THE ISSUES OF SUFFERING FROM AN EARLY BUDDHIST PERSPECTIVE AND A ROLE OF BUDDHIST PRACTICAL METHODS

Abstract

Ponte Academic JournalDec 2022, Volume 78, Issue 12 THE ISSUES OF SUFFERING FROM AN EARLY BUDDHIST PERSPECTIVE AND A ROLE OF BUDDHIST PRACTICAL METHODSAuthor(s): Hyun Gong MoonJ. Ponte - Dec 2022 - Volume 78 - Issue 12 doi: 10.21506/j.ponte.2022.12.6 Abstract:From a Buddhist perspective, the different types of suffering are divided into physical suffering (dukkha) and mental suffering (domanassa) such as grief and lamentation, while in medicine, suffering is also divided into physical pain and mental distress, and there are similar aspects to Buddhism. From the Buddhist point of view, contact with the sense organs and objects leads to specific sensations, and these are perceived in vedanā (feeling). Suffering then arises as the feeling is connected with craving (taṇhā). A certain sharp painful sensation is connected with craving to cause suffering, but since craving arises on the basis of feeling, the core of suffering generation can be seen as ‘vedanā’. Moreover, medically, the sensation of physical pain or mental distress occurs through brain regions related to ‘emotion’, such as the prefrontal lobe, anterior cingulate, and insular lobe. Therefore, feelings or emotions can be seen as a kind of gateway to the process of perceiving pain. The search for resolutions to pain is linked to the issue of controlling feelings, which is made possible through sati (mindfulness). The ‘acceptance’ and ‘decentralization’ mechanisms of mindfulness can affect emotional distress, such as depression, anxiety, ‘pain catastrophizing’ (PC), and ‘distress tolerance’ (DT). Download full text:Check if you have access through your login credentials or your institution Username Password