The First Reality :
The problem of existence
Buddha's Philosophy: Emotional Reaction and Insecurity of Life
The Buddha explains the three ways in which this emotional reaction occurs:
(1) Meeting the unpleasant (appiyehi sampayogo)
(2) Parting from the pleasant (piyehi vippayogo)
(3) Frustration or failure to gratify desires (yampicchaη nalabhati tampi dukkhaη).
The Buddha explains further the insecurity of life by pointing out that life is not a static entity but a dynamic process of activity that begins at birth and ends at death. This activity even goes beyond death to rebirth continuing the alternation of birth and death:
Birth (jāti) Ageing
Ageing (jarā) Birth - - - - - - - - - - - - - Death
Death (maraṇa)
It is important to note that the Bodhisatta who became the Buddha renounced his princely life and became an ascetic to solve this same problem of existence, which he came to recognize when he saw an old man, sick man and a dead corpse.
The Bodhisatta set out to solve the problem, not by seeking help in supernatural powers, or hoping to extend life to eternity. His method was to solve the problem using natural human intelligence. He wanted to solve it by understanding the problem and its cause, and to solve it by removing the cause, which were his emotions. He also realized that he had to find the way to remove the emotions that caused the problem.
The Buddha did solve the problem finally by stopping this futile and painful emotional struggle to exist on realizing that existence is a delusion, which normal people are suffering from. He saw that the human being needs to awaken from this dream of existence. He discovered the way to awaken from this dream and showed the world the way.