This Noble Truth from Buddhism is often translated to mean “life is suffering.” Suffering is a central principle of life; I have heard posited. Today, I learned that a much better translation for the term dukka is unsatisfactoriness.

The idea of dukka, unsatisfactoriness, is based on the notion that in life there is no moment at which you arrive at total satisfaction. There are periods in which we experience intense pleasure, but then it’s gone … think sex. Desire, a natural human quality, drives us. Desire tells us that once we satisfy it we will be okay, but this is not true. At the same time, attempts to deny all desire is itself an exercise in desire, wanting.

If you want to learn more, I found this interesting summary of the Four Noble Truths of Buddhism.

Lesson to consider: Be mind-ful(l) and remember that happiness is not about pleasure. Be awake.