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Understanding the Nature of Suffering

This document discusses the nature and grounds of suffering. It defines suffering as being in a profoundly negative conscious state where a person believes something is a certain way that they do not want it to be. It distinguishes suffering from being in pain or things not going well. A person's suffering can be eliminated if they stop believing the unwanted situation exists, if the situation changes, or if their desires change so the situation no longer counts as unwanted. The document also mentions keeping a weekly journal reflecting on how course readings and topics relate to one's own life and how they would ideally relate. It provides reading questions about dynamics that govern a burrowing creature and similarities to one's own life.

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Stephen Craig
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4 views1 page

Understanding the Nature of Suffering

This document discusses the nature and grounds of suffering. It defines suffering as being in a profoundly negative conscious state where a person believes something is a certain way that they do not want it to be. It distinguishes suffering from being in pain or things not going well. A person's suffering can be eliminated if they stop believing the unwanted situation exists, if the situation changes, or if their desires change so the situation no longer counts as unwanted. The document also mentions keeping a weekly journal reflecting on how course readings and topics relate to one's own life and how they would ideally relate. It provides reading questions about dynamics that govern a burrowing creature and similarities to one's own life.

Uploaded by

Stephen Craig
Copyright
© All Rights Reserved
We take content rights seriously. If you suspect this is your content, claim it here.

Entry 1 2-7-19

What is the nature and grounds of suffering?

To suffer (for our purposes) is:  to be in a profoundly‐negative‐feeling conscious state


A person suffers (for our purposes) when:  they are aware/believe that 
something is/things are a certain way that  they profoundly do not want it/them to be

Distinguishing suffering from some neighboring phenomena

What is the difference between: Gabriel is suffering Gabriel is in pain


Gabriel is not doing well (things are not going well for him)

A person’s suffering can be eliminated when:


they cease to be aware/believe that the relevant thing is/things are other than they want it/them to
be the thing changes/things change so that it ceases/they cease to be other than the person wants it
/them to be
the person’s desires change so that the thing ceases/things cease to count as being other than they w
ant it/them to be

Keeping a journal in which – at least once a week – you reflect on how the issues discussed in the
readings and classes of that week (and preceding weeks) relate to your life, and how you would ideally
like them to relate. This will be submitted in two instalments (one just before Spring Recess, and the
other on Dean’s Date), with each worth 10%. You will receive the full grade simply for submitting your
completed journal.

Franz Kafka, ‘The Burrow’ – Some questions to keep in mind while reading: 
What are the various dynamics which seem to govern the burrowing creature’s life and thought 
To what extent do you find similar dynamics at work in your on life and thought?

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