Human Life on earth is a matter of misery and sorrow; this is a
problem which seems to have engaged with minds of the Indian thinkers since
ancient times. The answer to this question, as most of them appear to believe,
is in the affirmative. It is an important business of philosophy, according to
the Indian tradition, to seek to attain a state which is completely free from the
clutches of misery and sorrow. This state has been variously spoken of as
Moksha, Mukti, Kaivalya, Apavarga, Nirvana, and so on by the adherents of
various schools of philosophy in India, and philosophy is therefore, truly
called Tatvajnana, or Darshana. Whether all these words signify one and the
same state, may be a moot point. But the fact of a complete cessation of
suffering applies equally to all of them.
The notion of suffering as a dominating factor in human life has
loomed very large in Indian philosophy. In fact, it may be called the starting
point of philosophical inquires. Human suffering is traditionally supposed to
be divided into three main types as follows:
The bodily and mental conditions of an individual, such as ill health,
disease, and emotions like hate, fear, passion etc. Suffering imposed on an
individual through harmful behaviour of other human beings, animals, and
insects and so on. Suffering which cannot be attributed to other beings, which
is largely beyond the control of an individual, e.g. earthquakes, floods,
famines, epidemics, and the like.
