Human Suffering: Understanding Dukkha in the First Noble Truth

The Buddha’s encounters with suffering and his quest to understand and alleviate it, leading to the foundational Buddhist teachings on the universal nature of suffering (dukkha).

The Traditional Story of the Buddha

When a prince named Siddhārtha Gautama was born, the mystic seers of the time told the royal family that Siddhārtha would either become a great king or a great spiritual teacher.

At this age in history, Northern India had witnessed a number of noble princes turning their back on wealth and power and embracing Jainism, a religion focused on non-violence and asceticism, the renunciation of all worldly possessions.

Siddhārtha Gautama’s father was determined not to let his young prince fall under the influence of Jainism, so he sheltered him from all unpleasant experiences and provided him a life of unparalleled luxury in hopes that he would become so accustomed to his princely life that he would never consider becoming a Jainist.

Siddhārtha came of age in the luxury and safety of his father’s palace, and per his father’s wishes, he was sheltered from all the unpleasant realities of life.