Suffering: Christian Reflections on the Buddhist Dukkha

What is dukkha? In Buddhism this word encompasses the concepts of dis-ease, unsteadiness, sorrow, and lack of inner calm. In English it is usually translated simply as "suffering". However it is defined, dukkha is central to understanding Buddhism. The Buddha described not only what it was, but taught that there is a way out of it.

Suffering is an undeniable theme in both Christianity and Buddhism. Both treat the topic with great intensity. Buddha ...