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Research Paper | Arts and Humanities | Sri Lanka | Volume 9 Issue 1, January 2020

How Is Human Suffering Causally Related to Ignorance? An Analysis from the Therav?da Buddhist Perspective

Venerable Vepolla

Abstract: From the notion of Buddha, there are two Dukkha (suffering): physical illness and mental illness. One who is free from physical is called healthy person and one who is liberated from mental suffering is called noble one. In the modern time, we could recognize the healthy one but hardly find out the noble one. For the reason that, 90 % of human are in the pursuit of material and cling to extreme views and to material world which lead to un-satisfactoriness, aggression, conflicts, etc. For the physical illness, patience can consult with specialized doctor what he suffers to be cured the disease and then, it can be got rid of soon or later. As a mental disease, the patient has to observe his mind, thought, feeling and the cause of disease, according to the instruction of the Buddha. In the Buddhism, becoming or the aiming of human is to find the cause of suffering and eradicate all defilements from mind. In Theravada Buddhism, the cause of suffering is craving led by delusion (Moha). With the help of Moha, he craves everything what he likes and not like. In the consequence of craving and delusion, all the defilements follow and suffering can be existed. There are three states or levels to get rid of mental illness; cutting the leave or branches of mental illness (morality), destroying the whole tree of mental illness (concentration), and destroying all with roots (wisdom). This is the instruction of the Buddha. At the modern time, it said that the physical world is changing to positive way. They have high incomes, luxury place, use high technological device, and get knowledge all over the world within one second. Do you think modern people are satisfied with their live Never ever they will be. For the reason that, mental world moves to negative level and the decline of moral life. There are two kinds of people who are stuck with sufferings: One who is unknown the reality and cause of sufferings, and one who understands the reality and the cause of it but do not seek to escape from it. Everything is decided by mind. Mind is controlled by wholesome and unwholesome factors. Wholesome leads to positive mental health and unwholesome causes negative mental health (all the sufferings). All the mental illness led by ignorance or Moha is the source of the suffering. Therefore, without eradication of the production of suffering, none could obtain any true happiness in mind. To learn, destroy the dukkha, to attain happiness life in this very life, there is Buddhas instruction so called Tipitaka or early teaching for modern people.

Keywords: Suffering, Delusion, Morality, Concentration, Wisdom, Tipitaka, Happiness

Edition: Volume 9 Issue 1, January 2020,

Pages: 1170 - 1176

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