Ep. 239 – The Truth Of Dukkha, Satipatthana Sutta Series Pt. 36
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Mar 19, 2025
Delve into the profound concept of dukkha and its pivotal role in Buddhist teachings. Understand how dukkha encapsulates not just suffering but a broader state of unsatisfactoriness. Reflexively engage with personal experiences of dissatisfaction, nurturing compassion for oneself and others. Explore the complexities of conditioned phenomena and the inevitable nature of experiences we can’t avoid. This insightful journey reveals ways to alleviate unnecessary mental suffering while embracing the truths of life.
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insights INSIGHT
Dukkha: Beyond Suffering
The word "dukkha" is a core concept in Buddhist teachings, often translated as "suffering" but having broader meanings.
It encompasses unsatisfactoriness, unreliability, and stress, both mental and physical.
insights INSIGHT
Etymology of Dukkha
Etymologically, "dukkha" combines "du" (bad/difficult) and "ka" (empty), referring to an axle fitting poorly in a wheel.
This analogy represents the bumpy ride of samsara, the cycle of suffering.
question_answer ANECDOTE
Ox Cart Ride in Burma
Joseph Goldstein recounts a bumpy ox cart ride in Burma, illustrating the visceral meaning of "dukkha".
This uncomfortable journey served as a physical metaphor for the experience of suffering.
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Venerable Analayo's "Satipaṭṭhāna: The Direct Path to Realization" offers a comprehensive exploration of the Satipaṭṭhāna Sutta, a foundational text in Theravada Buddhism. The book delves into the sutta's teachings on mindfulness of the body, feelings, mind, and mental phenomena. Analayo meticulously examines the sutta's verses, providing insightful commentary and clarifying ambiguities. He connects the sutta's practical instructions to contemporary Buddhist practice, making it accessible to modern readers. The book is a valuable resource for both beginners and experienced practitioners seeking a deeper understanding of mindfulness meditation and its transformative potential. It serves as a guide for cultivating a direct path to liberation through mindful awareness.
In this exploration of dukkha, Joseph Goldstein describes the noble truth of suffering and how we can heal our relationship to all phenomena.
The Satipatthana Sutta is one of the most celebrated and widely studied discourses in the Pāli Canon of Theravada Buddhism. This episode is the thirty-sixth part of an in-depth 48-part weekly lecture series from Joseph Goldstein that delves into every aspect of the Satipatthana Sutta. If you are just now jumping into the Satipatthana Sutta series, listen to Insight Hour Ep. 203 to follow along and get the full experience!
Continuing his look at the Satipatthana Sutta, Joseph describes:
Contemplating the dhammas in terms of the Four Noble Truths
The way of the cessation of dukkha (suffering)
All conditioned phenomena as dukkha
The meaning of the word dukkha and its etymology
The unsatisfactory and unreliable nature of all things
Setting the wheel of the dharma in motion
Stepping back and reflecting on the nature of our minds
Naturally painful/unavoidable experiences versus optional mental suffering
The suffering that comes from living in anticipation of what comes next
Suffering from daily tasks we do for survival and personal upkeep (aka the dukkha of life as work)
Not regarding form as self and finding relief in the truth of dukkha
Grab a copy of the book Joseph references throughout this series, Satipaṭṭhāna: The Direct Path to Realization, HERE
This episode was originally published on Dharmaseed
“Surprisingly, reflecting in this way on the truth of dukkha, simply seeing how things are, free of hope and free of fear, brings a great lightness of heart. When we reflect in this way, it’s a great relief to be out of the grip of diluted enchantment.” – Joseph Goldstein
Insight Hour with Joseph Goldstein