Buddhism does not take its starting-point in grand metaphysical questions like Who made the world?, What is the meaning of life? and What happens to us after death? It is not concerned with proving the existence of a God or gods. Rather its root focus is on the down-to-earth fact that all existence, including human existence, is imperfect in a very deep way.
'Suffering I teach-and the way out of suffering', the Buddha declared.
The Noble Truths, which, along with the principle of the Middle Way, was the subject-matter of the Firs Sermon that he preached to his original core of disciples in the Deer Park at Isipatana. It follows a medical pattern: a disease is identified, its cause diagnosed, a remedy is declared to exist and then that remedy is prescribed:
1. Dukkha exists.
2. Dukkha has an identifiable cause.
3. That cause may be terminated; and
4. The means by which that cause may be terminated.
The Pali tern dukkha is traditionally translated into English as 'sufferng' but, though it certainly includes besides. At one extreme it takes in the most dire forms of mental and physical pain: the agonies of cancer, for instance, and the anguish of someone who falls prey to total despair. It covers our everyday aches and pains, our petty dislikes and frustrations too; and it extends to very subtle feelings of malaise: that life is never quite right.
Notice, however, that the Buddha is not saying here that there is only dukkha , or the dark side of life. He certainly does happiness, etc. He stresses dukkha because it is no such thing as perfect, unalloyed happiness or pleasure. Even the most beautiful experience has a melancholy undertone simply because we know that it can't last. So dukkha touches everything that exists.
Strangely. however, there is something in us that staunchly resists facing the dark side of life. We have a dogged determination to continue in pursuit of worldly satisfactions even though enormous discouragements are put in our way. Our feeling is that, with a few modifications and adjustments here and there, we can overcome our problems, realize all our dreams and enjoys heaven on earth. Bad are always provisional and sooner or later we're going to get over the hump and then... it'll be downhill all the way....
In a way this shows spirit and could be regarded as entirely commendable- except that there's quality of wilful blindness about it: a refusal to squarely face the true facts of the human condition. The results of this can also be very destructive. How many times have we hurt ourselves and others in the crass pursuit of events and should be accepted and enjoyed while they last, but we tend to want only the good and, resisting all else, pursue it exclusively and cling to it desperately if we do get it.
So the beginning of the road to wisdom begins with a realistic (not pessimistic) recognition of the fact of dukkha. Life usually has to have bitten us quite deeply, and often many times over, very real sense come of age as human beings, for an immature, butterfly existence in pursuit of mere happiness is unsatisfying in the final analysis. When we face up to the dark side of life, on the other hand, we begin to appreciate the full grandeur and challenge of human existence. Now too we can start to do something about changing our lives and putting them on a deeper, more authentic footing.
