How do you related yourself to dukkha ?

Isis SG

The first noble truth - the noble truth of dukkha

The definition
"Now this, monks, is the Noble Truth of dukkha: Birth is dukkha, aging is dukkha, death is dukkha; sorrow, lamentation, pain, grief, & despair are dukkha; association with the unbeloved is dukkha; separation from the loved is dukkha; not getting what is wanted is dukkha. In short, the five clinging-aggregates are dukkha."

Sariputta's elaboration

[Ven. Sariputta:] "Now what, friends, is the noble truth of stress? Birth is stressful, aging is stressful, death is stressful; sorrow, lamentation, pain, distress, & despair are stressful; association with the unbeloved is stressful; separation from the loved is stressful; not getting what is wanted is stressful. In short, the five clinging-aggregates are stressful.

"And what is birth? Whatever birth, taking birth, descent, coming-to-be, coming-forth, appearance of aggregates, & acquisition of [sense] spheres of the various beings in this or that group of beings, that is called birth.

"And what is aging? Whatever aging, decrepitude, brokenness, graying, wrinkling, decline of life-force, weakening of the faculties of the various beings in this or that group of beings, that is called aging.

"And what is death? Whatever deceasing, passing away, breaking up, disappearance, dying, death, completion of time, break up of the aggregates, casting off of the body, interruption in the life faculty of the various beings in this or that group of beings, that is called death.

"And what is sorrow? Whatever sorrow, sorrowing, sadness, inward sorrow, inward sadness of anyone suffering from misfortune, touched by a painful thing, that is called sorrow.

"And what is lamentation? Whatever crying, grieving, lamenting, weeping, wailing, lamentation of anyone suffering from misfortune, touched by a painful thing, that is called lamentation.

"And what is pain? Whatever is experienced as bodily pain, bodily discomfort, pain or discomfort born of bodily contact, that is called pain.

"And what is distress? Whatever is experienced as mental pain, mental discomfort, pain or discomfort born of mental contact, that is called distress.

"And what is despair? Whatever despair, despondency, desperation of anyone suffering from misfortune, touched by a painful thing, that is called despair.

"And what is the stress of association with the unbeloved? There is the case where undesirable, unpleasing, unattractive sights, sounds, aromas, flavors, or tactile sensations occur to one; or one has connection, contact, relationship, interaction with those who wish one ill, who wish for one's harm, who wish for one's discomfort, who wish one no security from the yoke. This is called the stress of association with the unbeloved.

"And what is the stress of separation from the loved? There is the case where desirable, pleasing, attractive sights, sounds, aromas, flavors, or tactile sensations do not occur to one; or one has no connection, no contact, no relationship, no interaction with those who wish one well, who wish for one's benefit, who wish for one's comfort, who wish one security from the yoke, nor with one's mother, father, brother, sister, friends, companions, or relatives. This is called the stress of separation from the loved.

"And what is the stress of not getting what is wanted? In beings subject to birth, the wish arises, 'O, may we not be subject to birth, and may birth not come to us.' But this is not to be achieved by wanting. This is the stress of not getting what is wanted. In beings subject to aging... illness... death... sorrow, lamentation, pain, distress, & despair, the wish arises, 'O, may we not be subject to aging... illness... death... sorrow, lamentation, pain, distress, & despair, and may aging... illness... death... sorrow, lamentation, pain, distress, & despair not come to us.' But this is not to be achieved by wanting. This is the stress of not getting what is wanted.

"And what are the five clinging-aggregates that, in short, are stressful? The clinging-aggregate of form, the clinging-aggregate of feeling, the clinging-aggregate of perception, the clinging-aggregate of fabrications, the clinging-aggregate of consciousness: These are called the five clinging-aggregates that, in short, are stressful.

"This, friends, is called the noble truth of stress

Isis SG

The first noble truth is that of dukkha, translated here as stress and suffering. The term has a wide range of other meanings as well, including distress, dis-ease, and what is probably its most elemental meaning pain. People learn their most basic strategies for dealing with pain in very early childhood, when their powers of observation are undeveloped and they cannot learn from the verbal lessons of others. Being in such a stage, they are in a poor position to understand pain, and it often leaves them bewildered. This means that they develop unskillful ways of handling it. Even when their minds later develop verbal and higher logical skills, many of the unskillful strategies and attitudes toward pain that they developed in early childhood persist on a subconscious level.

