Sukha

Part of speech: noun

Definitions

1. A concept representing happiness or pleasure experienced in life, often in relation to spiritual or physical well-being
2. Describing a state of joy that arises from fulfillment and positive experiences
3. Referring to a sense of contentment that permeates one’s existence and reflects overall satisfaction

Etymology: Sukha is a Sanskrit word whose literal sense is "having a good space," built from "su," meaning "good" or "well," and "kha," meaning "hole," "cavity," or "space." The image is of an axle hole that lets a cart wheel turn smoothly, so the wheel runs without friction. Those two roots underlie a word that came to mean ease, comfort and then happiness. In Buddhist and Hindu philosophy, the word moved from physical comfort to a moral and spiritual concept. Its opposite is "duhkha," built on "dus" ("bad") and the same "kha," meaning a badly fitted axle hole that makes the wheel jolt and grind. In this pairing, suffering is the rough, jarring ride and happiness is the smooth one. Sukha is not a loanword in English in the usual sense, but it appears in English-language writing on Buddhism and yoga, where it is generally rendered as "happiness" or "ease." Its usage is documented in Sanskrit texts from the earliest periods onward.

Synonyms: happiness, pleasure

Antonyms: dukha