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Optimism and pessimism are both delusion8/28/2023 ![]() It is true that in ordinary usage dukkha is opposed to the word sukha, which means “happiness”, “comfort” or “ease”. The Pali word dukkha (or Sanskrit duhkha) usually means “suffering”, “pain”, “sorrow” or “misery”. ![]() The focal point of the Buddha’s teaching lies in the Four Noble Truths (Cattāri Ariyasaccāni), which are: Dukkha, Samudaya (the arising or origin of dukkha), Nirodha (the cessation of dukkha), and Magga (the way leading to the cessation of dukkha). The True Meaning of Dukkha from the Buddhist Perspective Finally, the thesis that Buddhism is neither pessimistic nor optimistic but realistic will be given.Ģ.1. This part comprises three sections: 1) The True Meaning of Dukkha from the Buddhist Perspective 2) A True Buddhist Is the Happiest of All Beings 3) Buddhism Is More an Educational Doctrine than a Religion. In this part, I will refute these three misunderstandings with basic Buddhist theories, and explain why Buddhism is NOT a pessimistic religion. This erroneous criticism is an outcome of misunderstandings mainly from three aspects: 1) misunderstanding of the true meaning of Dukkha from the Buddhist perspective 2) misunderstanding of how Buddhists (Buddhist monks and Buddhist laity) behave 3) misunderstanding that Buddhism is a religion. In this essay, I am going to divide the main body into two parts, with the first one―to controvert the misunderstanding that “Buddhism is a pessimistic religion” and to point out that Buddhism is neither pessimistic nor optimistic but realistic, and the second one―to focus on the topic of nature of mind and to give reasons why Buddhism, especially Ch’an (Zen) Buddhism, says that “Mind is reality”.Ī common mis-conception about Buddhism is that “Buddhism is a pessimistic religion”. However, in view of the continual existence of Buddhism in the past two thousand five hundred years and its prevalence in certain parts of Asia at different intervals, I strongly believe that it is clear that its unique value does not lie in religious worship, or else it would have declined and disappeared from human civilization long ago. Indeed, there is much misunderstanding around the world with regard to Buddhism. Others said that its theory, admittedly profound, was too idealistic, impractical and not worth learning. What is the nature of mind? Just because of thoughtless understanding on this very question, some people were of the opinion that Buddhism was unscientific and superstitious, and that as a religion, it was completely based on Theology, and apart from its moral teaching, there was not much content to it. One of the basic issues of Buddhism is the nature of mind, and to understand Buddhism, it is thus necessary to have an in-depth study of this subject. Numerous societies and study-groups have emerged, and scores of books on the teachings of the Buddha have appeared. ![]() Nowadays, people all over the world are getting more and more interested in Buddhism. ![]()
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