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Posted: Sat Jul 12, 2025 5:37 pm
Article from Wikipedia: “Four Noble Truths.”
“The First Noble Truth of Suffering
Dukkha, the truth of suffering — “restless dissatisfaction,” “discomfort,” “disturbance,” “suffering.” According to the traditional definition, the First Noble Truth is “that which is the result of defilements and tainted karma.” That is, the body and the mind.
Behold, O brothers, the Noble Truth of suffering. A person is born in agony, suffers as they wither, suffers in illness, dies in suffering and sorrow. Lamentation, pain, despondency, despair — are heavy. Union with the unloved is suffering, suffering is separation from the loved, and every unfulfilled craving is deeply tormenting. And all five aggregates arising from attachment — are torment. Such, O brothers, is the Noble Truth of suffering.
Three levels of suffering:
Suffering of suffering (duhkha-duhkhatā, Sanskrit) — simple dukkha, caused by birth, pain, illness, aging, death, loss of loved ones, unfavorable conditions, and so on.
Suffering of change (vipariṇāma-duhkhatā, Sanskrit), caused by impermanence (anitya) and the fleeting nature of joyful moments of existence — any worldly joy, including “exalted blissful states” during religious practices.
Suffering of conditioned existence (saṃskāra-duhkhatā, Sanskrit) — all-encompassing dissatisfaction caused by the conditioned nature of all composite phenomena. Four types of suffering encompassing the experience of all living beings:
• Suffering of birth.
• Suffering of aging.
• Suffering of illness.
• Suffering of death.
Additionally, by dukkha, the Buddha also meant the following mental states: sorrow, grief, misfortune, anxiety, “association with what is unpleasant,” “separation from what is pleasant,” and “the inability to attain what is desired.” The lighter level of suffering includes discontent, disagreement, dissatisfaction; the heaviest — pain, torment, death.
“The First Noble Truth of Suffering
Dukkha, the truth of suffering — “restless dissatisfaction,” “discomfort,” “disturbance,” “suffering.” According to the traditional definition, the First Noble Truth is “that which is the result of defilements and tainted karma.” That is, the body and the mind.
Behold, O brothers, the Noble Truth of suffering. A person is born in agony, suffers as they wither, suffers in illness, dies in suffering and sorrow. Lamentation, pain, despondency, despair — are heavy. Union with the unloved is suffering, suffering is separation from the loved, and every unfulfilled craving is deeply tormenting. And all five aggregates arising from attachment — are torment. Such, O brothers, is the Noble Truth of suffering.
Three levels of suffering:
Suffering of suffering (duhkha-duhkhatā, Sanskrit) — simple dukkha, caused by birth, pain, illness, aging, death, loss of loved ones, unfavorable conditions, and so on.
Suffering of change (vipariṇāma-duhkhatā, Sanskrit), caused by impermanence (anitya) and the fleeting nature of joyful moments of existence — any worldly joy, including “exalted blissful states” during religious practices.
Suffering of conditioned existence (saṃskāra-duhkhatā, Sanskrit) — all-encompassing dissatisfaction caused by the conditioned nature of all composite phenomena. Four types of suffering encompassing the experience of all living beings:
• Suffering of birth.
• Suffering of aging.
• Suffering of illness.
• Suffering of death.
Additionally, by dukkha, the Buddha also meant the following mental states: sorrow, grief, misfortune, anxiety, “association with what is unpleasant,” “separation from what is pleasant,” and “the inability to attain what is desired.” The lighter level of suffering includes discontent, disagreement, dissatisfaction; the heaviest — pain, torment, death.