Kigaku Noah Rossetter: The Squeaky Wheel Gets the Grease: Exploring the Many Faces of Dukkha

Summary: Kigaku Noah Rossetter introduces the theme of his talk with a quote from Buddha, “I have taught one thing and one thing only, dukkha and the cessation of dukkha.” So, what is dukkha? Noah explores the many facets of dukkha through passages from the Pali Suttas, as well as related concepts of tanha (thirst), upadana (craving), klesha (mental afflictions), sankhara (conditioning), and skhandas (aggregates), and how they inform a deeper understanding of the three levels of dukkha: the dukkha of suffering, the dukkha of change, and the dukkha of conditionality. Finally, Noah looks at ending suffering through an understanding of emptiness and an appreciation of the ephemeral beauty of life. His talk ends with a haunting chant from the Diamond Sutra on the conditioned nature of existence.<br> <br>