The three marks of existance Flashcards
what are the 3 marks of existance
suffering (dukkha), impermenance(anicaa), no fixed self(anatta)
First mark of existance is…
- dukkha meaning suffering, dissatisfaction or unsatisfactorineess.
- buddhism teaches that dukkha is an inevitable part of life but can be overcome by attaining enlightenment - by following buddhas teachings
buddha taught there is 7 states of suffering. seven states of suffering are…
- physical: birth, old age, sickness and death
- mental: seperation from someone u love, contanct with something or someone u dislike, not being able to achieve desires
how do buddhists overcome suffering?
- reduce suffering through right actions and intentions
- increasing understanding of reality
- doing this will break cycle of samsara and achieve nirvana
Different types of suffering are..
dukkha-dukkhata(ordinary suffering), viparinama-dukkha(suffering because of change), samkhara-dukkha(suffering because of attachment
dukkha-dukkhata
- ordinary suffering
- physical and mental pain
- like breaking leg, missing someone or failing exam
viparinama - dukkha
- caused by losing something good
- produced by change
- example range from change of weather, getting older, moving citys, knowing good thing wont last
samkhara-dukkha
- dissatisfaction with life as a result of craving and attachment
- attachment to things causes suffering
- general dissatisfaction with life from craving things that are not possible to have
- for example, unhappy for no reason, ever-present dissatisfaction with life
what is anicca, 2nd mark of existance
- impermenance
- everything constantly changes
- suffering comes from resisting change
- awareness of annica leads to letting go of atttachment which lessens suffering
3 ways anicca affects world
- living things - tree sprouts from seed, grows then dies
- non living things - iron nail will rust if left out in rain
- peoples minds - persons thoughts, perceptions + feelings change throughout their life
How does anicca and dukka relate to eachother?
- buddha taught expecting things to not change leads to attachment
- therefore when things do xhange , anicca, people experience dukkha.
- accepting change will lead to less suffering
what is a buddhists ultimate goal?
to break the cycle of samsara and achieve nirvana, a permenant stae of no suffering achieved after enlightenment
what is the story of Kisa Gotami and what does it teach?
- story teaches about suffering because of anicca.
- traditional buddhist story found in the therigatha
- Main evennts of story as follows: - Kisa Gotami’s child died at young age, she went out of her mind with sorrow.
- she would ask for medicine for her already dead child
- The buddha told her to visit all the houses in the village and ask for a mustard seed from any hosue in which no one had died
- she could not find a house where no one had died
- she eventually realised death is inescapable and buried her child
- Kisa Gotami learnt that suffering in life is experienced by everyone. this allowed her to share grief with others which made her realise she was not alone imm her suffering.
What is anatta
- the idea that people do not have a fixed self or soul
- means that there is no unchanging essence to the human being that is permenant or eternal
- no fixed part of a perspn that does not change
Analogy of nagasena and the chariot + its meanings
- monk called nagasena arrived at court of king milinda
- king asked what his name was
- mink answered but said there was no person behind the name king was confused and asked who then was standing before him - nagasena answered using the analogy of the chariot:
- chariot is made up from a number of different parts
- name ‘chariot’ used to refer to all of these parts
- there is no chariot independent of its part
- likewise person only exists due to parts they are made up from
- there is no seperate ‘self’ that is independant to these parts
