this it is clear that Siddhartha lives a life of suffering which demonstrates that Siddhartha wasn’t happy because all that he was taught by his father

Dukkha, simply put, is an acknowledgement that suffering epitomizes the human experience. Sure there are beautiful moments in life, however those merely come from the easing of this pain. Instead, the vast majority of life is composed of physical and emotional turmoil. From death, to heartbreak, to greed, the fact is life is usually hell on earth. And this is more than an ancient eastern belief; two thousand years later the English philosopher, Thomas Hobbes, echoed the words of the Buddha. In his book, Leviathan or The Matter, Forme and Power of a Common Wealth Ecclesiasticall and Civil, Hobbes perfectly paints human nature’s brutality: “The life of man [is] solitary, poor, nasty, brutish, and short”. He argues that government and laws originate from the desperate hope to move past this suffering. However, by looking at various political climates all over the world, it is apparent that even governments cannot alleviate the inherent darkness of human life.

We must learn to maneuver this fear of death and loss and overcome it to the point where we do not let our fear of the impermanence of death stop us from feeling happiness from our close relationships. Before doing so, we must state our definition of happiness as it varies from one person to the next. Looking at it from Daniel M. Haybron’s views, one of his three basic theories to happiness is the one this essay shall support; which is an emotional state theory. This state is known as happiness from a positive emotional condition. The state of mind one gets from surrounding themselves with loved ones brings absolute joy and happiness to people, although as the Buddhists state in their second form of suffering, with happiness comes suffering, all negative experiences deriving from impermanence; after the first form of suffering which is all the experiences that one would usually classify as painful. One cannot avoid the suffering that comes along with impermanence, not only is there suffering in not getting

Expressed in a slightly different way, one may conclude that everything in the world, is ultimately unsatisfying. One also may conclude: it is impossible to satisfy ourselves with worldly things. This may be the best translation of them all. The fact that we cannot be ultimately satisfied means all aspects of life are filled with dukkha, and this causes suffering. Buddha further suggested that there are three kinds of dukkha. Everyday dukkha (dukkha-dukkha) relates to the ups and downs of daily living, birth, death, and physical pain. The dukkha of change or changing circumstances (virapinama-dukkha) recognizes that we have an innate desire to keep things the way they are when they are good but we cannot. Finally, dukkha caused by the innate flaw of our conditioned existence (samkara-dukkha) describes the dissatisfaction or difficulty that arises from the fact that we are not perfect, eternal beings but are made up of the five skandha (aggregates) which become the hooks on which our attachments hang. It is these attachments that are at the root of our suffering.

While reaching and aboding in the Four Absorptions, the Buddha reflected on the Four Aryan Truths. With his mind fully awakened “he fathomed the Twelve Causes in the chain of Dependent Origination” (93). The Twelve Causes were as follows; “in the past life: 1. There is ignorance, 2. Ignorance conditions the predisposing mental formations, in the presents life: 3. The predisposing mental formations condition discriminative consciousness, 4. discriminative consciousness conditions mind-in-body, 5. mind-in-body conditions the six senses, 6. six senses condition contact, 7. Contact conditions feeling, 8. Feeling conditions craving, 9. Craving conditions attachment, 10. Attachment conditions the process of becoming, in the future: 11. The process of becoming conditions rebirth, 12. Rebirth conditions decay and death, likewise sorrow, lamentation, pain, grief, and despair” (93-94). The Buddha then proclaimed, “Thus does the entire mass of suffering arise. But on the complete fading out and cessation of ignorance, this entire mass of suffering comes to an end” (94). The Buddha and his followers believe that in order to achieve nirvana and cease rebirth one must first extinguish ignorance of the Four Aryan Truths within one’s self through the Four

In Buddha’s main teachings there is three marks of dharma. Nothing in our world stays the same; we are always changing, growing, and aging. Every second, something is changing inside of our bodies and in our mind. Technology is always improving and becoming better. The weather changes every time there is a new season. Nothing is permanent, and that is the teaching of anitya, or impermanence. The teaching of anatman, or no self, deals with the impermanence of humans. The last teaching is duhkha, or suffering. This is the main problem that Buddha saw in the world. This suffering is caused from things we want, but cannot have, or keep in our possession. Another part of the Buddha’s teachings is the

There are three forms of desire (Tanha) and they show us the different ways we cause our own suffering. Kama Tanha, meaning sensual pleasures, shows the desire to have any form of pleasure that stimulates our senses. Bhava Tanha is the desire to ‘become’ we all have life dreams and hopes, and these ambitions cause us to desire our goals, and finally, Vibhava Tanha is the desire to get rid of. We say things like “I want to get rid of my anger” rather than accepting it, and life, as the way it is. The only reality worth contemplating is Anicca, because of change.

The role of suffering is one that everyone assumes at least one point in their life. I8 am lu7cky enough to say that I have yet to take on that role. Neibuhr says that people find their individuality after suffering, and I agree. I may not have dealt with suffering myself, but I know a lot of people that have.

Chapter 9: Why Is There So Much Suffering?, pp. 77-87 In the introduction of this chapter, the Dr. White cited several tragic situations in which, both, believer and non-believers experienced great suffering and emotional pain. It is not unusual for these tragedies to prompt seekers to inquire, especially of those faiths that believe in a loving , personal, caring God — such as Christianity — “Why should God allow this pain and suffering?” The author believes the answer lies within what is called free will, and he seeks to bring a solution to this inquiry in the remainder of this chapter.

Dukkha applies to me a time when I felt happiness that could not be ruined. My day had awaken as I experienced one of the best feeling of happiness, enjoyment, and unforgetfulness situations that I wish i can rewind and could transpire everyday. I experienced Dukkha as my grandma called me and told me the best news ever, so i’m going to use this as my dukkha

Bhasa starts his play Urubhanga with the picturisation of samandhapanjaka war in the eyes of warriers. There after the war of two equal fighters Bhima and Duryodhana.In between the explanations of their physical features Bhima fall down with the beat of Duryodhana with his mace. Duryodhana advised him to come out of fear. When their war restart Krishna advised Bhima to hit Duryodhana in his thigh. It is quite different from current phrases. This incident leads to express the intensity of inner feeling thereafter. Balarama felt angry to Beema for not giving any importance to the norms and rules of mace. He introduced the cheated Duryodhana. Duryodhana’s repentance is revealed through his words that Beema (pandavas) didn’t threaten him. Duryodhana disagree to the words of Balarama that he will sent the pandavas who killed Duryodhana to heaven along with him in his journey to there (32). There we found the helplessness, merciful Duryodhana. Duryodhana’s these feeling revealed through his word to Balarama. He asked him that Kauravas were killed, i too in this instance, then what is the relevance of war? According to Duryodhana, this is not a victory to pandavas because the vigor Beema killed him through betrayal. Through this Bhasa tried to force viewers to support Duryodhana.