Dukkha

The first Noble Truth In Buddhism

"Dukkha, then, names the pain that to some degree colors all finite existence. The exact meaning of the First Noble Truth is this: Life (in the condition it has got itself into) is dislocated. Something has gone wrong. It is out of joint"(Huston Smith on the Buddha's teachings)

"He [Buddha] went on to pinpoint six moments when life's dislocation becomes glaringly apparent.

1. The trauma of birth. The birth experience "involves just such a concatenation of painful feelings, of discharges and excitation, and of bodily sensations, as have become a prototype for all occasions on which life is endangered, ever after to be reproduced in us as the dread of all life's anxiety conditions"(Huston Smith).

Smith, Huston. "The World's Religions." Harper Collins. New york, New York. 1991

Huston Smith is widely regarded as the most eloquent and accessible contemporary authority on the history of religions. He has taught at Washington University, M.I.T., Syracuse University, and the University of California at Berkeley.

After taking pictures of my grandmother at just eight hours old I saw the images from the video in a different light. At first I was intent on capturing the beauty of this imagery. Afterward I could see that these pictures could take on a new meaning, focusing more on the trauma of birth. I have studied Hinduism and Buddhism in religion classes and am also studying Hinduism in more depth with my Yoga training. These pictures reminded me of the First Noble Truth, Dukkha. Many believe that this first experience in life is the root cause of all life's problems. I am not saying that this is exactly what I want my work to say, It is a possibility though. I am also interested in looking at more of Hindu and Buddhist teachings. Especially concerning life's different stages. I feel that this could add another layer to my project. I am very interested in this and it may inspire my work. It already has inspired me to look for more in this project.