One of the most important insights leading up to the Buddha's Awakening was his realization that the act of comprehending pain lay at the essence of the spiritual quest. In trying to comprehend pain instead of simply trying to get rid of it in line with one's habitual tendencies one learns many valuable lessons. To begin with, one can end any sense of bewilderment in the face of pain. In seeing pain for what it truly is, one can treat it more effectively and skillfully, thus weakening the process by which pain and ignorance feed on each other. At the same time, as one learns to resist one's habitual reactions to pain, one begins to delve into the non-verbal, subconscious levels of the mind, bringing to light many ill-formed and hidden processes of which one was previously unaware. In this sense, pain is like a watering hole where all the animals in the forest all the mind's subconscious tendencies will eventually come to drink. Just as a naturalist who wants to make a survey of the wildlife in a particular area can simply station himself near a watering hole, in the same way, a meditator who wants to understand the mind can simply keep watch right at pain in order to see what subconscious reactions will appear. Thus the act of trying to comprehend pain leads not only to an improved understanding of pain itself, but also to an increased awareness of the most basic processes at work in the mind. As one sees how any lack of skill in these processes, and in particular in one's reactions to pain, leads only to more pain, one's mind opens to the possibility that more skillful reactions will not only alleviate specific pains but also lead away from pain altogether. Passage §238 shows how conviction in this possibility which is nothing other than the principle of kamma leads from the experience of stress and pain into a causal chain that cuts the bewilderment leading to further pain and ends in total release.

Although pain is the best vantage point for observing the processes of the mind, it is also the most difficult, simply because it is so unpleasant and hard to bear. This is why discernment needs the faculties of conviction, persistence, mindfulness, and concentration to give it the detached assurance and steady focus needed to stick with pain in and of itself, in the phenomenological mode, and not veer off into the usual narratives, abstract theories, and other unskillful defenses the mind devises against the pain. Only through the development of the five faculties into right concentration does discernment have the basis of pleasure and equanimity needed to probe into pain without feeling threatened by it, thus being able to arrive at an unbiased understanding of its true nature.

Continued> H (ii). Discernment: The First Truth
http://www.accesstoinsight.org/lib/authors/thanissaro/wings/part3.html#part3-h-2

Isis SG

The Four Noble Truths

1. Life means suffering.

2. The origin of suffering is attachment.

3. The cessation of suffering is attainable.

4. The path to the cessation of suffering.

1. Life means suffering.

To live means to suffer, because the human nature is not perfect and neither is the world we live in. During our lifetime, we inevitably have to endure physical suffering such as pain, sickness, injury, tiredness, old age, and eventually death; and we have to endure psychological suffering like sadness, fear, frustration, disappointment, and depression. Although there are different degrees of suffering and there are also positive experiences in life that we perceive as the opposite of suffering, such as ease, comfort and happiness, life in its totality is imperfect and incomplete, because our world is subject to impermanence. This means we are never able to keep permanently what we strive for, and just as happy moments pass by, we ourselves and our loved ones will pass away one day, too.

2. The origin of suffering is attachment.

The origin of suffering is attachment to transient things and the ignorance thereof. Transient things do not only include the physical objects that surround us, but also ideas, and -in a greater sense- all objects of our perception. Ignorance is the lack of understanding of how our mind is attached to impermanent things. The reasons for suffering are desire, passion, ardour, pursue of wealth and prestige, striving for fame and popularity, or in short: craving and clinging. Because the objects of our attachment are transient, their loss is inevitable, thus suffering will necessarily follow. Objects of attachment also include the idea of a "self" which is a delusion, because there is no abiding self. What we call "self" is just an imagined entity, and we are merely a part of the ceaseless becoming of the universe.

3. The cessation of suffering is attainable.

The cessation of suffering can be attained through nirodha. Nirodha means the unmaking of sensual craving and conceptual attachment. The third noble truth expresses the idea that suffering can be ended by attaining dispassion. Nirodha extinguishes all forms of clinging and attachment. This means that suffering can be overcome through human activity, simply by removing the cause of suffering. Attaining and perfecting dispassion is a process of many levels that ultimately results in the state of Nirvana. Nirvana means freedom from all worries, troubles, complexes, fabrications and ideas. Nirvana is not comprehensible for those who have not attained it.

