3. Contemplating the Feelings - Vedanānupassanā1&2
Kathañ-ca, bhikkhave, bhikkhu vedanāsu vedanānupassī viharati?
“Mendicants, how does a meditator abide contemplating the feelings as sensations?
3.1 Sensations
Idha, bhikkhave, bhikkhu sukhaṃ vā vedanaṃ vediyamāno
Mendicants, here a meditator is one who upon experiencing a pleasant sensation
“sukhaṃ vedanaṃ vediyāmī” ti pajānāti;
they clearly know “there is a pleasant sensation being experienced;” or
dukkhaṃ vā vedanaṃ vediyamāno
upon experiencing an unpleasant sensation
“dukkhaṃ vedanaṃ vediyāmī” ti pajānāti;
they clearly know “there is a unpleasant sensation being experienced;” or
adukkhamasukhaṃ vā vedanaṃ vediyamāno
upon experiencing a neither pleasant nor unpleasant sensation
“adukkhamasukhaṃ vedanaṃ vediyāmī” ti pajānāti;
they clearly know “there is a neither pleasant nor unpleasant sensation being experienced;” or
3.2 Sensual and Non-sensual Sensations
sāmisaṃ vā sukhaṃ vedanaṃ vediyamāno
upon experiencing a pleasant household3 sensation4
“sāmisaṃ sukhaṃ vedanaṃ vediyāmī” ti pajānāti;
they clearly know “there is a pleasant household sensation;” or
nirāmisaṃ vā sukhaṃ vedanaṃ vediyamāno
upon experiencing a pleasant spiritual5 sensation
“nirāmisaṃ sukhaṃ vedanaṃ vediyāmī” ti pajānāti;
they clearly know “there is a pleasant spiritual sensation;” or
sāmisaṃ vā dukkhaṃ vedanaṃ vediyamāno
upon experiencing a unpleasant household sensation
“sāmisaṃ dukkhaṃ vedanaṃ vediyāmī” ti pajānāti;
they clearly know “there is a unpleasant household sensation;” or
nirāmisaṃ vā dukkhaṃ vedanaṃ vediyamāno
upon experiencing a unpleasant spiritual sensation
“nirāmisaṃ dukkhaṃ vedanaṃ vediyāmī” ti pajānāti;
they clearly know “there is a unpleasant spiritual sensation;” or
sāmisaṃ vā adukkhamasukhaṃ vedanaṃ vediyamāno
upon experiencing a neither unpleasant nor pleasant household sensation
“sāmisaṃ adukkhamasukhaṃ vedanaṃ vediyāmī” ti pajānāti;
they clearly know “there is a neither unpleasant nor pleasant household sensation;” or
nirāmisaṃ vā adukkhamasukhaṃ vedanaṃ vediyamāno
upon experiencing a neither unpleasant nor pleasant spiritual sensation
“nirāmisaṃ adukkhamasukhaṃ vedanaṃ vediyāmī” ti pajānāti.
they clearly know “there is a neither unpleasant nor pleasant spiritual sensation.”6
3.3 Insight Refrain
Iti ajjhattaṃ vā vedanāsu vedanānupassī viharati,
You should also abide contemplating the feelings as sensations regarding yourselves (internally,) or
bahiddhā vā vedanāsu vedanānupassī viharati,
abide contemplating the feelings as sensations regarding others (externally,) or
ajjhattabahiddhā vā vedanāsu vedanānupassī viharati,
abide contemplating the feelings as sensations regarding yourselves (internally,) and others (externally,) or
samudayadhammānupassī vā vedanāsu viharati,
abide contemplating qualities of origination regarding the feelings, or
vayadhammānupassī vā vedanāsu viharati,
abide contemplating qualities of cessation regarding the feelings, or
samudayavayadhammānupassī vā vedanāsu viharati,
abide contemplating qualities of origination, and cessation regarding the feelings,
“atthi vedanā” ti vā panassa sati paccupaṭṭhitā hoti
or else mindfulness is that “there are feelings,” is present
yāvad-eva ñāṇamattāya patissatimattāya,
For the purpose of fully developing knowledge and mindfulness,
anissito ca viharati, na ca kiñci loke upādiyati.
abide not dependent on or grasping for something in the world (yourselves.)
