Buddhism is based on the observation that most people’s lives are plagued by dissatisfaction, where things are not as fulfilling as they could be (dukha). At best, this shows up as an
awckwardness or a feeling that life isn’t what it could be, but it can also express itself as general confusion or all out suffering.
This dissatisfied state is not our natural state, we do not have to live like this. Dissatisfaction, confusion and suffering are the states that we stumble into when we depart from our natural state, which is a satisfied Buddha-mind. Our natural state, what we basically are, is innately satisfied and good. Life itself is innately satisfying and complete. The entire world of nature, body, love, family, work, money; the whole of life and death is, of its own, sacred and satisfying. However, we miss this because we live life in an altered state, where we misunderstand our minds and as a result, we misunderstand all of reality.
– Excepted from public teachings by Pema Khandro