Reply To: What is dukkha dukkha?

#16143
Akvan
Participant

Hi Lal,

In the post https://puredhamma.net/paticca-samuppada/paticca-samuppada-in-plain-english/introduction-2-the-three-characteristics-of-nature/, it is stated that “Until the death of the physical body, even an Arahant is subjected to dukkha dukkha.” Is there a sutta reference for to say that an arahanth will experience dukha dukkha?

In the Dukkhatha Sutta; https://suttacentral.net/sn45.165/en/bodhi , it is stated that “The Noble Eightfold Path is to be developed for direct knowledge of these three kinds of suffering, for the full understanding of them, for their utter destruction, for their abandoning.”

In pali: Imāsaṃ kho, bhikkhave, tissannaṃ dukkhatānaṃ abhiññāya pariññāya parikkhayāya pahānāya … pe … ayaṃ ariyo aṭṭhaṅgiko maggo bhāvetabbo”ti.

And it is also stated that the Buddha or an arahanth has ended all kinds of suffering after he attains enlightenment. If one does eliminate all types of suffering he should also eliminate the dukkha dukkha in this life as well.

So I don’t think that the dukkha dukkha refers to the bodily pain due to past kamma. Because, if one has eliminated all types of suffering by attaining enlightenment, then he has eliminated dukkha dukkha as well (as per the sutta).

I think dukkha dukkha refers to the mental pain / lamentation one creates because of a bodily pain arising. For example if I lose a limb, the actual physical pain of that incident will last only a few hours or days. But the mental suffering because I have lost a limb will be much more and last longer. This mental suffering is the dukkha dukkha and is what will be eliminated (even in this lifetime) by attaining enlightenment.