八苦

Traditional form:

八苦

Pinyin (reading):

bākǔ

Definitions:

• the eight distresses - birth, age, sickness, death, parting with what we love, meeting with what we hate, unattained aims, and all the ills of the five skandhas (Buddhism)

Characters:

• 八 - eight; all around, all sides
• 苦 - bitter; hardship, suffering

Traditional characters:

• 八 - eight; all around, all sides
• 苦 - bitter; hardship, suffering