dukkha
The young prince Siddhartha Gautama was sheltered by his father from all knowledge of suffering, for a prophecy had foretold he would become either a great king or a Buddha. Surrounded by a life of luxury and entertainment, he lived a life of pleasure until the age of 29, when he ventured outside the palace. There he encountered an old man, a sick person, a corpse, and finally a monk devoted to understanding suffering.
Deeply troubled by the suffering he witnessed, and inspired by the monk’s example, Siddhartha renounced his princely life to seek a path that might end human suffering. After years of meditation and asceticism, he attained enlightenment and became the Buddha, the “Awakened One.” He taught the First Noble Truth: that life is dukkha, arising from insatiable desire and attachment. While often translated as “suffering”, its meaning is broader. It encompasses physical and psychological pain (dukkha-dukkha), the suffering caused by change: ageing, illness, and death (viparinama-dukkha), and a subtler, persistent restlessness that remains even when desires and goals are fulfilled (sankhara-dukkha).
Source: https://eternalisedofficial.com/2025/09/24/the-psychology-of-the-wanderer/#14-buddha-the-awakened-one-