FOUNDATIONS
5
THE TRUTH OF SUFFERING
The first noble truth is the full understand-
ing of suffering. Of course, in an obvious
way, people are aware of suffering and
know when they have unpleasant sensa-
tions such as hunger, cold, or sickness. But
the first noble truth i
upstage characters
ncludes awareness of all the ramifications of suffering because it encompasses the very nature of suffering. This includes knowledge of the subtle and the obvious aspects of suffering. The obvi- ous aspect of suffering is immediate pain or difficulty in the moment. Subtle suffering is more difficult to recognize because it be- gins with happiness. But by its very nature this happiness must change because it can't go On forever. Because it must change into suffering, this subtle suffering is the imper- manence of pleasure. . . . The Buddha taught the truth of suffering because every- thing that takes place on a worldly level is a form of suffering. ... The first truth is