Draft of Dukkha

Postgraduate Institute of Pali and Buddhist Studies
University of Kelaniya
Sri Lanka
Early Buddhist Psychological Analysis of Dukkha
MABS – 26 -
Buddhist Psychotherapy
Lecturer: Prof. Wasantha Priyadarshana

Student Name: Ven. Moonieinda
Student No.: 2022/MABS/E/026
Date: 2022
2
Early Buddhist Psychological Analysis of Dukkha
By
Ven.
2022/MABS/E/
Introduction
All Living beings, not men alone, hope to experience only what is
pleasing while at the same time wishing to avoid the unlikable and displeasing.
But a look at human existence and history, can say that man is exposed to suffering
(Dukkha). Many philosophers in Buddhism have tried to understand the nature of
suffering, and trying to find the path to the cessation of suffering (Mokkha) which
is the ultimate goal of all forms of Buddhist traditional philosophy.
In the very first discourse, “Setting the Wheel of Dhamma in Motion”

(Dhammacakkappavattana suttaṃ) the four Nobel Truths (Ariyasaccāni) deal
mainly with dukkha. The first of the four gives certain universally recognized cases
of it, and then sums them up in short. The five groups (of physical and mental
qualities which make an individual) are accompanied by ill so far as those groups
are fraught with grasping (Āsavas). Therefore, it is seen that the recognition of the
fact of Dukkha stands out as essential in early Buddhism.
Physiological, mental and doctrinal aspects of Dukkha, given in the Four Noble
Truths in early Buddhism
Now let us take a close look at Dukkha and how the Buddha explained
it, as it’s narrow physical meaning, as well as a psychological meaning. All three
kind of Dukkha mentioned before, is quite clearly seen in the analysis of Dukkha
found in the very first sutta of the Buddha given in Isipatana, Benares at Migadāya
or Deer Park. Explaining the First Noble Truth of Suffering, the Buddha
continued:
“Now this, monks, is the noble truth of stress: Birth is stressful, aging is
stressful, death is stressful; sorrow, lamentation, pain, distress, & despair
are stressful; association with the unloved is stressful, separation from the
loved is stressful, not getting what is wanted is stressful. In short, the five
clinging- aggregates are stressful.”
3
The Definition of Dukkha
The common rendering being ‘suffering’, many more different English

words are being used by different Buddhist scholars to convey the meaning of term
Dukkha. Among them, the words: ill, pain, sorrow, insecurity, unpleasantness,
anguish, anxiety, unhappiness, conflict, and un-satisfactoriness are found. Today,
the most commonly used words in Buddhist writings for the term Dukkha, are
‘suffering’ and ‘unsatisfactoriness’. The Oxford Dictionary says that to suffer is ‘to
experience or be subjected to something bad or unpleasant’ and ‘to tolerate’.
Contemporary translators of Buddhist texts use a variety of English words to

convey the aspects of Duḥkha. Early Western translators of Buddhist texts
typically translated the Pali term dukkha as "suffering."
Two Types of Dukkha
Dukkha can be also classified as Bodily Pain (Kayika Dukkha) and Mental
Pain (Cetatika Dukkha). Birth, aging, illness, and death are bodily pain. Sorrow,
lamentation, pain, grief, despair, association with the unbeloved, separation from the
loved, and not getting what is wanted are mental pain. In brief, the five aggregates
subject to clinging are suffering.
Three Aspects of Dukkha
Accorrding to Sangiti Sutta and Dukkata Sutta, Duḥkha is divided in three

categories:
(1) Dukkha as ordinary suffering (Dukkha-dukkha),
(2) Dukkha as produced by change (Vipariņāma-dukkha)
(3) Dukkha as conditioned states Samkhara-dukkha)
All kinds of suffering in life like birth, old age, sickness, death, association
with unpleasant persons and conditions, separation from loved ones and pleasant
conditions, not getting what one desires, grief, lamentation, distress all such forms of
4
physical and mental suffering, which are universally accepted as suffering or pain, are
included in dukkha as ordinary suffering (Dukkha-dukkha).
A happy feeling, a happy condition in life, is not permanent, not everlasting. It

changes sooner or later. When it changes, it produces pain, suffering, unhappiness.
This vicissitude is included in dukkha as suffering produced by change (Viparināma-
dukkha).
The third form of dukkha as conditioned states (Samkhara-dukkha) is the most

