First, one understands that he causes much of his own suffering needlessly. –
Second, one looks for the reasons for this in his own life. –
To look is to have confidence in one’s own ability to end the suffering. –
Finally, a wish arises to find a path to peace. For all beings desire happiness, all wish to find their purest self. –

The primary Buddhist philosophy is that life is suffering. You are finite and you are surrounded by something that is absolute.

In a sense that you are in a battle you can never win because there is always more of what it is that you are trying to contend with than there is with you.

Worse than that is, that the thing you are contending with is not even static. It keeps changing. What worked for you yesterday will not necessarily work for you tomorrow.

Noise is disturbing but a nice melody bring happiness. When you are sick, poor, separated from loved ones, you are suffering.

But when you are healthy, wealthy, together with your family, you are happy.

Suffering and happiness exist in all phenomena. Actually where there is happiness, there will be suffering.

They are in contrast with each other. If we only say that life is suffering when things do not go according to our wish we are foolish.

Everything is impermanent and changeable. Life is suffering because it is impermanent and ever-changing.

A healthy body can not last forever. It will become weak, old, sick and die. One who is wealthy can not maintain wealth forever.

Sometimes one may become poor. Power and status do not last, one will lose them finally.

From this condition of changing and instability, although there is happiness and joy, they are not ever lasting and ultimate.

When changes come, suffering arises.

Suffering means dissatisfaction, impermanence and imperfection.

If a practising Buddhist does not understand the real meaning of suffering and think that life is not perfect and ultimate, they become negative and pessimistic.

Those who really understand the teaching and the real meaning of suffering will have a totally different view.

The theory is to remind us that life is not ultimate and lasting, and hence we should strive towards Buddhahood – a permanent and perfect life.

Permanent means ever-lasting, joy means peacefulness and happiness, personality means freedom and non-attachment, purity means cleanliness.

This highest aim of Buddhism is not only to break through the suffering of life but to transform this suffering life into a life that has permanent peacefulness, joy, freedom and purity.

The stage of permanent, joy, personality and purity is an ultimate ideal. It is full of brightness and hope. It is a stage that is attainable by all of us.