Life is suffering?

[Straw Dog]

Life is a struggle.

I'm glad that you shared this. It really ties philosophical Buddhism together.

Life is a struggle mostly because of egoic craving and unmindful action so let's get to the bottom of this case via an 8-fold path. Simple enough.

 

[Twilight Hue]

Confucious tasted the vinegar as being sour representing life as in need rules and ceremony. Buddha tasted it as being bitter representing that life was full of pain and suffering. Laozi tasted the vinegar and perceived it as being sweet representing his view that life was fundamentally good in its essential nature.

I'm not saying that only Laozi is correct, but they are interconnected. Perspective is paramount and it shades all three views. Some convention may be useful, suffering should be avoided or minimized, and we can cultivate a positive playful attitude throughout it all.

They all make the same face. What exactly does vinegar taste like anyways?

 

[Sunstone]

I prefer those translations of dukkha that emphasize clingingness rather than suffering.

 

[Twilight Hue]

And I'm evapourating!

Must be hot.

 

[SageTree]

I wish all debate/discussion threads in DIR and all over RF would be this OUT OF CONTROL!!!!

LOLOLOL!!!!!!

Cause if this is suffering, chain me to the wall!

I keed I keed....

I appreciate the 'life is stressful'..... not a translation, but a good modern relation.

We are stressed about having stress, about getting stressed, and about feeling stressed again.

Does that stress the point well?
I think it does.

 

[Straw Dog]

They all make the same face. What exactly does vinegar taste like anyways?

More importantly, who drinks straight vinegar? And why?

 

[Twilight Hue]

While dukkha may be one of the three marks of existence, so is impermanence.

Ha ha ha!!!!!!
Back to square one eh? ;0)

 

[Twilight Hue]

More importantly, who drinks straight vinegar? And why?

The face is priceless. :drool:

 

[Me Myself]

I was told (by a Buddhist monk) that "Life is suffering" is a mis-translation, that "Life is a struggle" would be more accurate.

I thnk I heard/read somewhere is is supopsed to mean not that "it is suffering" but that "it contains suffering" or "has suffering".

 

[crossfire]

More importantly, who drinks straight vinegar? And why?

Well, one must taste it to see if it is suitable for strawberries with balsamic vinegar and black pepper!

 

[Straw Dog]

The face is priceless. :drool:

Yeah, they really don't reveal emotion. They simply do.

 

[Caladan]

Which desert do you trek?

Sorry, just saw that. Both the Israeli and Jordanian sides of the Dead Sea rift, Judean desert, Negev desert, Egypt's Sinai peninsula.

 

[Straw Dog]

Sorry, just saw that. Both the Israeli and Jordanian sides of the Dead Sea rift, Judean desert, Negev desert, Egypt's Sinai peninsula.

Sounds like you got options. The closest thing to a desert that I've been to are the Great Sand Dunes in Colorado. It's more like a giant sandbox however.

I live among the Appalachians so tend to mostly hike forested mountain trails.

 

[DreadFish]

More importantly, who drinks straight vinegar? And why?

Hey, I so happen to like taking apple cider vinegar for the health benefits.

I think the incredibly tart, unbearable sensation is thrilling

 

[Twilight Hue]

Well, one must taste it to see if it is suitable for strawberries with balsamic vinegar and black pepper!

Yes. Tenzo duty is perfect at relaying original face.