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6.2. Dukkha

Dukkha is another word with such a broad scope of meaning, that no single English word can encompass it. On a physical level it is aches and pains, on a mental level it is everything from stress and anxiety to full-on depression. But these aren't the real problem, as we also experience physical comfort and pleasure, and mental calm and happiness. The kind of dukkha that the Buddha was talking about in the Four Noble Truths is not something that gets experiences from time to time, like physical pain and mental stress, but an inherent quality of experience itself. The fact that everything is constructed and conditioned, means it can never last, cannot provide any lasting satisfaction, or be a permanent basis upon which to build one's life, cannot be relied on. This kind of dukkha is sometimes called existential dukkha or structural dukkha. This is what's being referred to in this quotation:

yadaniccaṃ taṃ dukkhaṃ.

Whatever is impermanent is dukkha.

-- SN35.1 ajjhattāniccasuttaṃ

This simple, frequently occurring statement is one of the most profound in the entire collection of the Buddha's recorded discourses. Whatever is transient cannot provide any stable comfort or lasting satisfaction. What does this apply to? Everything! Does that stop us seeking pleasure in what, structurally, cannot provide any enduring comfort? Certainly not! It's fundamental to the human condition.

As humans we place enormous faith in things which are constructed and conditioned—things like health, family and children, career, material possessions, property, political affiliation, national identity, even life itself. Structurally, there's no possibility of getting permanent fulfilment from impermanent things. This is dukkha.

As an example, no matter how much organic food we eat, no matter how many nutritional supplements we take, no matter what health practices we undertake, no matter what exercises regimen we perform, we are all still going to get old, sick and die. All 8 billion of us will be dead in a little more than a century. That's dukkha.

The solution the Buddha proposed is not to solve all the material problems of the world and seek physical immortality. The solution he proposed lies in a different direction entirely. Understanding structural nature dukkha, what else can one do than stop holding onto things which can only provide dukkha. This is a mental solution, not a physical one.

So it's good to remind ourselves, as frequently as possible, about the inherent nature of dukkha, that all experience—and components of experience—are dukkha due to their unstable nature. Understanding that they are dukkha, we are free to give up our interest and desire right there.

"yaṃ kho, rādha, dukkhaṃ tatra te chando pahātabbo.

Rādha, whatever is dukkha, right there, the interest in it should be abandoned.

-- SN35.77 rādhadukkhasuttaṃ

There are some benefits to this practice discussed in Aṅguttara Nikāya:

"cha, bhikkhave, ānisaṃse sampassamānena alameva bhikkhunā sabbasaṅkhāresu anodhiṃ karitvā dukkhasaññaṃ upaṭṭhāpetuṃ. katame cha? ‘sabbasaṅkhāresu ca me nibbidasaññā paccupaṭṭhitā bhavissati, seyyathāpi ukkhittāsike vadhake. sabbalokā ca me mano vuṭṭhahissati, nibbāne ca santadassāvī bhavissāmi, anusayā ca me samugghātaṃ gacchissanti , kiccakārī ca bhavissāmi, satthā ca me pariciṇṇo bhavissati mettāvatāyā’ti.

Monks, seeing six benefits, it is suitable for a monastic to establish the perception of dukkha in all conditioned things, without exception.

What six?

  1. The perception of disenchantment in regard to all conditioned things will be established in me, like a murdered with a raised sword.
  2. My mind will rise above the entire world.
  3. I will perceive nibbāna as peace.
  4. The underlying tendencies will be eradicated.
  5. I will be doing what should be done.
  6. I will have served the teacher with with kindness.

-- AN6.103 ukkhittāsikasuttaṃ

Through seeing this inherent nature of dukkha in every conditioned thing, we give up the interest in and desire for it, as echoed in the famous Dhammapada verse:

"sabbe saṅkhārā dukkhā"ti, yadā paññāya passati, atha nibbindati dukkhe, esa maggo visuddhiyā.

Everything fabricated is dukkha, When one sees this with understanding, Then one gets disenchanted by suffering, This is the path to purification.

-- DHP20 Dhammpada, maggavagga, verse 278

With that, let's practice.

Meditation on dukkha

Transcript Whatever is *dukkha*, give up your interest right there. And what is *dukkha*? The eyes are *dukkha*. Give up your interest right there. Forms are *dukkha*. Give up your interest right there. Eye consciousness is *dukkha*. Give up your interest right there. The experience of seeing is *dukkha*. Give up your interest right there. Whatever *vedanā* arises from the experience of seeing is *dukkha*. Give up your interest right there. Whatever is *dukkha*, give up your interest right there. --- The ears are *dukkha*. Give up your interest right there. Sounds are *dukkha*. Give up your interest right there. Ear consciousness is *dukkha*. Give up your interest right there. The experience of hearing is *dukkha*. Give up your interest right there. Whatever *vedanā* arises from the experience of hearing is *dukkha*. Give up your interest right there. Whatever is *dukkha*, give up your interest right there. --- The nose is *dukkha*. Give up your interest right there. Smells are *dukkha*. Give up your interest right there. Nose consciousness is *dukkha*. Give up your interest right there. The experience of smelling is *dukkha*. Give up your interest right there. Whatever *vedanā* arises from the experience of smelling is *dukkha*. Give up your interest right there. Whatever is *dukkha*, give up your interest right there. --- The tongue is *dukkha*. Give up your interest right there. Tastes are *dukkha*. Give up your interest right there. Tongue consciousness is *dukkha*. Give up your interest right there. The experience of tasting is *dukkha*. Give up your interest right there. Whatever *vedanā* arises from the experience of tasting is *dukkha*. Give up your interest right there. Whatever is *dukkha*, give up your interest right there. --- The body is *dukkha*. Give up your interest right there. Physical sensations are *dukkha*. Give up your interest right there. Body consciousness is *dukkha*. Give up your interest right there. The experience of feeling physical sensation is *dukkha*. Give up your interest right there. Whatever *vedanā* arises from the experience of feeling physical sensation is *dukkha*. Give up your interest right there. Whatever is *dukkha*, give up your interest right there. --- The mind is *dukkha*. Give up your interest right there. Mental phenomena are *dukkha*. Give up your interest right there. Mind consciousness is *dukkha*. Give up your interest right there. Mental experience is *dukkha*. Give up your interest right there. Whatever *vedanā* arises from mental experience is *dukkha*. Give up your interest right there. Whatever is *dukkha*, give up your interest right there. --- Whatever is *dukkha*, give up your interest right there.

Q&A

Q: Do you have any questions or doubts at this point?

References

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