The Eight Sufferings

Buddha's first teaching after he got enlightened was that all life is suffering. Life is changing constantly and everything is impermanent. He distinguished these eight sufferings.

The first four are related to the physical body.

Birth, Old age, Sickness and Death

There is constant effort to avoid the suffering due to birth, old age, sickness and death. Though these are natural, people spend lot of effort and money to avoid these sufferings.

As soon as a person is born, the suffering starts with the expectation to perform well in the society.

People spend time and money in make-up, plastic surgery to avoid looking old, they think they can avoid aging.

Lot of money is spent to avoid falling sick. Finally people are not present that eventually they are going to die.  They fight for power and success as if they are going to live forever.

The other set of four sufferings are not physical they arise from mind.

Being separated from those you love – many time people go away from loved ones to create happiness, but the very act of being separated causes suffering.

Being in the presence of those you dislike

Like and dislike are the two sides of the same coin in the matter of suffering. People suffer when they are in the presence of people whom they dislike.

Not getting what you desire

There are enough things like the job, promotion, car, house and so on.  When people don't get what the desire, there is a suffering

The imbalance of five skandhas (heaps of energy)

The five skandhas are form(body), feelings,  perceptions, impulses and consciousness. When they are not in harmony like overweight (form) or being too emotional (feelings) causes suffering.

Once you see all these suffering from the context impermanence it will disappear. Nothing is permanent everything is changing and suffering is optional!  

(Source/Reference: Compass of Zen – Seung Sahn)