Evam-pi kho, bhikkhave, bhikkhu vedanāsu vedanānupassī viharati.
Mendicants, it is a meditator who abides contemplating the feelings as sensations just so.
Kathañ-ca, bhikkhave, bhikkhu vedanāsu vedanānupassī viharati?
“Mendicants, how does a meditator abide contemplating the feelings as sensations?
3.1 Sensations
Idha, bhikkhave, bhikkhu sukhaṃ vā vedanaṃ vediyamāno
Mendicants, here a meditator is one who upon experiencing a pleasant sensation
“sukhaṃ vedanaṃ vediyāmī” ti pajānāti;
they clearly know “there is a pleasant sensation being experienced;” or
dukkhaṃ vā vedanaṃ vediyamāno
upon experiencing an unpleasant sensation
“dukkhaṃ vedanaṃ vediyāmī” ti pajānāti;
they clearly know “there is a unpleasant sensation being experienced;” or
adukkhamasukhaṃ vā vedanaṃ vediyamāno
upon experiencing a neither pleasant nor unpleasant sensation
“adukkhamasukhaṃ vedanaṃ vediyāmī” ti pajānāti;
they clearly know “there is a neither pleasant nor unpleasant sensation being experienced;” or
3.2 Sensual and Non-sensual Sensations
sāmisaṃ vā sukhaṃ vedanaṃ vediyamāno
upon experiencing a pleasant household3 sensation4
“sāmisaṃ sukhaṃ vedanaṃ vediyāmī” ti pajānāti;
they clearly know “there is a pleasant household sensation;” or
nirāmisaṃ vā sukhaṃ vedanaṃ vediyamāno
upon experiencing a pleasant spiritual5 sensation
“nirāmisaṃ sukhaṃ vedanaṃ vediyāmī” ti pajānāti;
they clearly know “there is a pleasant spiritual sensation;” or
sāmisaṃ vā dukkhaṃ vedanaṃ vediyamāno
upon experiencing a unpleasant household sensation
“sāmisaṃ dukkhaṃ vedanaṃ vediyāmī” ti pajānāti;
they clearly know “there is a unpleasant household sensation;” or
nirāmisaṃ vā dukkhaṃ vedanaṃ vediyamāno
upon experiencing a unpleasant spiritual sensation
“nirāmisaṃ dukkhaṃ vedanaṃ vediyāmī” ti pajānāti;
they clearly know “there is a unpleasant spiritual sensation;” or
sāmisaṃ vā adukkhamasukhaṃ vedanaṃ vediyamāno
upon experiencing a neither unpleasant nor pleasant household sensation
“sāmisaṃ adukkhamasukhaṃ vedanaṃ vediyāmī” ti pajānāti;
they clearly know “there is a neither unpleasant nor pleasant household sensation;” or
nirāmisaṃ vā adukkhamasukhaṃ vedanaṃ vediyamāno
upon experiencing a neither unpleasant nor pleasant spiritual sensation
“nirāmisaṃ adukkhamasukhaṃ vedanaṃ vediyāmī” ti pajānāti.
