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Dukkha
Dukkha (Pāli; Sanskrit: duḥkha;
Translations of
Tibetan: ག་བ ལ་ sdug bsngal, pr.
dukkha
"duk-ngel") is an important
Buddhist concept, commonly English suffering, pain,
translated as "suffering", "pain" or unsatisfactoriness,
"unsatisfactoriness".[1][2][3] It refers etc.
to the fundamental Pali dukkha
unsatisfactoriness and painfulness (Dev: ु )
of mundane life. It is the first of the Sanskrit duḥkha
Four Noble Truths. The term is also (Dev: ुःख)
found in scriptures of Hinduism,
Bengali দুঃখ dukkhô
such as the Upanishads, in
discussions of moksha (spiritual
Burmese ဒက
liberation).[4][5]
(IPA: [doʊʔkʰa]̰ )
Chinese 苦
(Pinyin: kǔ)
Japanese 苦
Contents (rōmaji: ku)
Etymology and meaning
Dukkha (Pali; Sanskrit duḥkha) is a term found in ancient Indian literature,
wherein states Monier-Williams, it means anything that is "uneasy,
uncomfortable, unpleasant, difficult, causing pain or sadness".[6][7] It is also a
concept in Indian religions about the nature of life that innately includes the
"unpleasant", "suffering," "pain," "sorrow", "distress", "grief" or "misery."[6][7]
The term Dukkha does not have a one word English translation, and embodies
diverse aspects of unpleasant human experiences.[2][7] It is opposed to the
word sukha, meaning "happiness," "comfort" or "ease."[8]
The word dukkha is made up of the prefix du and the root kha.
Du means “bad” or “difficult.” Kha means “empty.” “Empty,”
here, refers to several things—some specific, others more
general. One of the specific meanings refers to the empty axle
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hole of a wheel. If the axle fits badly into the center hole, we get a
very bumpy ride. This is a good analogy for our ride through
saṃsāra.[10]
Buddhism
Contemporary translators of Buddhist texts use a variety of English words to
convey the aspects of dukkha. Early Western translators of Buddhist texts
(before the 1970s) typically translated the Pali term dukkha as "suffering."
Later translators have emphasized that "suffering" is too limited a translation
for the term dukkha, and have preferred to either leave the term untranslated
or to clarify that translation with terms such as anxiety, distress, frustration,
unease, unsatisfactoriness, etc.[12][13][14] Many contemporary teachers,
scholars, and translators have used the term "unsatisfactoriness" to emphasize
the subtlest aspects of dukkha.[15][16][17][18][19] Many translators prefer to leave
the term untranslated.[8][note 1]
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Hinduism
In Hindu literature, the earliest Upaniṣads — the Bṛhadāraṇyaka and the
Chāndogya — in all likelihood predate the advent of Buddhism.[note 3] In these
scriptures of Hinduism, the Sanskrit word duḥkha (दुःख) appears in the sense
of "suffering, sorrow, distress", and in the context of a spiritual pursuit and
liberation through the knowledge of Atman (soul, self).[4][5][21]
English Sanskrit
While we are still here, we have
come to know it [ātman].
If you've not known it, great is ihaiva santo 'tha vidmas tad vayaṃ na
your destruction. ced avedir mahatī vinaṣṭiḥ
Those who have known it — ye tad vidur amṛtās te bhavanty
they become immortal. athetare duḥkham evāpiyanti[web 2]
As for the rest — only suffering
awaits them.[4]
English Sanskrit
Comparison of Buddhism and
Hinduism
Both Hinduism and Buddhism emphasize that one overcomes duḥkha through
the development of understanding.[note 7] However, the two religions widely
differ in the nature of that understanding. Hinduism emphasizes the
understanding and acceptance of Atman (self, soul) and Brahman, while
Buddhism emphasizes the understanding and acceptance of Anatta (Anatman,
non-self, non-soul) as each discusses the means to liberation from
Dukkha.[31][32]
See also
Existential despair
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Notes
1. Contemporary translators have used a variety of English words to
translate the term dukkha; translators commonly use different words to
translate aspects of the term. For example, dukkha has been translated as
follows in many contexts:
Suffering (Harvey, Williams, Keown, Anderson, Gombrich, Thich Nhat
Hanh, Ajahn Succito, Chogyam Trungpa, Rupert Gethin, Dalai Lama,
et al.)
Pain (Harvey, Williams, Keown, Anderson, Huxter, Gombrich, et al)
Unsatisfactoriness (Dalai Lama, Bhikkhu Bodhi, Rupert Gethin, et al.)
Sorrow
Anguish
Affliction (Brazier)
Dissatisfaction (Pema Chodron, Chogyam Trunpa)
Distress (Walpola Rahula)
Frustration (Dalai Lama, Four Noble Truths, p. 38)
Misery
Anxiety (Chogyam Trungpa, The Truth of Suffering, pp. 8–10)
Uneasiness (Chogyam Trungpa)
Unease (Rupert Gethin)
Unhappiness
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References
1. Malcolm Huxter (2016). Healing the Heart and Mind with Mindfulness:
Ancient Path, Present Moment (https://books.google.com/books?id=n2qF
CwAAQBAJ). Routledge. p. 10. ISBN 978-1-317-50540-2., Quote: "
dukkha (unsatisfactoriness or suffering) (....) In the Introduction I wrote
that dukkha is probably best understood as unsatisfactoriness."
