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

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of pleasure wherever it is found.” 99 It is from this standpoint that the formula of the Four NobleTruths is propounded.Before leaving the subject of feeling, however, Ācariya Buddhaghosa’s definition ofunpleasant feeling must be noted. Under the feeling category he says: “(Bodily) suffering(dukkha) has the characteristic of experiencing an undesirable tangible (phoṭṭhabba). Its nature isto wither associated dhammas. It is manifested as bodily affliction. Its footing is the bodyfaculty. (Mental) grief (domanassa) has the characteristic of experiencing an undesirable object ofconsciousness (ârammaṅ a). Its nature is to exploit in one way or another the undesirable aspect.It is manifested as mental affliction. Its footing is invariably the heartbase (hadaya-vatthu).” 100 Butin his exegesis of the “pain” and “grief” in the statement of the First Truth (see above) he says“pain is bodily suffering. Its characteristic is oppression of the body. Its nature is to cause griefin the foolish. It is manifested as bodily affliction. It is suffering because of its intrinsic sufferingand because it induces mental suffering. Grief is mental suffering. Its characteristic is mentaloppression. Its nature is to distress the mind. It is manifested as mental affliction. It is sufferingbecause it is intrinsic suffering and because it induces bodily suffering (through self-tortureprovoked by grief).” 101Relation to ActionAnother subject, action (kamma), is directly associated with dukkha. 102 Though action is a subjectproperly outside the scope of this article, too, nevertheless some mention of it can hardly beavoided here. First, present action is one of the influences which, as action’s ripening (kammavipāka),affect subsequent experience, and past action is, in its ripening, affecting experiencenow; in other words, all action, according to its kind, is experienceable later as pleasure orsuffering or neither-suffering-nor-pleasure, and that may be in the same life, the lifeimmediately next, or some life beyond, 103 though certain kinds lapse without ripening (Paṭis:Kammakathā). However, not all feeling is due to past action’s ripening, which is only one of eightinfluences, including sorts of sickness, over-exertion, and climate, mentioned as sources ofunpleasant feeling: 104 the pool of suffering has action as one of its affluents. But action is alsomore broadly regardable as the manifestation of craving’s work on the five categories, and, inthat capacity, it is the Truth of the Origin of Suffering.Action’s ripening was denied outright by several of the teachers contemporary with theBuddha, though not by the orthodox Brahmans. Its relation in ripening to what is felt was one ofthe principal points of difference between the Buddha and the Nigaṇthas, whose views on thissubject seem to have been rather rigid. 105 They hold that past evil actions constituted a debtwhich could be paid off by present pain inflicted through self-torture, and that purificationconsisted in paying off old evil actions in this way while doing no new evil. The Buddharejected this theory. In the pattern of the four Noble Truths, action (in the form of dependentorigination) provides the movement and direction of suffering in all its forms. 106 But evil actioncannot be calculated and amortised like a loan or a fine, and suffering in general can be endedonly by the removal of the craving which originates it. Self-mortification, being an indulgencethat tends to displace and foster rather than remove craving, is condemned, along with99MN 5/M I 400.100Vism Ch. 14, p. 461.101Vism Ch. 16, p. 503.102See also the article on Anicca.103See e.g. MN 135 and 136; AN 3:33; 6:63.104SN 36:21/S IV 230–1.105See e.g. MN 14 and 101.106See A III 61.46
