Teaching #3: Subjective vs Objective Suffering
There is suffering that originates from external events and the suffering you experience because of how you process those events in your own mind. It is an objective fact that your life is filled with challenges, from illness to conflict with others to the death of loved ones. An outside observer witnessing your life would be able to confirm that this is so. But in addition to—or more accurately, in reaction to—these objective painful experiences, you also have an internal experience. Your mind is filled with a seemingly endless stream of emotions that arise in reaction to what’s going on around you. It is this subjective type of suffering that the Buddha is primarily addressing in the First Noble Truth. As you deepen your understanding of this richer and more complex meaning of dukkha, you will find opportunities for freedom and well being that you never even knew existed.
Chapter 3, Pg 29
For your reflection: Spend this week noticing when a feeling of dukkha has arisen in your mind. Then ask yourself, how much of this suffering is an objective fact and how much of it is your emotional resistance to it?