Hi all,
Vedana refers to classification of a sensation as pleasant, unpleasant, neutral while the "third" characteristic of dukkha is inherent in all sensations. Dukkha being translated as "unsatisfactory."
Therefore, according to the buddha, sensations are actually unsatisfactory when pleasant, unpleasant, and neutral.
The second noble truth states that the cause of dukkha is craving due to clinging to sensations as self.
Therefore, according to the four noble truths, sensations should be satisfactory when pleasant, unpleasant, and neutral - if enlightened. (Because the third noble truth says there is an end to dukkha).
How could a sensation be satisfactory when it is extremely unpleasant? (Such as overly cold or hot temperatures, falling and hurting oneself, or even all the minor aches and pains of being in a body). In fact, it seems the opposite, the more enlightened you are, the more aware of your body you are, and thus the more aware of all the sensations involved in being in this thing called a body. With a fair amount of the process of being un-enlightened actually being a process of trying to escape the situation of being in a body to an overemphasis on creating sensations of thought (reminicing of the past, etc), because they are not as immediately painful.
Is this a confusion of fundamental and conventional suffering? With all the examples listed being conventional suffering. Do the four noble truths not address conventional suffering (aches, pains, temperature extremes, bodily sensations)?.
How could someone walk outside in sub freezing temperatures with no clothes on and suggest that all the horrendous stinging sensations of the body are indeed "satisfactory" and thus not dukkha because they are impermanent selfless sensations manifesting right where they are with no phenomenal or non-phenomenal watcher?? ??
Dukkha - applies to "fundamental" suffering only?
Unpleasant - applies to all types of suffering?
Perhaps this should be more obviously stated when people talk about suffering and the end of suffering?
However, the buddha seems to state otherwise as he makes statements like:
"This is the noble truth of dukkha: birth is dukkha, aging is dukkha, illness is dukkha, death is dukkha; sorrow, lamentation, pain, grief and despair are dukkha; union with what is displeasing is dukkha; separation from what is pleasing is dukkha; not to get what one wants is dukkha; in brief, the five aggregates subject to clinging are dukkha."
All of these make sense except illness, since that can involve extremes in unpleasantness similar to being outside with no clothes on in sub-zero temperatures.
So I ask: What is the difference between the third characteristic of dukkha and one of the vedana labels: unpleasant?
-T
