Namo tassa Bhagavato Arahato Sammâ Sambuddhassa!

One Hour of Unsatisfactoriness

By Rasika Wijayaratne 

The Lord Buddha proclaimed the First Noble Truth of life as ever-present unsatisfactoriness, nothing is in a satisfactory state, or dukkha. This unsatisfactoriness can be very subtle at times and this article aims to highlight the various ways in which it manifests itself in our lives at every passing moment, within the space of one hour. The aim of Buddhism is to see things the way they are, to be realistic, and this article hopes to achieve that goal.¹ The Lord Buddha identified unsatisfactoriness but didn't stop there, he also showed us the way out of it, the treading of the Noble Eightfold Path.

* Indicates points where unsatisfactoriness (dukkha) occurs.
** Indicates the cause of unsatisfactoriness, i.e. some form of desire.

Sunil woke up early in the morning. He hadn't got enough sleep so his eyes were aching*. He was not satisfied* and wished** he could sleep in a bit longer. He felt tired* and thought 'ohhh… I have to get ready for another day at work.'* He was not satisfied with his job* and wished** that he could start his own business. But to do that required capital which he did not have.* He already had a large mortgage* and a car* to pay off and was in debt.* The likelihood of raising capital was slim.*

His limbs were aching* and sore*. He realised that this was yet another sign of fast approaching old age.* He went into the bathroom and the floor was very cold and caused discomfort to his feet.* He looked into the mirror and saw that his hair was over-grown; he would need a haircut soon.* He glanced down at his stomach and thought, 'I am getting fat, I need to do something about it.'* He came out of the bathroom and started putting on his clothes.

He glanced at the photos on the bed sitter. His father had passed away last year.* They had been very close,** ever since his mother had died 5 five years prior to that.* He could have trusted him with anything and there were certain things that he could only talk to him about.** It was hard to find** good, trustworthy friends.* He suddenly remembered that he hadn't called Sashini last night;* she was not going to be happy with him.*

He was running late.* If he didn't catch the 7:30 train the next train would be very crowded,* and he hated*/** catching that train. He rushed out the door stressed about the time.* He got into the car and pulled out of the driveway. The engine had started making a small noise recently.* He wished** he had a Holden Commodore instead.* He suddenly remembered that he had forgotten to check on the stove;* that would bother him all day.* The windows were misted up and he couldn't see properly*. He got into the heavy traffic* and headed towards the station in a rush.*

Notes

1. Some could describe this article as very negative, but it only aims to identify what we all experience day in day out, at every passing moment, whether we like it, believe it or accept it or not. Both optimists and a pessimists experience this same unsatisfactoriness and this is an undeniable fact, however the optimist would be better capable of coping with it.

Related Youth Articles

1. Four Noble Truths by Rasika Wijayaratne (a summary of)  [ http://vihara.org.au/go?to=fourtruths ]

2. Noble Eightfold Path by Rasika Wijayaratne (on ending suffering)  [ http://vihara.org.au/go?to=noblepath ] 

Other Resources

1. The Four Noble Truths - A Study Guide by Thanissaro Bhikkhu  [ http://www.accesstoinsight.org/lib/study/truths.html ]

2. The Noble Eightfold Path - The Way to the End of Suffering by Bhikkhu Bodhi

[ http://www.accesstoinsight.org/lib/authors/bodhi/waytoend.html ]

3. Nibbana by Thanissaro Bhikkhu  [ http://www.accesstoinsight.org/lib/authors/thanissaro/nibbana.html ]