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Saṁyutta Nikāya — The Linked Discourses

Vol 1:
Verses
SN1-11
Vol 2:
Causation
SN12-21
Vol 3:
Aggregates
SN22-34
Vol 4:
Sense Bases
SN35-44
Vol 5:
Great Book
SN45-56

36. Vedanāsaṁyutta: On Feelings

I. With Verses — SN36.7: The Infirmary (1st)

1At one time the Buddha was staying near Vesālī, at the Great Wood, in the hall with the peaked roof.

Then in the late afternoon, the Buddha came out of retreat and went to the infirmary, where he sat down on the seat spread out, and addressed the mendicants:


2“Mendicants, a mendicant should await their time mindful and aware. This is my instruction to you.

3And how is a mendicant mindful? It’s when a mendicant meditates by observing an aspect of the body — keen, aware, and mindful, rid of desire and aversion for the world. They meditate observing an aspect of feelings … They meditate observing an aspect of the mind … They meditate observing an aspect of principles — keen, aware, and mindful, rid of desire and aversion for the world. That’s how a mendicant is mindful.

4And how is a mendicant aware? It’s when a mendicant acts with situational awareness when going out and coming back; when looking ahead and aside; when bending and extending the limbs; when bearing the outer robe, bowl and robes; when eating, drinking, chewing, and tasting; when urinating and defecating; when walking, standing, sitting, sleeping, waking, speaking, and keeping silent. That’s how a mendicant acts with situational awareness.

A mendicant should await their time mindful and aware. This is my instruction to you.


5While a mendicant is meditating like this — mindful, aware, diligent, keen, and resolute — if pleasant feelings arise, they understand: ‘A pleasant feeling has arisen in me. That’s dependent, not independent. Dependent on what? Dependent on my own body. But this body is impermanent, conditioned, dependently originated. So how could a pleasant feeling be permanent, since it has arisen dependent on a body that is impermanent, conditioned, and dependently originated?’ They meditate observing impermanence, vanishing, dispassion, cessation, and letting go in the body and pleasant feeling. As they do so, they give up the underlying tendency for greed for the body and pleasant feeling.

6While a mendicant is meditating like this — mindful, aware, diligent, keen, and resolute — if painful feelings arise, they understand: ‘A painful feeling has arisen in me. That’s dependent, not independent. Dependent on what? Dependent on my own body. But this body is impermanent, conditioned, dependently originated. So how could a painful feeling be permanent, since it has arisen dependent on a body that is impermanent, conditioned, and dependently originated?’ They meditate observing impermanence, vanishing, dispassion, cessation, and letting go in the body and painful feeling. As they do so, they give up the underlying tendency for repulsion towards the body and painful feeling.

7While a mendicant is meditating like this — mindful, aware, diligent, keen, and resolute — if neutral feelings arise, they understand: ‘A neutral feeling has arisen in me. That’s dependent, not independent. Dependent on what? Dependent on my own body. But this body is impermanent, conditioned, dependently originated. So how could a neutral feeling be permanent, since it has arisen dependent on a body that is impermanent, conditioned, and dependently originated?’ They meditate observing impermanence, vanishing, dispassion, cessation, and letting go in the body and neutral feeling. As they do so, they give up the underlying tendency for ignorance towards the body and neutral feeling.


8If they feel a pleasant feeling, they understand that it’s impermanent, that they’re not attached to it, and that they don’t take pleasure in it. If they feel a painful feeling, they understand that it’s impermanent, that they’re not attached to it, and that they don’t take pleasure in it. If they feel a neutral feeling, they understand that it’s impermanent, that they’re not attached to it, and that they don’t take pleasure in it.


If they feel a pleasant feeling, they feel it detached. If they feel a painful feeling, they feel it detached. If they feel a neutral feeling, they feel it detached.

Feeling the end of the body approaching, they understand: ‘I feel the end of the body approaching.’ Feeling the end of life approaching, they understand: ‘I feel the end of life approaching.’ They understand: ‘When my body breaks up and my life has come to an end, everything that’s felt, since I no longer take pleasure in it, will become cool right here.’

9Suppose an oil lamp depended on oil and a wick to burn. As the oil and the wick are used up, it would be extinguished due to lack of fuel.

In the same way, feeling the end of the body approaching, a mendicant understands: ‘I feel the end of the body approaching.’ Feeling the end of life approaching, a mendicant understands: ‘I feel the end of life approaching.’ They understand: ‘When my body breaks up and my life is over, everything that’s felt, since I no longer take pleasure in it, will become cool right here.’”

1Ekaṁ samayaṁ bhagavā vesāliyaṁ vihārati mahāvane kūṭāgārasālāyaṁ.

Atha kho bhagavā sāyanhasamayaṁ paṭisallānā vuṭṭhito yena gilānasālā tenupasaṅkami; upasaṅkamitvā paññatte āsane nisīdi. Nisajja kho bhagavā bhikkhū āmantesi: 


2"Sato, bhikkhave, bhikkhu sampajāno kālaṁ āgameyya. Ayaṁ vo amhākaṁ anusāsanī.

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3Kathañca, bhikkhave, bhikkhu sato hoti? Idha, bhikkhave, bhikkhu kāye kāyānupassī vihārati ātāpī sampajāno satimā, vineyya loke abhijjhādomanassaṁ; vedanāsu vedanānupassī vihārati … pe … citte cittānupassī vihārati … pe … dhammesu dhammānupassī vihārati ātāpī sampajāno satimā, vineyya loke abhijjhādomanassaṁ. Evaṁ kho, bhikkhave, bhikkhu sato hoti.

