A central term in Buddhism which is not directly translatable in english. It's a type of unease. Birth is dukkha, aging is dukkha, death is dukkha; sorrow, lamentation, pain, distress, & despair are dukkha; association with what is not loved is dukkha, separation from what is loved is dukkha, not getting what is wanted is dukkha. In short, the five clinging-aggregates are dukkha.
The word dukkha is significant in Buddhism because of its association with the first noble truth
''Dukka''-suffering exists
its monadipa nath
Dukkha means pain or suffering in Sanskrit. Buddhists consider suffering, or dukkha to be a result of our grasping or attachment to pleasure, and avoiding displeasure. Attachment and aversion are both considered to be the source of misery. Happiness itself is not considered to be dukkha, but the grasping attachment to pleasure is.
The first Noble Truth is that life and the world is full of suffering, but the Buddha did not speak English and the exact word he used was Dukkha which is a Pali word. Dukkha has many meanings. Anything that is temporary is Dukha. Many people, including myself sometimes, use the word discontentment instead of suffering, though this doesn't quite represent what the Buddha was teaching. The words the Buddha spoke when he spoke on the first noble truth were something like this: What now is the Noble Truth of Dukkha? Birth is Dukkha, decay is Dukkha, death is Dukkha, sorrow, lamentation, pain, greif and dispair are Dukkha; not getting what one desires is Dukkha, in short the five aggregates are Dukkha.
"dukkha"
Dukkher dukkha
dukkha-life involves suffering annata-not an individual soul/self annica-the impermanent nature of all things
Dukkha is a fascinating word in the worlds of Yoga and Buddhism.
The buddha doesn't say that everything is Dukkha, he just says that everyone experiences it. Because pleasure is impermanent and when it ends you feel pain.
the three signs of being are dukkha, anatta, and anicca.
The first noble truth is that many of Life's experiences contain Dukkha. The Second Noble Truth is an explanation of Dukkha and goes on to explain that it is caused by our attachment or clinging attitudes to our self serving desires. The third noble trust explains that because they have a cause for arising. The fourth noble truth explains that by following the Eightfold Noble Path, we can end these selfish desires thereby ending our experience of Dukkha.
Ultimately all Buddhists aim to become enlightened. Enlightenment is the state where you are free from suffering (dukkha).
Understand dissatisfaction*, let go of it, realize the cessation of dissatisfaction, cultivate the path to the end of dissatisfaction. The Pali word translated here as "dissatisfaction" is "dukkha" which also gets translated as "suffering" or "anguish" or "stress" -- there is not one good word in English that can be used to translate "dukkha".
The eightfold path is the 4th noble truth, the way to remove suffering or dukkha.