Buddhism: understanding on suffering

Buddhism, one of the most ancient religions of the world. Upon returning from enlightenment, Buddha spent the rest of his long life preaching about his Four Noble Truths: 1) dukka, the reality of suffering 4, 2) samudaya, the arising or origin of dukka, 3) nirodha, the cessation of dukka, and 4) magga, the way leading to the cessation of dukka. Buddhism is evangelistic in nature because its followers believe that the Hindu unbroken cycle of existence, which is filled with suffering, can be broken after all. Suffering can be stopped; beings can be liberated from painful existence. This paper focuses on Buddhism’s understanding of suffering. Having said that, it is not a comprehensive study of Buddhism. That is, it does not delve into every aspect of the religion and discuss all Buddhist doctrines extensively In particular, this study attempts to answer to the following questions from the Buddhist perspective: 1) What is suffering? 2) What causes suffering? 3) What can one do to stop suffering? 4) How can one walk on the path toward liberation from suffering? The paper is designed to be both truthful and respectful. Upon completion, its prospective reader will hopefully go away with a clear understanding of suffering according to Buddhism. This paper focuses on Buddhism’s understanding of suffering. Having said that, it is not a comprehensive study of Buddhism. That is, it does not delve into every aspect of the religion and discuss all Buddhist doctrines extensively. It does not offer a survey on the development of the religion over time or space. Rather, it takes a deep dive into the aspect of suffering, which is in fact right at the heart of the religion. It is hoped that once a prospective reader finishes reading the paper, he or she will know how Buddhists perceive suffering and how they deal with it in their daily lives.