B. Sarvam Idam Dukkham

 The phrase “Sarvam idam duḥkham” (सर्वम् इदं दुःखम्) is a Sanskrit expression meaning:

“All this is suffering.”

It reflects the essence of the Buddha’s First Noble Truth: that conditioned existence (saṃsāra) is characterized by duḥkha—often translated as suffering, unsatisfactoriness, or stress.

Breakdown of the phrase

• Sarvam (सर्वम्) – all, everything.
• Idam (इदम्) – this, here, what is present.
• Duḥkham (दुःखम्) – suffering, unsatisfactoriness, unease.

So, it’s a concise way of saying:

➡️ “Everything that arises and exists in conditioned reality is, by its nature, unsatisfactory.”

Context in Buddhist Thought

• Not just “pain”: Duḥkha doesn’t only mean obvious pain, but also includes impermanence and the fact that even pleasant experiences cannot last.
• Three levels of duḥkha (tri-duḥkhatā):
  
1. Duḥkha-duḥkha – ordinary suffering (physical and mental pain).
2. Vipariṇāma-duḥkha – suffering of change (even joy turns to loss).
3. Saṃskāra-duḥkha – the suffering inherent in conditioned existence itself.
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This phrase reminds practitioners to reflect on impermanence and the unsatisfactory nature of worldly pursuits, motivating the search for liberation (nirvāṇa).

✨ Would you like me to trace where exactly “Sarvam idam duḥkham” appears in the Buddhist canon (like the Pali suttas or Sanskrit āgamas), or would you prefer a more philosophical unpacking of how different traditions (Theravāda, Mahāyāna, Tibetan) interpret it?