4. The path to the cessation of suffering.

There is a path to the end of suffering - a gradual path of self-improvement, which is described more detailed in the Eightfold Path. It is the middle way between the two extremes of excessive self-indulgence (hedonism) and excessive self-mortification (asceticism); and it leads to the end of the cycle of rebirth. The latter quality discerns it from other paths which are merely "wandering on the wheel of becoming", because these do not have a final object. The path to the end of suffering can extend over many lifetimes, throughout which every individual rebirth is subject to karmic conditioning. Craving, ignorance, delusions, and its effects will disappear gradually, as progress is made on the path.

_wanderer_ SG

Thanks for posting this excellent topic.

Garab Dorje Rinpoche said that, "Even with 5 Wisdoms, the Buddha was unable to find happiness in Samsara."

It's easier to recognize Dukkha when times are bad. But when times are good, we tend to forget Dukkha. Actually Dukkha is inherent in all existence (duality), just as how oil is inherent in the oil sesame seed. As long as there is something to be gained, there is something that we fear losing (be it life, love, beauty, money, possessions, fame, companionship, acceptance, spirituality etc). As long as there is existence (duality), there is Dukkha.

It's so important for us to continually reflect on Dukkha. With continual reflectin of Dukkha, our grasping tends to be reduced, and this provides a very firm basis for practitioners to generate the Renunciation mind, which is the first of the 3 Principal Aspects of the Path -- Renunication, Bodhicitta & Wisdom-Realizing-Emptiness.

Herzog_Zwei SG

How about destroy Life so there will not be suffering?

_wanderer_ SG

- double entry -

_wanderer_ SG

If you're talking about destroying life as in uprooting the causes of existence - attachment, aversion & ignorance, then I would agree with you.

You have the freedom to decide what approach you wish to adopt based on how logical/useful you think your view is. May you find bliss and happiness from whatever actions you decide to engage in.

I have been convinced by the logic and compassion in the Buddha's teaching and that's what I adhere by.

I think there are many people here who have their own capabilities of thinking and analysing the logic in whatever they see, so with all points being laid out here, let people decide for themselves which path they wish to pursue.

Herzog_Zwei SG

This is my version of Zen no-thought.

I took the shortest path of achieving the end of having no suffering.

An Eternal Now SG

Originally posted by Herzog_Zwei:

This is my version of Zen no-thought.

Which has absolutely nothing in resemblance to no-thought, which is a state of pure presence free of duality ('thoughts' here refers to duality). I believe I pasted the article before.

I took the shortest path of achieving the end of having no suffering.

That is not treating suffering by uprooting our fundamental ignorance and the fundamental cause of samsara is not removed. As a result the cycle of rebirth will continue.

Furthermore, a human life is to be cherished and is a rare opportunity to practise the dharma and attain enlightenment. The Buddha said that the chance to be born as a human is as rare as a small scoop of sand out of all the sand in the sea shore. To be able to know and practise the dharma is as rare as the the amount of sand caught in the nails.

Also if it is your karma to suffer and you choose to take away your own life it does not mean that the karma will not continue again in the future life because it has not exhausted and you choose to end it early.

Everyone dislikes sufferings and seeks bliss. Death may be a temporary relief but is far from the highest bliss of Nirvana experienced by liberated practitioners, and Nirvana is stable, everlasting and timeless, not just some temporary form of relief. It is only attainable when the fundamental ignorance tying us to samsara is removed at its root.

Herzog_Zwei SG

Tell me when there are no more human beings, how can more human lives be created to encounter suffering?

An Eternal Now SG

First of all this is very unlikely and will not happen any time soon according to Buddhism. Second of all they may be reborn in other realms. Or they may be reborn in other galaxies and places habitable for intelligent beings. In Buddhism, there are 4 planets in this galaxy that have intelligent human-like beings living on them in which planet earth is one of them. And beyond this galaxy there are many more.

Herzog_Zwei SG

Not unless a plague is genetically designed to wipe out human life. Who says that is impossible?

Next, how many planets are there in this galaxy? How can you confirm the number of planets there are? How can you be sure how many of them can support life, and of these, how many can support intelligent lifeforms?

Next is the next realm difficulty, we cannot physically interact between realms can we?