"Life is dukka." What does this idea mean?

By Preston Garner <pgarner@student.lander.edu>

The statement “life is dukka,” simple put translates to life is suffering. This idea is saying that in life you are constantly faced with pain. The cause of suffering in life is ones selfish desire. People search for a permanent way of life in an ever changing world, this is impossible hence frustration and suffering. When a person sets expectations of events or of people’s actions they are destined to be disappointed. These failed expectations are the cause of suffering as well. Buddhism states that all of life is suffering from birth to death, the whole process of living is arduous and filled with despair. Birth is traumatic as an infant, life is filled with disappointment and loss, and death in Buddhist view is followed by rebirth, Therefore life is constant suffering.
Through enlightenment one can find relief form the sufferings of life. Enlightenment is the removal of suffering from ones life through the teachings of Buddha: the noble fourfold truth and the noble eightfold path.
Is life Dukka? I believe that it can be left up to personal interpretation. I believe that one must truly realize where their suffering is arising before it can be eliminated. True Enlightenment may never be attainable, but self-realization and the practices of Buddhist teachings can help ease the effects of suffering on ones life.

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peter Rutanga <wung32@hotmail.com>

I liked your essay. I agree that we predispose ourselves to suffer by having expectations in life. However, we also experience hapiness thanks to this suffering. Indeed happiness is impossible to achieve without experiencing unhappiness first. Buddisth ommit to look at this concept when they affirm that all life is suffering.

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Richele Skelton <skelton@emeraldis.com>

I really enjoyed reading this paper. I truely believe that you can't be truely happy without having suffered pain and dissappointment.

Dowd <rdowd@student.lander.edu>

I think that happiness is only realized when you have suffered. Nice work.

Scott Elingburg <kehoutek@hotmail.com>

An excellent paper. It appears to me that it would be very easy to eliminate suffering from ones life, yet we as people (myself included) choose not to do so. A book I read one time proclaimed that "Happiness is a temporary chemical imbalance of the true state of mind." I do not agree with this, but it certainly gives us all something to think about. Again, a great paper.

Travis Galloway <hyperdedo@hotmail.com>

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Travis Galloway <hyperdedo@hotmail.com>

hehe ooppps.. hit enter... anyway... nice work... I think you showed that you really have a grasp of what ol' archie is trying to explain to us... Great paper...

Fran Sanders <FranSanders@hotmail.com>

Nice paper.

Will Mulkey <wrmulkey@hotmail.com>

If they say that one is constantly faced with pain and suffering should they not also say one is constantly faced with joy and happiness? Suffering would not exist if pleasure did not also exist. Good paper and an interesting topic.

cutler <cutlershaun@hotmail.com>

i agree with your paper

Christa Ryan <christaryan@yahoo.com>

This paper is easy to understand and well written. Life is suffering is a discouraging thought and agree that it is what you make of it. Even during a time of suffering in ones life you must keep looking for positive and reflect on these things.

J.W. Preston <wednesday@emeraldis.com>

I totally agree with your paper. Life is about suffering, it is not all it is cracked up to be.

Eric Howell <grayghost13@hotmail.com>

Good paper! I think that you summmed up the point quite nicely.

Anna C. Nance <eirendel@yahoo.com>

It was a well thought out paper. I agree that the suffering in our lives comes from having expectations. However, without that suffering we would have no joy in, nor would we even realize, our achievements.

BRIAN NETTLES <NED _ CREEPER>

I NEVER KNEW WAT A DUKKA IS NOW I KNOW VERY GOOD PAPER

Tiffany Norton <TiffNorton@Hotmail.com>

That was a very depressing topic, but a well thought out paper.

Woody Moore <wouldhe@inetgenesis.com>

kind of a "glass is half-empty" way of looking at life.

Will Bond <wbond@meta-net.net>

I disagree with just a couple points in your paper, but the majority of it I agree with and enjoyed reading it.