The Buddha didn’t speak English. This should be obvious, since the historical Buddha lived in India almost 26 centuries ago. Yet it’s a point lost on many people who get stuck on the definitions of English words used in translations.
For example, people want to argue with the first of the Four Noble Truths, often translated as “life is suffering.” That sounds so negative.
But, remember, the Buddha didn’t speak English, so he didn’t use the English word, “suffering.” What he said, according to the earliest scriptures, is that life is dukkha.
“Dukkha” is Pali, a variation of Sanskrit, and it means a lot of things. For example, anything temporary is dukkha, including happiness. But some people can’t get past that English word “suffering” and want to disagree with the Buddha because of it.
I’ve noticed that some translators are chucking out “suffering” and replacing it with “dissatisfaction” or “stress.” I’m a bit dissatisfied with that approach, however. Sometimes translators bump into words that have no corresponding words meaning exactly the same thing in the other language. I believe “dukkha” is one of those words.
Understanding dukkha, however, is critical to understanding the Four Noble Truths. And the Four Noble Truths are the foundation of Buddhism.