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The indefintion in the new way the 4 noble truths are written??? I understand them alot more now:

FreeofwantWdumeanFreeofwantWdumean
edited March 2011 in Buddhism Basics
http://buddhism.about.com/od/thefournobletruths/a/dukkhaexplain.htm

I knew that they were also pains and wants to free ourselves of. impermanence e.t.c, why is'nt it written more like this wherever you read it? I "like" Dharma lol, it makes more sense.

Comments

  • compassionate_warriorcompassionate_warrior Veteran
    Great article! Thanks.
  • zidanguszidangus Veteran
    Excellent link, thanks for sharing !
  • DakiniDakini Veteran
    Translation is SO important in Buddhism! This really illustrates the point. Thank you.
  • CinorjerCinorjer Veteran
    edited March 2011
    I'm all for not using the usual thumbnail version of the Noble Truths, but there's one problem with leaving pali words untranslated.

    "The problem in life is dukkha."
    "Um...what's that mean?"
    "Well, sorta like suffering, combined with anxiety over losing what we have and frustration because so much of life is out of our control. There's more, but you get the message."
    "Well, why didn't you just say so? Sooner or later, life sucks. Got it."

    People have to translate. Even words we've imported like karma are translated inside people's minds. Sometimes wrong, like karma meaning fate. Then there's the really bad examples, like the koan about dogs not having Buddha Nature and the monk's response causing everyone to go around saying "Moo" like a cow without knowing it means "nothing" or "not a thing".


  • FreeofwantWdumeanFreeofwantWdumean
    glaaaad! :D
  • ShutokuShutoku Veteran
    one of my favorite explanations of "Dukkha" or at least one of the meanings of the word is "off-centred" as in the axle of a wheel.
    Imagine riding in a vehicle in which the wheels were off-centred. It would make for a bumpy ride!

    And life is indeed a bumpy ride.
  • SupertrampSupertramp
    edited March 2011
    one of my favorite explanations of "Dukkha" or at least one of the meanings of the word is "off-centred" as in the axle of a wheel.
    Imagine riding in a vehicle in which the wheels were off-centred. It would make for a bumpy ride!

    And life is indeed a bumpy ride.
    I like this metaphore. Not sure if it envellops everything Dukkha is but it's a nice metaphore none the less. Thank you! :)

  • FreeofwantWdumeanFreeofwantWdumean
    @shutoku I also like that metaphor a wholleeee lot, ty. And supertramp not to be a spelly sam it's metaphor cow poke
  • SupertrampSupertramp
    :)

    I'm just glad I can make my point in English since it's not my native tongue. :)
  • FreeofwantWdumeanFreeofwantWdumean
    @supertramp awesome what is your native tongue? Also.. your name supertramp appears in the movie Into the wild.. have you seen it? really good film
  • SupertrampSupertramp
    I speak Dutch usually. Yeah I've seen Into the Wild, I find it a very interesting film aswell, I've mentioned it in one of my threads (http://newbuddhist.com/discussion/9539/perception-how-do-you-know-what-is-truth). Actually looking back at that thread in combination with the four noble truths mentioned in this thread brought me a new insight, closer to the truth. :)
  • DairyLamaDairyLama Veteran Veteran

    "The problem in life is dukkha."
    "Um...what's that mean?"

    As with many Pali terms, "dukkha" has several layers of meaning. I think what runs through them all is the sense of all-pervasive unsatisfactoriness.

    P

  • ThailandTomThailandTom Veteran
    great link, thanks a lot to the OP, its bookmarked!! :o
    image
  • VincenziVincenzi Veteran
    edited March 2011
    does anyone know of better translations to dukkha? (even if from other languages)

    maybe toska?
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