2. Peter Harvey (2015). Steven M. Emmanuel, ed. A Companion to Buddhist
Philosophy (https://books.google.com/books?id=P_lmCgAAQBAJ). John
Wiley & Sons. pp. 26–31. ISBN 978-1-119-14466-3.
3. Carol Anderson (2013). Pain and Its Ending: The Four Noble Truths in the
Theravada Buddhist Canon (https://books.google.com/books?id=ASlTAQ
AAQBAJ). Routledge. pp. 1, 22 with note 4. ISBN 978-1-136-81332-0.,
Quote: "(...) the three characteristics of samsara/sankhara (the realm of
rebirth): anicca (impermance), dukkha (pain) and anatta (no-self)."
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25. Paul Deussen (1980). Sixty Upaniṣads of the Veda, Vol. 1 (https://books.g
oogle.com/books?id=8mSpQo9q-tIC). Motilal Banarsidass (Reprinted).
pp. 112, 161, 176, 198, 202–203, 235, 455, etc. ISBN 978-81-208-1468-4.
26. Paul Deussen (1980). Sixty Upaniṣads of the Veda, Vol. 1 (https://books.g
oogle.com/books?id=8mSpQo9q-tIC&pg=PR326). Motilal Banarsidass
(Reprinted). p. 326. ISBN 978-81-208-1468-4.
27. Paul Deussen (1980). Sixty Upaniṣads of the Veda, Vol. 1 (https://books.g
oogle.com/books?id=8mSpQo9q-tIC&pg=PR305). Motilal Banarsidass
(Reprinted). p. 305. ISBN 978-81-208-1468-4.
28. Sargeant 2009.
29. Original Sanskrit: Samkhya karika (http://sanskritdocuments.org/doc_z_mi
sc_major_works/IshvarakRiShNasAnkyakArikA.pdf) Compiled and
indexed by Ferenc Ruzsa (2015), Sanskrit Documents Archives;
Second Translation (Verse 1): Ferenc Ruzsa (1997), The triple suffering -
A note on the Samkhya karika, Xth World Sanskrit Conference:
Bangalore, University of Hungary, Budapest;
Third Translation (all Verses): Samkhyakarika of Iswara Krishna (https://ar
chive.org/stream/hinduphilosophys00davi#page/12/mode/2up) John Davis
(Translator), Trubner, London, University of Toronto Archives
30. Samkhya karika (http://www.kouroo.info/kouroo/transclusions/18/37/1837_
SankhyaKarikaHTColebrook.pdf) by Iswara Krishna, Henry Colebrooke
(Translator), Oxford University Press
31. Johannes Bronkhorst (2009). Buddhist Teaching in India (https://books.go
ogle.com/books?id=fjU6AwAAQBAJ). Wisdom Publications. pp. 23–25.
ISBN 978-0-86171-811-5.
32. Peter Harvey (2013). The Selfless Mind: Personality, Consciousness and
Nirvana in Early Buddhism (https://books.google.com/books?id=SfPcAAA
AQBAJ). Routledge. pp. 34, 38. ISBN 978-1-136-78336-4.
Sources
Printed sources
Bhikkhu Bodhi (2011), The Noble Eightfold Path: Way to the End of
Suffering, Independent Publishers Group, Kindle Edition
Dalai Lama (1998), The Four Noble Truths, Thorsons
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Web-sources
1. The Four Noble Truths - By Bhikkhu Bodhi (http://www.beyondthenet.net/d
hamma/fourNoble.htm)
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External links
How does mindfulness transform suffering? I: the nature and origins of
dukkha (http://www.ahandfulofleaves.org/documents/Articles/How%20doe
s%20mindfulness%20transform%20suffering_the%20nature%20and%20o
rigins%20of%20dukkha_I_CB_Teasdale_2011.pdf), JD Teasdale, M
Chaskalson (2011)
Explanations of dukkha (https://journals.ub.uni-heidelberg.de/index.php/jia
bs/article/download/8880/2787), Tilmann Vetter (1998), Journal of the
International Association of Buddhist Studies
What Buddha Taught (https://web.archive.org/web/20121030125519/htt
p://buddhasociety.com/online-books/what-buddha-taught-walpola-rahula-9
-1), Walpola Rahula
Dukkha (http://www.accesstoinsight.org/ptf/dukkha.html), edited by John T.
Bullitt - Access to Insight
The Buddha's Concept of Dukkha (http://centrebouddhique.fr/the-buddhas
-concept-of-dukkha/), Kingsley Heendeniya
Ku 苦 entry (http://buddhism-dict.net/cgi-bin/xpr-ddb.pl?82.xml+id('b82e
6')) (use "guest" with no password for one-time login), Digital Dictionary of
Buddhism
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