they clearly know “there is a neither unpleasant nor pleasant spiritual sensation.”6
3.3 Insight Refrain
Iti ajjhattaṃ vā vedanāsu vedanānupassī viharati,
You should also abide contemplating the feelings as sensations regarding yourselves (internally,) or
bahiddhā vā vedanāsu vedanānupassī viharati,
abide contemplating the feelings as sensations regarding others (externally,) or
ajjhattabahiddhā vā vedanāsu vedanānupassī viharati,
abide contemplating the feelings as sensations regarding yourselves (internally,) and others (externally,) or
samudayadhammānupassī vā vedanāsu viharati,
abide contemplating qualities of origination regarding the feelings, or
vayadhammānupassī vā vedanāsu viharati,
abide contemplating qualities of cessation regarding the feelings, or
samudayavayadhammānupassī vā vedanāsu viharati,
abide contemplating qualities of origination, and cessation regarding the feelings,
“atthi vedanā” ti vā panassa sati paccupaṭṭhitā hoti
or else mindfulness is that “there are feelings,” is present
yāvad-eva ñāṇamattāya patissatimattāya,
For the purpose of fully developing knowledge and mindfulness,
anissito ca viharati, na ca kiñci loke upādiyati.
abide not dependent on or grasping for something in the world (yourselves.)
Evam-pi kho, bhikkhave, bhikkhu vedanāsu vedanānupassī viharati.
Mendicants, it is a meditator who abides contemplating the feelings as sensations just so.
Vedanānupassanā Niṭṭhitā
The End of the Section on Contemplating the Feelings
The End of the Section on Contemplating the Feelings
Notes
1
The Ānāpānasati sutta includes these four trainings within the feelings tetrad in its instructions, “(1) You should train yourselves experiencing joy on the in breathe, you should train yourselves experiencing joy on the out breathe, (2) you should train yourselves experiencing pleasure on the in breathe, you should train yourselves experiencing pleasure on the out breathe, (3) you should train yourselves experiencing mental fabrications on the in breathe, you should train yourselves experiencing mental fabrications on the out breathe, (4) you should train yourselves calming the mental fabrications on the in breathe, you should train yourselves calming the mental fabrications on the out breathe.”
2
See also the Dhātuvibhaṅga Sutta MN140, the conscience element.
3
Sāmisaṃ means sensual; fleshy; carnal; smeared with food: it is referring to worldly sensations. See also 'Long Discourses of the Buddha' translated by Maurice Walsh, Wisdom Publications; note 659.
4
See also the 6th link in dependant origination (see also footnote 37.)
5
Nirāmisaṃ means non-sensual; having no meat; free from sensual lusts; non-material: it is referring to spiritual sensations, such as those found in jhāna (deep level of concentration; sammāsamādhi the 8th part of the noble eightfold path) or Saṃvega (spiritual anxiety). See also 'Long Discourses of the Buddha' translated by Maurice Walsh, Wisdom Publications; note 659.
6
The Mahādukkhakkhandha Sutta MN13, mentions escape from feelings.
The Ānāpānasati sutta includes these four trainings within the feelings tetrad in its instructions, “(1) You should train yourselves experiencing joy on the in breathe, you should train yourselves experiencing joy on the out breathe, (2) you should train yourselves experiencing pleasure on the in breathe, you should train yourselves experiencing pleasure on the out breathe, (3) you should train yourselves experiencing mental fabrications on the in breathe, you should train yourselves experiencing mental fabrications on the out breathe, (4) you should train yourselves calming the mental fabrications on the in breathe, you should train yourselves calming the mental fabrications on the out breathe.”
2
See also the Dhātuvibhaṅga Sutta MN140, the conscience element.
3
Sāmisaṃ means sensual; fleshy; carnal; smeared with food: it is referring to worldly sensations. See also 'Long Discourses of the Buddha' translated by Maurice Walsh, Wisdom Publications; note 659.
4
See also the 6th link in dependant origination (see also footnote 37.)
5
Nirāmisaṃ means non-sensual; having no meat; free from sensual lusts; non-material: it is referring to spiritual sensations, such as those found in jhāna (deep level of concentration; sammāsamādhi the 8th part of the noble eightfold path) or Saṃvega (spiritual anxiety). See also 'Long Discourses of the Buddha' translated by Maurice Walsh, Wisdom Publications; note 659.
6
The Mahādukkhakkhandha Sutta MN13, mentions escape from feelings.
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