ANALYTICAL STUDY OF SUFFERING AND CESSATION OF SUFFERING BY LOVE IN BUDDHISM : A CASE STUDY OF PATĀCĀRĀTHERĪ

Abstract

The research consists of three objectives as 1) to study the essence of suffering that found in Theravada Buddhism, 2) to study the suffering that occurred by love and its cessation in Buddhism and 3) to analyze the suffering that occurred by love and its cessation of Paṭàcàrà Therī.

The results revealed that the term ‘dukkha’ in Theravada Buddhism referred to ‘pain’, ‘suffering’ and ‘discomfort’. The dukkha or suffering is divided into 4 categories as the suffering in the Three Characteristics or dukkha of conditioned states, the suffering in the Four Noble Truths, the suffering in the Five Aggregates and the suffering in the Dependent Origination. In addition, the sufferings can be categorized into 2 types as the physical suffering and mental suffering. There are three causes of suffering; they are called Taṇhà or craving viz. Kàma-taṇhà: craving for sensual pleasures, Bhava-taṇhà: craving for existence and Vibhava-taṇhà: craving for non-existence.

Regarding to the suffering caused by love and its cessation in Buddhism, the case study was focused on Paṭàcàrà Therī. The results revealed that the suffering caused by love was divided into 2 reasons i.e. the suffering caused by the five aggregates of existence subject to clinging as corporeality, feeling, perception, mental formations and consciousness. The second reason is the suffering that caused by love of members in family between parents, children, husband and wife etc. Whenever the decay and death is arisen then the sorrow, lamentation, pain, grief and despair are occurred. The path to eliminate the suffering caused by love, it can be resolved by developing the tranquility and insight meditation.

When the case of Paṭàcàrà Therī’s love was analyzed, it showed that the suffering caused by love consisted of many kinds of love as the love of parents, husband, children and oneself. The path to eliminate of Paṭàcàrà Therī’s love sufferings were consists of 2 kinds such as to associate with good friend–the Buddha and to develop the tranquility and insight meditation.