The first of the Four Noble Truths is the truth of suffering. Suffering is an approximate translation of the Pali word dukkha. Dukkha implies impermanence, imperfection and unsatisfactoriness. The Buddha did not start teaching by talking of his enlightenment, of bliss or openness or clarity; he started by talking about the truth of suffering. Many people believe that the Buddha’s teaching are pessimistic because of the emphasis on suffering. Representations of the Buddha always portray a radiant and serene appearance, and one of the most common observations about practitioners of Buddhism is
...more