indulgence in sensuality, as productive of a state of conflict (sa-raṇa), 107 The pretence of craving,whether for sensuality (kāma) or for being (bhava as eternal permanence) or for non-being(vibhava as annihilation of the existent), produces always some kind of renewal of being(punabbhava). 108 The ending of craving is the ending of action and of suffering (the Third Truth),while the way leading to that is the control of action (the Eight-fold Path or Fourth Truth).In the Suttas the Buddha describes how he had himself tried out before his enlightenment theextremes of self-mortification 109 and found them fruitless. When Mâra tried to tempt him after hisenlightenment with the suggestion that he had forsaken the true ascetic path, he replied “I know thesepenances to gain the Deathless—whatever kind they are—to be as vain as a ship’s oars and rudder on dryland.” 110Suffering as a subject for Contemplation and Basis for Judgment.“In creatures subject to birth, sickness, ageing and death, sorrow and lamentation, pain, griefand despair there arises the wish ’Oh that we were not subject to these things! And that thesethings might never overtake us!’ But that is not to be had by wishing.” 111Suffering, as intended here, must be kept distinct from unpleasant feeling, which is part ofthe contemplation of feeling (vedanânupassanâ), 112 and also from contemplation of the fourTruths. 113 It is properly the contemplation in all formations, of the unsatisfactoriness due to theiruniversal impermanence, which makes them a source of fear and anxiety. Inseparable fromimpermanence, it also implies not-self. How is it practised? “A Bhikkhu understands as itactually is that ’Such is suffering, such its origin, such its cessation, such the way leading to itscessation.’” 114 “When a Bhikkhu abides much with his mind fortified by perception of sufferingin what is impermanent, there is established in him keen perception of fear of laxity, idleness,indolence, negligence, non-devotion and non-reviewing, as though of a murderer with raisedweapon,” 115 and “when a Bhikkhu sees six rewards, it should be enough for him to establishunlimitedly perception of suffering in all formations. What six? ’Keen perception of fear offormations will be established in me, as of a murderer with raised weapon; my mind willemerge from the world of all (from all the world); and I shall come to see peace in extinction(Nibbâna); and my underlying tendencies will come to be abolished; and I shall perform mytask; and I shall repay the teacher with loving kindness.’” 116 “That anyone should see anyformation as pleasure … or extinction as suffering, and have a liking that is in conformity (withtruth) is not possible. (But the opposite) is possible.” 117Suffering arises through failure to guard the doors of the faculties: “These six bases forcontact, when uncontrolled, unguarded, unprotected and unrestrained, give admission tosuffering.” 118 “When a Bhikkhu lives with the eye faculty … ear … nose … tongue … body …mind faculty unrestrained, his consciousness gets dissipated among visible objects … sounds …odours … flavours … tangibles … ideas. When his consciousness is dissipated he has no107MN 139.108See e.g. MN 141; Ud 3.10; It 2:48.109MN 12 and 36.110SN 4:1/S I 103.111DN 22/D II 307.112See e.g. MN 10, 12, 38, 74, and 137.113See e.g. DN 22.114MN 10/M I 62.115AN 7:46/A IV 52,116AN 6:103/A III 443.117AN 6:99 and 101/A III 442.118SN 35:94/S IV 70.47
Page 1 and 2: The Three Basic Facts of Existence
Page 4 and 5: Dukkha is:II. DukkhaDisturbance, ir
Page 6 and 7: that there are people who kill for
Page 8 and 9: dukkha can be looked at in three wa
Page 10 and 11: The five subjects for frequent reco
Page 12 and 13: component parts of the personality
Page 14 and 15: death. But as all the Arahants, inc
Page 16 and 17: cold sorrow of its fading; or if th
Page 18 and 19: Man tries in many ways to escape fr
Page 20 and 21: and woe are never right (as they ar
Page 22 and 23: VI. Dukkha of ChildhoodA FragmentWh
Page 24 and 25: mother to his father, simply becaus
Page 26 and 27: Angels are bright still, though the
Page 28 and 29: Come, let us face it, just as hones
Page 30 and 31: crucifixion, a sense of agonising a
Page 32 and 33: through change evolution takes plac
Page 34 and 35: IX. The Growth of Dukkha in the Wor
Page 36 and 37: distress, the reaction of the indiv
Page 38 and 39: oth political systems there are min
Page 40 and 41: X. Dukkha According to the Theravā
Page 42 and 43: Âcariya Buddhaghosa distinguishes
Page 44 and 45: Noble Truth of Suffering? It can be
Page 48 and 49: gladness; without gladness he has n
Page 50: The Buddhist Publication SocietyThe

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