Understanding the Eight Worldly Concerns

In Buddhist philosophy, a lot of attention is paid to suffering and the causes of suffering. For this reason, there is significant interest in Buddhist ideas among many modern psychologists. One Buddhist framework to explain the causes of human suffering is called the Eight Worldly Concerns, or alternately, the eight worldly dharmas or preoccupations. This list includes four experiences that we pursue and another four that we try to avoid at all cost. The four pairs are: pleasure and pain, good or bad reputation, praise and blame, and finally, gain and loss.

The pursuit of pleasure and avoidance of pain seems obvious, and at first glance not even problematic. If we are struggling with health issues, for example, seeking relief is a reasonable thing to do and will even decrease further suffering in the future. Nonetheless, if we spend our lives trying to avoid all discomfort or inconvenience, we are bound to end up disappointed, frustrated, and suffering more rather than less. Similarly, if we think we are entitled to nothing but pleasure all the time, or we assume there is a problem if we aren’t happy every waking moment, then this very pursuit of infinite pleasure will end up causing us nothing but more pain.

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The next pair tend to be translated as either good reputation and bad reputation or fame and insignificance. For many of us, these preoccupations connect deeply with another pair: the pursuit of praise and avoidance of blame. Both involve how we are viewed socially. Since they involve controlling others’ beliefs and perceptions, they are particularly hard to secure—and we may even harm our relationships if we try.

In the modern western world, there is a tremendous focus on achievement, success, and ultimately fame. Many of us fear criticism, rejection, being unliked, or not mattering at all. Sadly, when we build our lives around others’ approval, praise, or perception of us, we often end up sacrificing our values as we bend over backwards to please them. Consequently, the praise and status we achieve can end up feeling unsatisfying and may even undermine our well-being in the long run. We may find we’ve been living somebody else’s life instead of our own.

The final pair points out our preoccupation with gain and our wish to avoid any kind of loss. It particularly highlights our relentless acquisitiveness and obsession with improving our material conditions—desires happily stoked by the media and advertising industry. It also points out our tendency to cling to all we have gained and the aversion that arises when our possessions are damaged, broken, stolen, or lost.

We could also reflect on this pair as it relates to human relationships. We may be eager to have more and more friends, colleagues, or even lovers, treating them like objects or trophies to be collected. We may struggle to accept the reality that relationships change and nothing lasts forever. Some of us may be so afraid of losing someone we love that we don’t ever let ourselves fall in love at all.

When we build our lives around these eight worldly concerns, we are bound to continue to suffer. While each one represents an understandable human impulse, our single-minded preoccupation with them leads them to control our lives. Such concerns also tend to be self-focused and self-serving, which over time can shrink our lives and even harm our relationships.

All of this raises an important question: How else might we live? If we don’t build our lives around these concerns, what should we do? Once we remove these common preoccupations from the list of options, we may come up empty-handed trying to consider other possibilities. This is an important moment because it underscores just how central these concerns are to our day-to-day lives. They seem to motivate the vast majority of action much of the time.

Nonetheless, there are other possibilities. Consider your core values, philosophical beliefs, or religious tradition. What would you like to build your life around? What needs or goals will be most meaningful for you in your own life—and least likely to cause suffering to yourself and others? The teachings of Buddhism suggest many avenues, e.g., focusing on how we might be of benefit to the world. In the end, however, only by answering these questions in a way that connects to your deeper worldview will you find a path less fraught with suffering.