Dukkha (Suffering) — The First Noble Truth
Dukkha is not merely pain but the pervasive unsatisfactoriness of conditioned existence. The Buddha distinguished three kinds: the obvious suffering of pain, the suffering of impermanence (even pleasure ends), and the suffering of conditioned states themselves (the aggregates are inherently unreliable). Hex 47 (Oppression) is lake over water: the lake has drained, the water has sunk below and cannot reach the surface. Exhaustion. The I-Ching says: 'Words are not believed.' In the depths of dukkha, consolation rings hollow. But the hexagram also says: 'The superior man stakes his life on following his will.' Dukkha is not a verdict but a diagnosis. The First Noble Truth is not pessimism — it is the physician identifying the disease so treatment can begin.