I have heard it said, “The world itself contains suffering. That’s just the way it is.” These observers posit that some non-zero amount of suffering can and does manifest from an external place. It has been my experience in recent meditations (in fact, I’m quite convinced of it) that whatsoever we call suffering in these things-by-themselves is always the result of our avijja. Having not been mentally available at the proper time to grasp the three marks of existence, we forget our knowledge of Dhamma, and suffering seems to come out of the object.
Would the Buddha consider this a pernicious view?
Is there anywhere he explicitly states that 100% (and no less) of our suffering comes from the mind?
Dukkha is not just mental suffering. Physical suffering is also suffering.
Let’s do some logical build up.
All conditioned things are dukkha (dhammapada verse).
The brahma realm of body only, no mind is within conditioned things.
Conclusion, the brahma realm of body only, no mind is also dukkha.
Analysis. From the 3 types of dukkha, likely the dukkha of change and conditionality is within that realm, for the realm doesn’t last forever, that’s the dukkha of change, for the realm is conditioned for it’s maintenance and to get into there, it is dukkha of being conditioned.
Further analysis. Since there’s no mind, obviously no mental suffering there, likely also no physical suffering for that whole duration for the body doesn’t move without mind, and likely not like our body which gets bed sores when not moving, the brahma body should be so fine and the laws of nature there so well that no harm should come to the physical body for so many eons of time that being lives for. Yet, it’s not nibbāna because it contains the potential for change, potential to be reborn.
In other situations, where the mind is there, suffering of course is recognized by the mind, both physical and mental. The highest bliss the Buddha described for meditation is to go to cessation of perception and feeling where there’s no mind, which is similar to the realm above, but it’s also impermanent, and not yet the full final nibbāna because of that.
Another analysis, cause of suffering is ignorance and craving, both are within mind, so where suffering comes from? Within mind. This is also an acceptable answer, but more like it is because of ignorance that rebirth comes to be.
For arahants, having a body is suffering because of the physical suffering, even when his mind is freed from mental suffering. In this sense, not all suffering comes from the mind. The physical suffering of arahant is old kamma, came from previous life’s mind.
Just because you’re not there doesn’t mean there isn’t any Dukkha. You’re not there in the first place anyway. Only suffering arises, only suffering ceases.
Thank you. Part of my confusion comes from reading this passage, from What The Buddha Taught by Walpola Rahula. How does this square with the Dhammapada?
"Thus, the germ of [anything] arising as well as that of [its] cessation are both within the Five Aggregates. This is the real meaning of the Buddha’s well-known statement: ‘Within this fathom-long sentient body itself, I postulate the world, the arising of the world, the cessation of the world, and the path leading to the cessation of the world.’ This means that all the Four Noble Truths are found within the Five Aggregates, i.e., within ourselves. This also means that there is no external power that produces the arising and the cessation of dukkha."
It could be the case, as in many areas of Buddhist philosophy, that both answers are true depending on conditions.
If you zoom out, even physical suffering is caused by the mind, as you wouldn’t have a physical body without the ignorance and craving driving you to be reborn into the physical world.
So, yes, physical suffering exists, but if you take the long view it is also (in a way) “self-inflicted” (by ignorance). It just doesn’t stop right away when you stop ignorance.
