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

they are a cause for the arising of suffering when they change. 54 The (neutral) feeling ofonlooking-equanimity (upekkhā) and (all) remaining formations belonging to the three planes arecalled “suffering in formations” because they are oppressed by rise and fall. Such … affliction asearache … is called “concealed suffering” because it can be known (in another) only byquestioning, the affliction not being openly evident. Affliction produced by … torture, forexample, is called exposed suffering because it can be known without questioning, the afflictionbeing openly evident; it is also called “evident suffering.“ Except for what is “intrinsicsuffering” all given under the Truth of Suffering beginning with “birth” (see below) is alsocalled indirect suffering because it is the basis for one or other kind of suffering. What is calleddirect suffering is “intrinsic suffering.” 55Now all these kinds of suffering fall under two main heads: “suffering in formations” (thegeneral “unsatisfactoriness” of existence stated as the “characteristic of suffering” and as the“Truth of Suffering”) and “unpleasant feeling” (the particular kind of feeling that is bodily ormental pain, unpleasant affect). In what follows we shall first define the characteristic and thensee how this is handled descriptively in the Tipiṭaka and its commentaries, after which we shalltouch upon the general aspect of suffering as a Noble Truth and its relation to the particularmode of unpleasant feeling. However, the subjects of Truth and feeling (sacca and vedanā) areproperly outside the scope of this article: suffering is only one of the four truths and one of thethree principal divisions of feeling. Lastly, we shall see how suffering is treated as a basis formeditation and judgment. As in the case of anicca we shall be concerned mainly withquotations, leaving discussion to the article on Tilakkhaṇa. 56Definitions of the Characteristic of DukkhaThe general characteristic of suffering is most usually based on that of impermanence: “What isimpermanent is suffering” 57 or “Is what is impermanent pleasant or unpleasant?Unpleasant,Lord.” 58 Or else it is defined in its own right: “’Suffering, suffering’ is said, Lord; what issuffering?Materiality (rûpa) is suffering, Rādha, and so are feeling, perception, formations, andconsciousness,” 59 and “all is suffering. And what is the all that is suffering? The eye is suffering…” 60 or more summarily “All formations are suffering” 61 To these the Canonical commentary,the Paṭisambhidāmagga, adds: “Materiality (etc.) is suffering in the sense of fear (that itsimpermanence inspires).” 62This general characteristic, like those of impermanence and not-self, is not a part of theAbhidhamma system proper, but is rather a summary statement of that. The strict Abhidhammatreatment, in fact, forms the detailed “analysis and synthesis” of the whole process of existence,which the three characteristics sum up. In the Abhidhamma, however, it should be noted thatunpleasant bodily feeling (dukkha) is regarded as only associated with body-consciousness(kâya-viññāṇa) and unpleasant mental feeling (domanassa) only with mind-consciousness (manoviññāṇa).The impermanence of all possible heavenly existences stated in the Dhammahadaya-Vibhaṅga brings these within the range of “suffering in formations” without exception.54See MN 44 cited below.55Vism Ch. 16, p. 499.56This article remained unwritten by the late author (Editor).57SN 35:1/S IV 1.58E.g. SN 22:59/ S III 66.59SN 23:15/S III 196.60SN 35:44/S IV 28. See the article on Anicca for parallel quotation “all is impermanent.“61Dhp-a 20, 6/V 278.62Ñáóakathá, Paþis I 37.41