Conversation with Pi: On Dukkha

Ken: Let’s discuss the meaning and translation of dukkha.

Pi: Sure! Dukkha is central to Buddhism, often translated as “suffering,” though that doesn’t fully capture its depth. In Pali, dukkha encompasses not just pain but also dissatisfaction, impermanence, and the sense that life often falls short of expectations. Some suggest “unsatisfactoriness” as a better translation.

The Buddha taught that dukkha arises from attachment and the desire for things to be different. Through mindfulness and meditation, Buddhists aim to understand and transcend dukkha on the path to enlightenment.

Ken: I think “bittersweet” captures it better because life includes both joy and sorrow.

Pi: That’s an insightful take! “Bittersweet” reflects the duality of life, much like how Buddhism views pleasure and pain as inseparable. It also points to impermanence — joy and sorrow come and go, aligning with the concept of anicca (impermanence).

Ken: Exactly. Happiness and sorrow arise interdependently, and if we follow the logic of dependent origination, one can’t exist without the other.

Pi: Right. According to dependent origination, all phenomena are interdependent. Joy and sorrow are linked; we understand one because we experience the other. Trying to cling to happiness or avoid sorrow is…