The concept of dukkha

On the whole, the relationship between the three marks of existence is one of logical necessity

• Dukkha is the condition that arises when a person is unaware that things are impermanent; people become attached to things and want them to remain unchanged
• Things have no permanent substantial essence (svabhava) and this means they are subject to death and decay, and, in the same way, a person is subject to anicca through change and so is not-self (anatta) or has 'no soul'
• Therefore, as with material possessions and emotional ties, the idea of a permanent attachment to a self or ego can only lead to dukkha

Dukkha is also the first of the Four Noble Truths

• Dukkha is usually translated as suffering or ill, though this doesn't really convey the true breadth of its application to life
• It can be better translated as '…