Three Types of Dukkha (Seeing Is Believing)

By listening to Dhamma talks, one gains the truth-knowledge (sacca-ñāṇa). While listening to the Dhamma and directing attention toward the khandhas—by knowing their arising and passing away (anicca)—the yogi gains functional knowledge (kicca-ñāṇa). Only the yogi who possesses these two knowledges can attain the knowledge of the ending of suffering (kata-ñāṇa).

The wanderer Jambukhādaka approached and questioned Sāriputta about the truth of suffering (dukkha-sacca). There are three types of suffering, and only by understanding them is a yogi able to practice correctly. These are:

1. Dukkha-dukkhatā

Suffering due to pain—painful bodily and mental feeling. Unpleasant feelings (dukkha-vedanā) such as numbness, aches, and pains are called dukkha-dukkhatā. This type of suffering is known to everyone; even animals know it. Through this knowledge alone, one cannot realize the Dhamma. Only through understanding the second and third types of suffering can dukkha-sacca be realized.

2. Saṅkhāra-dukkhatā (Suffering Due to Formations)

All newly arising conditioned phenomena within the khandhas belong to this type of suffering. Because they are oppressed by arising and passing away, they are saṅkhāra-dukkhatā. For example, when the eye comes into contact with a visible object, seeing consciousness arises. This arising itself is saṅkhāra-dukkhatā. The same applies to ear and sound, and so forth. All sense processes should be understood in this way.

These are sabhāva-khandhas—aggregates of intrinsic nature. They have no fixed form, shape, or substance that can be touched or measured. Not everyone can see this. Only through discerning the khandhas—rather than reacting like a barking dog—does one become a noble one (ariya).

This is also called the result-aggregate (vipāka-khandha) or the aggregate of dependent origination (paṭiccasamuppanna-khandha). These phenomena truly exist only as arising and passing away. When the yogi sees the arising of suffering in this way, three samādhi factors are established.

3. Vipariṇāma-dukkhatā (Suffering Due to Change)

The yogi, through watching and observing, sees the arising of saṅkhāra-dukkhatā. When the yogi discerns its vanishing, vipariṇāma-dukkhatā is known.

Knowing painful feeling within the khandhas is dukkha-dukkhatā. Knowing dependent origination is saṅkhāra-dukkhatā. Seeing the vanishing of saṅkhāra-dukkhatā is vipariṇāma-dukkhatā. Not everyone can know these distinctions.

To understand the khandhas thoroughly, one must discern arising and passing away. When this is seen, identity view (sakkāya-diṭṭhi) falls away. There is no notion of a person or a being—only the knowing of pain as arising suffering. By seeing arising, the view of annihilationism (uccheda-diṭṭhi) falls away; by seeing vanishing, the view of eternalism (sassata-diṭṭhi) falls away.

According to Mogok Sayadaw, observation of feeling reveals its arising and vanishing as paramattha-dhamma. Although these phenomena are extremely unstable, they are objects suitable for observation. What perishes is the arising of intrinsic phenomena, not the physical body. The body does not perish instantly; it ages gradually.

Therefore, one must clearly understand the distinction between the body-aggregate and the arising mental aggregates. In this way, one discerns both saṅkhāra-dukkhatā and vipariṇāma-dukkhatā. Aging, sickness, and death are bodily forms of suffering (rūpa-dukkha).

Beyond these, there are innumerable forms of suffering arising each second within one’s life. These are the arising khandhas.

Conventional Death and Insightful Death

Death is only one event in a single lifetime-- conventional death (sammuti-maraṇa) which is known by everyone. Insightful death (vipassanā-maraṇa), however, is not known by everyone. This is momentary death (khaṇika-maraṇa), which is known through penetrating insight. Contemplation of conventional death is beneficial for development because it leads to a sense of urgency (saṃvega).

The present body does not continue through craving, clinging, and action; rather, only newly arising khandhas are connected through these processes. We cannot control the aging, sickness, and death of the present body, but we can control the future arising of new khandhas. Before insight arises, we create new actions out of affection, craving, and clinging; therefore, we receive new khandhas as a result.

With insight contemplation of seeing, one discerns the arising and passing away of seeing consciousness. This seeing no longer connects with craving, clinging, and action, and thus the dependent origination process is cut off. It is like changing railway lines: one line leads to woeful births, while another leads to Nibbāna.

With seeing comes affection and clinging; with hearing comes affection, and so forth—leading onward to the apāyas. However, when seeing is followed by its vanishing, and hearing is followed by its vanishing, the process leads instead toward Nibbāna. With right knowing comes right perception, right understanding, and right view; all wrong views and defilements disappear.

Knowing Dukkha Through Insight

Painful suffering (dukkha-dukkha) is known by everyone. Only those who possess samādhi can know arising suffering (saṅkhāra-dukkha). Only those with wisdom can know changing suffering (vipariṇāma-dukkha).

Merely knowing the arising of feeling still leads to greed, anger, and delusion; this knowledge is not yet right. When one knows the arising and passing away of feeling, knowledge becomes right. Therefore, one must discern the universal characteristic (sāmañña-lakkhaṇa).

The ultimate phenomena (paramattha-dhamma) arise and perish, this is its nature.

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• Content of Seeing Is Believing-- Dhamma Talks by Sayadaw U Nyanabhasa
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