The Problem of Suffering in Buddhism

Buddhism or the Dharma, is a result of the teachings of the Buddha. The Buddha, who was known as Siddhārtha Gautama, lived in North India in the 6th Century B.C. His father, Suddhodana, was the king of the Sākyas (modern Nepal) and his mother was Mahāmāyā. Siddhārtha Gautama lived in his palace with all the luxuries at his command, away and secured from the realities of life. But as destined, he ventured outside his palace and encountered what is famously known as ‘the four sights’, (those of an old man, a sick man, a corpse and an ascetic) which led Siddhārtha Gautama to renounce the world in search of a way out of the universal suffering. For long six years, he wandered the valley of the Ganges, learning from various religious teachers and following their systems and methods. He committed himself to extreme ascetic practices. But all of this did not satisfy him. So, he gave up on all of the previously learned methods and went his own way. One evening, at the age of 35, he sat under a tree (now famously known as the Bodhi Tree) with the resolve of not getting up until he found answers to what he was seeking. He finally attained Enlightenment, after which he was known as the Buddha, ‘The Enlightened One’. (Narasu, 1985, p. 4) After his Enlightenment, the Buddha gave his first sermon to a group of five ascetics, who were previously his colleagues, in the Deer Park at Isipatana (modern-day Sarnath) near Benaras; and set in motion the Dhammacakkappavattana. (Rahula, 2017, p. 16) This sermon is the heart of the Buddha’s teachings, in which the Buddha taught the Four Noble Truths. The Four Noble Truths are: (Rahula, 2017, p. 16) 1. The Truth of suffering- Dukkha Ariyasacca 2. The Truth of the cause of Suffering- Dukkha Samudaya Ariyasacca 3. The Truth of the end of Suffering- Dukkha Nirodha Ariyasacca 4. The Truth of the path that leads to the end of suffering-Dukkha Nirodha Gamini Patipada Through these Four Noble Truths, the Buddha taught that there is suffering or dukkha in the world, that there is an obvious cause to this suffering or dukkha, that there can be an end to this suffering and finally, the Buddha gave the path that leads to the cessation of this suffering. In Buddhism, there are three characteristics of all the existence and beings which are known as the three marks of existence, namely; Anicca (impermanence), Dukkha (translated as ‘suffering’, ‘unease’, unsatisfactoriness’) and Anattā (no permanent essence or entity). The three marks of existence are: (Rahula, 2017, p. 57) • sabbe saṅkhārā aniccā – all saṅkhāras (conditioned things) are impermanent • sabbe saṅkhārā dukkhā – all saṅkhāras are unsatisfactory, imperfect, unstable • sabbe dhammā anattā – all dharmas (conditioned or unconditioned things) have no unchanging self or soul The central theme of Buddhism is that the human beings are subject to ignorance about the three marks of existence which results in suffering and this suffering is ceased with the knowledge of the Four Noble Truths which leads one to the Noble Eightfold Path. Suffering or Dukkha, is the central concept in Buddhist Philosophy. The Buddha identified three kinds of Dukkha: (Rahula, 2017, p. 19) 1. Dukkha-Dukkha 2. Vipariṇāma-dukkha 3. Saṅkhāra-dukkha Understanding these forms of suffering or dukkha would help an individual in understanding the nature of dukkha and following the path leading to liberation from the dukkha.