… when great suffering is at stake, Buddhists must take a stand against it, with loving-kindness, wisdom, calm minds, and courage.
(This phrase stands out for me in Stand Against Suffering: A Call to Action by Buddhist Teachers | Lion’s Roar - a statement with over 150 signatories (most western Buddhist teachers or monastics) )
I wish to focus on the idea of “great suffering” as distinct from “suffering” – that is suffering without qualification or quantification.
QUESTIONS:
1) Do the EBT’s distinquish or qualify types or degrees of suffering?
2) Are there any passages in Pali or other EBT languages that suggest “great suffering”?
3) Do you know of later commentaries or traditions that suggest such a distinction?
My thinking is the phrase “great suffering” especially in the context above is likely a modern, western interpretation.
The query SuttaCentral
results in two passages for the English phrase “great suffering”
SA 2.4
Therefore, one should cut off /
the great suffering of greed, hatred, and ignorance.”
ja 533
Sumukha, the captain of the geese, thought, “Can it be that this means something terrible has happened to the Great King? I will find out what it is,” and flying at full speed, and not seeing the Great Being amongst those in the van of the retreating army of geese, he sought him in the main body of the birds and there too failing to find him he said, “Without all doubt something terrible has occurred,” and he turned back and found the Great Being caught in a snare, stained with blood and suffering great pain, lying on the muddy ground …
When the Bodhisatta had ended his words of friendly greeting, the king again conversing with him said:When some mischance delivered thee to thy most deadly foe,
Didst thou then at his hands, O bird, great suffering undergo?
https://suttacentral.net/en/ja533/-1