The Three Basic Facts of Existence II: Suffering (Dukkha) - Buddhist ...

V. Dukkha, a Basic Concept in BuddhismThe term dukkha, derived from an adjective dukkha (Skr. dukkhā), analogically formed aftersukha, has the primary meaning of pain. All that is unpleasant, painful, resulting in misery, or inother words, what is opposed to sukha is denoted by the term dukkha, as may be seen from oftrecurringphrases as dukkhadomanass’-upāyāsa (pain, sorrow and despair). In its primarymeaning (so also in the specialised technical usage in the Buddha’s Teachings, as may be notedlater), dukkha corresponds more to the physical aspect of pain though the mental aspect is alsoincluded, while domanassa expresses exclusively the mental. Physical ease is denoted by theterm sukha, both in general and specific connotations, while somanassa expresses the mentalattitude. It is dukkha that leads to domanassa; and soka “grief” is more or less synonymous withit, and the opposite holds good with sukha and somanassa. Apart from the specialised meaning inwhich the term is employed in Buddhist psychological ethics, the general meaning may be seenin simple descriptions such as sukha vedanā dukkhā vedanā adukkhamasukhā vedanā “pleasantsensations, unpleasant sensations and neither pleasant nor unpleasant sensations,” or even inthe description of one of the two extremes (antā) in the opening words of the Buddha’s firstdiscourse. In the Dhammacakkappavattana the Buddha speaks of the two extremes a recluseshould avoid (i) self-indulgence which is base, vulgar, pertaining to the common man, ignobleand serving no purpose, and (ii) self-mortification, which is painful (dukkha) ignoble and equallyserving no purpose. Everything associated with pain or unpleasantness entailing sorrow andhardship and involving any type of difficulty is described as dukkha, in the wider meaning ofthe term.Before coming to the special connotation of the term in the Buddha’s Teachings, a wordof caution is necessary regarding the translation of the term. Whether we translate it as pain, orill or misery, we should bear in mind that it is used as a philosophical concept. Or else, wewould fall into the error of making all manner of vague generalisations about the Buddha’sTeachings which are far from what it is. One such instance is the allegation that Buddhism ispessimistic because it recognises the presence of dukkha. If the disciple remains inactive andresigns himself to his fate saying that he is overcome by dukkha, this allegation would bejustified. But he does not stop with it. He says: dukkh’otinno’ mhi dukkha-pareto, api nu imassakevalassa dukkhakkhandhassa antakiriyā paññāyetha—“I am steeped in ill, subject to ill, but perhapsthe destruction of this entire aggregate of ill will make itself manifest to me.” In the formulationof the Four Noble Truths the Buddha’s main concern is the elimination of dukkha—and thecessation and the path leading to the cessation of dukkha—are the most significant features. Thediscovery of dukkha would be of no significance if its elimination played no part in theTeachings. If dukkha has to be eliminated and if the Buddha has shown the path to do so, therecognition of the prevalence of dukkha in no way justifies the allegation of pessimism.Coming back to the term dukkha, as pointed out by Rhys Davids and Stede, 42 “there is noword in English covering the same ground as dukkha does in Pali. Our modern words are toospecialised, too limited, and usually too strong. Sukha and dukkha are ease and dis-ease (but weuse disease in another sense); or wealth and ilth from well and ill (but we have now lost ilth); orwell-being and ill-ness (but illness means something else in English). We are forced, therefore,in translation to use halt synonyms, no one of which is exact. Dukkha is equally mental andphysical. Pain too is predominantly physical, sorrow too exclusively mental, but in someconnections they have to be used in default of any more exact rendering. Discomfort, suffering,ill and trouble can occasionally be used in certain connections. Misery, distress, agony, affliction42P.T.S. Dictionary, s. v.19