Three Marks of Existence - Dukkha

According to the passage, what is one of the first themes on which a Buddhist will meditate?

• Change (impermanence)

• Wealth accumulation

• Political power

• Physical strength

• Material possessions

What does the image of the Buddha lying on his right side passing into parinirvana remind us of?

• The beauty of flowers

• The importance of meditation

• That everything, even the people we value the most, are subject to death

• The meaning of happiness

What is the main benefit of reflecting on change, according to the passage?

• It loosens our attachment to things.

• It increases our stress levels.

• It makes us forget important events.

• It encourages us to avoid new experiences.

Dukkha is usually translated as ______ in English, but the word is inadequate to convey the full meaning of what Buddhists mean by dukkha.

• suffering

• happiness

• peace

• joy

The term dukkha as the first Noble Truth contains only the ordinary meaning of 'suffering'.

• True

• False

According to Buddhism, what are the three types of suffering?

• Ordinary suffering, the suffering of change, and the suffering of conditioned existence or conditioned states.

• Physical suffering, mental suffering, and spiritual suffering.

• Suffering of desire, suffering of ignorance, and suffering of attachment.

• Suffering of birth, suffering of death, and suffering of rebirth.

What is an example of ordinary suffering as described in Buddhism?

• Experiences such as giving birth and being born, old age, illness and disease, and dying.

• Achieving enlightenment and inner peace.

• Experiencing only happiness and joy throughout life.

• Attaining material wealth and success without any challenges.

The suffering of change includes distress and anxiety that result from changes in our life situation, such as losing a job or moving house.

• True

• False

The suffering of conditioned existence refers to:

• The pain of watching others suffer

• The background dissatisfaction we have with life, a latent anguish or angst

• The joy of achieving contentment

• The happiness of being with loved ones

Fill in the blank: According to the passage, consumerism and advertising are based on the impermanence of our likes and dislikes, and they feed the cycle of ________.

• frustration and lack of contentment

• happiness and satisfaction

• peace and harmony

• knowledge and wisdom