important philosophical aspect of the First Noble Truth, and it requires some
analytical explanation of what we consider as a 'being, as an individual, or as 'I'.
What we call a "being, or an individual, or 'I’, according to Buddhist philosophy, is

only a combination of ever-changing physical and mental forces or energies, which
may be divided into five groups or aggregates (pañcakkhandhā).
The Buddha says: "In short these five aggregates of attachment are
dukkha'.Here it should be clearly understood that dukkha and the five aggregates are
not two different things; the five aggregates themselves are dukkha.
Five Aggregates of Clinging

Buddhist psychology analyses the person into five constituent
aggregates (Khandhas): matter or physical body (Rūpa), feeling (Vedanā),
perception (Saññā), volitional activities (Saṅkhāras) and consciousness
(Viññāṇa). The first aggregate represents the material component of a person
(Rūpa) and remaining four represent mental components of a person or what
we call mind (Nāma). Another key concept in Buddhist psychology is
“dependent co-origination” (Paticcasammuppāda), the concept of causality. It
is regarded as one of the tools to analyses physical and mental pain.
Consequently, Buddhist psychology explains that Dukkha arises depending
on the cause and condition.
What is called individual existence is in reality nothing but a mere process of

those mental and physical phenomena, a process that since time immemorial has
been going on, and that also after death will still continue for unthinkably long
periods of time. These 5 groups, however, neither singly nor collectively constitutes
any self- dependent real ego-entity, or personality (Attā), nor is there to be
5
found any such entity apart from them. Hence the belief in such an ego-entity or
personality, as real in the ultimate sense, proves a mere illusion. Because illusion
(Moha) is one of unwholesome root (Akusala mūla) of the three - two others are
greed Lobha) and hatred (Dosa) - it cannot bring anything other than Dukkha.
Buddha has also said in Kaccānagottasutta that, “Suffering only arises when
anything arises; suffering only ceases when anything ceases. Thus, all human
beings, suffering (Dukkha) need to be emphasized by mindfulness and wisdom.
Conclusion
The aim of Buddhism is to end the pain of the human beings.

Buddhism teaches that mind should be purified in order to get rid of pain.
All religions, as well as Buddhism is agree, that suffering is as mental as
physical pain. Dukkha is a basic characteristic of all life in this world, common
phenomenon of our existence, experienced by all living creatures. It cannot be
avoided, but we have a doctrine on how to get rid of Dukkha. From the
Buddhist perspective the complete cessation of all Dukkha coincides only
with the end of conditioned existence.

Draft of Dukkha

Uploaded by

Copyright:

Available Formats

Draft of Dukkha

Uploaded by

Document Information

Original Title

Copyright

Available Formats

Share this document

Share or Embed Document

Sharing Options

Did you find this document useful?

Is this content inappropriate?

Copyright:

Available Formats

Draft of Dukkha

Uploaded by

Copyright:

Available Formats

Postgraduate Institute of Pali and Buddhist Studies

Early Buddhist Psychological Analysis of Dukkha

Lecturer: Prof. Wasantha Priyadarshana

Early Buddhist Psychological Analysis of Dukkha

In the very first discourse, “Setting the Wheel of Dhamma in Motion”

The Definition of Dukkha

The common rendering being ‘suffering’, many more different English

Contemporary translators of Buddhist texts use a variety of English words to

Two Types of Dukkha

Three Aspects of Dukkha

Accorrding to Sangiti Sutta and Dukkata Sutta, Duḥkha is divided in three

(1) Dukkha as ordinary suffering (Dukkha-dukkha),

(2) Dukkha as produced by change (Vipariņāma-dukkha)

(3) Dukkha as conditioned states Samkhara-dukkha)

A happy feeling, a happy condition in life, is not permanent, not everlasting. It

The third form of dukkha as conditioned states (Samkhara-dukkha) is the most

What we call a "being, or an individual, or 'I’, according to Buddhist philosophy, is

Five Aggregates of Clinging

What is called individual existence is in reality nothing but a mere process of

The aim of Buddhism is to end the pain of the human beings.

You might also like

Pfad - The Proxy pFad of © 2024 Garber Painting. All rights reserved.