cont....BUDDHISM WISDOM & FAITH ( by Master Thich Thien Tam )

5) The Eight Major Sufferings

Sakyamuni Buddha explained the eight causes of suffering in his Truth or Suffering. The human condition has always entailed countless sufferings , as exemplified by the eight types enumerated below:-

a) Suffering of Birth

While still in the womb, human beings already have feelings and consciousness. Because of this they move and experience pleasure and pain. When the mother eats cold food , the embryo feels as though it were packed in ice; when hot food is ingested, it feels as though it were burning. The embryo, living as it is in a small, dark and dirty place , immediately lets out a scream upon birth. From then on, all it can do is cry when it feels cold, hot, hungry,thirsty , or suffers insect bites. Buddha Sakyamuni in his wisdom saw all this clearly and in detail and therefor describes birth as suffering. The ancient sages had a saying in this regard:

As soon as sentient beings escape one womb,
they enter another,
Seeing this, sages and saints are deeply moved to such compassion
The illusory body is really full of filth,
Swiftly escaping from it, we return to our Original Nature


b) Suffering of Old Age

As they approach old age, human beings have diminished faculties ; their eyes cannot see clearly , their ears have lost their acuity, their backs tired easily , their legs tremble, eating is not as pleasurable as before, their sleep is not sound ,their memories fail, their skin dries out and wrinkles, their teeth ache, decay and fall out. Even those who were most handsome and beautiful in their youth can only feel sorrow and regret when they grow old.

In old age , many persons become confused and mixed up when eating or dressing or they become incontinent. Their children and other family members, however close to them, soon grow tired and fed up. The human condition is like that of a flower , ruled by the law of impermanence , which, if it can bring beauty and fragrance , also carries death and decay in its wake. In truth , old age is nothing but suffering and the human body has nothing worth cherishing. For this reason , Buddha Sakyamuni said; old age is suffering!