The First Noble Truth is the Truth of Suffering. What does the Buddha say about suffering? Concisely explain what he might mean. Do you agree with the First Noble Truth? Provide reasons to support your position and defend it against at least one objection.

Dukkha vs Suffering: an Analysis of the First Noble Truth

In *Setting in Motion the Wheel of the Dhamma* of the *Saccasaṃyutta* (SN 56.11), the Buddha introduces “dukkha,” often translated as “suffering.” He makes allegories and parallels: “Birth is suffering, aging is suffering, illness is suffering, death is suffering  (SN 56.4),” but gives no explicit definitions. However, the implications of dukkha, clarified in later Noble Truths, go far beyond our simple understanding of “suffering” and don't exactly neatly align with common interpretations of the word. Unlike a dictionary definition of suffering, the Noble Truths link dukkha explicitly to desire and craving, as well as to a way to avoid or eliminate dukkha. I argue that his avoidance of a direct definition before introducing the later Noble Truths is not only intentional but strictly necessary for the foundational classification he is making. While the focus of this essay is on the First Noble Truth, a brief overview of the final three Noble Truths is necessary for a formal classification of dukkha. In this essay, I will use the word "suffering" to refer to our external, "dictionary" definition of suffering (the state of undergoing pain, distress, or hardship), and I will use "dukkha" to refer to what I believe the Buddha means. I argue that the First Noble Truth, when understood as “dukkha” and defined by how it is used by the other three Noble Truths– essentially as that which is caused by craving and desired and alleviated by following the Eightfold Path – is a strong and well-argued assessment of the human condition.  
Soon after the First Noble Truth, the Buddha introduces the Second, Third, and Fourth Noble Truths. The Truth of the Origin of Dukkha, Samudaya, which he cites as being craving and attachment: "it is this craving which leads to renewed existence, accompanied by delight and lust, seeking delight here and there; that is, craving for sensual pleasures, craving for existence, craving for extermination (SN 56.11)." The Truth of the Cessation of Dukkha, Nirodha, which he cites as being the cessation of attachments and craving: "It is the remainderless fading away and cessation of that same craving, the giving up and relinquishing of it, freedom from it, non-reliance on it (SN 56.11)." The final Noble Truth is the Truth of the Path to the Cessation of Dukkha, Magga, which is somewhat beyond the scope of this essay but is ultimately the Noble Eightfold Path (SN 56.11). The Eightfold Path is defined as Right View, Right Intention, Right Speech, Right Action, Right Livelihood, Right Effort, Right Mindfulness, and Right Concentration (SN 56.11). It functions as a lifestyle that allows future dukkha to be avoided, and current dukkha to be killed.  

The Buddha introduces the concept of dukkha, chains it to an origin via the Second Truth, says that dukkha can be killed with the Third Truth, and details how to kill and prevent it with the Fourth Truth. Thus, anything equivalent to dukkha must have an identical origin, an identical ability to be killed or prevented, and an identical method that allows it to be killed or prevented. By the Second Truth, dukkha must explicitly be that which is caused by craving and attachment. By the Third Truth, dukkha must have an end. By the Fourth Truth, dukkha must be able to be ended “…by annihilating with asceticism past actions and by doing no fresh actions” that violate the Eightfold Path thus resulting in “…no consequence in the future. With no consequence in the future…all suffering will be exhausted (MN 101.5).” With dukkha defined as such, I both agree with the premise and find that it fully supports the weight of the Four Noble Truths, having been back-defined to do so. A concrete but general example is perhaps necessary. Suppose Timmy takes an action that violates the Eightfold Path, maybe a lie or an otherwise ignorant action, due to craving or attachment to something. If his action was caused by craving and attachment, anything that results from this action is by definition dukkha. At first glance, this might sound a little absurd. What if in the process of lying, Timmy gained immense material wealth, thus making this material wealth the dukkha? What if he did not experience pain or suffering in his experience of dukkha, according to the dictionary definitions of “pain” and “suffering?” One could make a follow-up argument, that Timmy might feel shame or some similar negative emotion, or that maybe he gets caught– but what if, for the sake of argument, he doesn’t? What if Timmy was a sociopath and is never held accountable for his actions? This is an important objection, but one does not contradict the argument and is critically exactly why a separation of definitions is necessary to investigate the intricacies of dukkha.
If we use a definition of “suffering” for dukkha in our interpretation of the First Noble Truth, it is difficult to reconcile dukkha with its use in the rest of the text due to the lack of a concrete definition and the universality in which it is used. But by defining dukkha to be anything that is caused by craving or attachment and can also be avoided by following the Eightfold Path, we achieve internal consistency and also result in a more profound understanding of the Buddha’s message. This understanding incorporates more than just obvious pains and sufferings, but also more subtle negative consequences associated with our actions. With this interpretation, the First Noble Truth shifts from what could be regarded as a pessimistic statement that life is suffering, and instead becomes a tool to explore the intricacies of the effects of attachment, craving, and desire on humanity.

Bibliography Buddha, The (1995) ‘Devadaha Sutta’ (MN 101) in The Middle Length Discourses: A Translation of the Majjima Nikaya, Bhikkhu Nanamoli (trans.), Wisdom Publications Buddha, The (2005) ‘Saccasaṃyutta’ (SN 56) in The Connected Discourses of the Buddha: A Translation of the Saṃyutta Nikāya, Bhikkhu Bodhi trans. Wisdom Publications..