The First Reality :


The problem of existence
Hans Selye: General Adaptation Syndrome

It was also quite recently that Hans Selye began to write about stress and stress management. The stress of life was presented by Hans Selye as the General Adaptation Syndrome, which consisted of three stages: 

          (1) Alarm reaction = Grief (sōka), 
                                                Lamentation (paridēva) 

          (2) Stage of resistance = Pain (dukkha), 
                                                       Distress (domanassa) 

          (3) Stage of exhaustion = Exhaustion (upāyāsa) 
It is wonderful to note that the Buddha described the same stages in the General Adaptation Syndrome in the form of grief (sōka), lamentation (paridēva), pain (dukkha), distress (domanassa), and exhaustion (upāyāsa).



Stress is understood today as a complete disturbance of the body as well as mind where the body begins to change behaviour from normal to an abnormal state, which if continued too long makes the body sick leading ultimately even to death. This disturbance goes through the three stages as indicated above.