Editing Duḥkha (section)

====Axle hole====
The word has been explained in recent times as a derivation from Aryan terminology for an axle hole, referring to an axle hole which is not in the center and leads to a bumpy, uncomfortable ride. According to [[Winthrop Sargeant]],
{{Blockquote|The ancient Aryans who brought the Sanskrit language to India were a nomadic, horse- and cattle-breeding people who travelled in horse- or ox-drawn vehicles. ''Su-'' and ''dus-'' are prefixes indicating good or bad. The word ''kha'', in later Sanskrit meaning "sky," "ether," or "space," was originally the word for "hole," particularly an axle hole of one of the Aryan's vehicles. Thus ''sukha'' ... meant, originally, "having a good axle hole," while ''duḥkha'' meant "having a poor axle hole," leading to discomfort.{{sfn|Sargeant|2009|p=303}}}}

[[Joseph Goldstein (writer)|Joseph Goldstein]], American [[vipassana]] teacher and writer, explains the etymology as follows:
{{Blockquote|The word ''dukkha'' is made up of the prefix ''du-'' and the root ''kha''. ''Du-'' means "bad" or "difficult". ''Kha'' means "empty". "Empty", here, refers to several things—some specific, others more general. One of the specific meanings refers to the empty axle hole of a wheel. If the axle fits badly into the center hole, we get a very bumpy ride. This is a good analogy for our ride through [[saṃsāra]].{{sfn|Goldstein|2013|p=289}}}}