4Kathañca, bhikkhave, bhikkhu sampajāno hoti? Idha, bhikkhave, bhikkhu abhikkante paṭikkante sampajānakārī hoti, ālokite vilokite sampajānakārī hoti, samiñjite pasārite sampajānakārī hoti, saṅghāṭipattacīvaradhāraṇe sampajānakārī hoti, asite pīte khāyite sāyite sampajānakārī hoti, uccārapassāvakamme sampajānakārī hoti, gate ṭhite nisinne sutte jāgarite bhāsite tuṇhībhāve sampajānakārī hoti. Evaṁ kho, bhikkhave, bhikkhu sampajānakārī hoti.

Sato, bhikkhave, bhikkhu sampajāno kālaṁ āgameyya. Ayaṁ vo amhākaṁ anusāsanī.


5Tassa ce, bhikkhave, bhikkhuno evaṁ satassa sampajānassa appamattassa ātāpino pahitattassa vihārato uppajjati sukhā vedanā, so evaṁ pajānāti: ‘uppannā kho myāyaṁ sukhā vedanā. Sā ca kho paṭicca, no appaṭicca. Kiṁ paṭicca? Imameva kāyaṁ paṭicca. Ayaṁ kho pana kāyo anicco saṅkhato paṭiccasamuppanno. Aniccaṁ kho pana saṅkhataṁ paṭiccasamuppannaṁ kāyaṁ paṭicca uppannā sukhā vedanā kuto niccā bhavissatī’ti. So kāye ca sukhāya ca vedanāya aniccānupassī vihārati, vayānupassī vihārati, virāgānupassī vihārati, nirodhānupassī vihārati, paṭinissaggānupassī vihārati. Tassa kāye ca sukhāya ca vedanāya aniccānupassino vihārato, vayānupassino vihārato, virāgānupassino vihārato, nirodhānupassino vihārato, paṭinissaggānupassino vihārato, yo kāye ca sukhāya ca vedanāya rāgānusayo, so pahīyati.

6Tassa ce, bhikkhave, bhikkhuno evaṁ satassa sampajānassa appamattassa ātāpino pahitattassa vihārato uppajjati dukkhā vedanā. So evaṁ pajānāti: ‘uppannā kho myāyaṁ dukkhā vedanā. Sā ca kho paṭicca, no appaṭicca. Kiṁ paṭicca? Imameva kāyaṁ paṭicca. Ayaṁ kho pana kāyo anicco saṅkhato paṭiccasamuppanno. Aniccaṁ kho pana saṅkhataṁ paṭiccasamuppannaṁ kāyaṁ paṭicca uppannā dukkhā vedanā kuto niccā bhavissatī’ti. So kāye ca dukkhāya ca vedanāya aniccānupassī vihārati, vayānupassī vihārati, virāgānupassī vihārati, nirodhānupassī vihārati, paṭinissaggānupassī vihārati. Tassa kāye ca dukkhāya ca vedanāya aniccānupassino vihārato … pe … paṭinissaggānupassino vihārato, yo kāye ca dukkhāya ca vedanāya paṭighānusayo, so pahīyati.

7Tassa ce, bhikkhave, bhikkhuno evaṁ satassa sampajānassa appamattassa ātāpino pahitattassa vihārato uppajjati adukkhamasukhā vedanā, so evaṁ pajānāti: ‘uppannā kho myāyaṁ adukkhamasukhā vedanā. Sā ca kho paṭicca, no appaṭicca. Kiṁ paṭicca? Imameva kāyaṁ paṭicca. Ayaṁ kho pana kāyo anicco saṅkhato paṭiccasamuppanno. Aniccaṁ kho pana saṅkhataṁ paṭiccasamuppannaṁ kāyaṁ paṭicca uppannā adukkhamasukhā vedanā kuto niccā bhavissatī’ti. So kāye ca adukkhamasukhāya ca vedanāya aniccānupassī vihārati, vayānupassī vihārati, virāgānupassī vihārati, nirodhānupassī vihārati, paṭinissaggānupassī vihārati. Tassa kāye ca adukkhamasukhāya ca vedanāya aniccānupassino vihārato … pe … paṭinissaggānupassino vihārato, yo kāye ca adukkhamasukhāya ca vedanāya avijjānusayo, so pahīyati.


8So sukhañce vedanāṁ vedayati, sā aniccāti pajānāti, anajjhositāti pajānāti, anabhinanditāti pajānāti; dukkhañce vedanāṁ vedayati … pe … adukkhamasukhañce vedanāṁ vedayati, sā aniccāti pajānāti, anajjhositāti pajānāti, anabhinanditāti pajānāti.


So sukhañce vedanāṁ vedayati, visaññutto naṁ vedayati; dukkhañce vedanāṁ vedayati, visaññutto naṁ vedayati; adukkhamasukhañce vedanāṁ vedayati, visaññutto naṁ vedayati.

So kāyapariyantikaṁ vedanāṁ vedayamāno ‘kāyapariyantikaṁ vedanāṁ vedayāmī’ti pajānāti, jīvitapariyantikaṁ vedanāṁ vedayamāno ‘jīvitapariyantikaṁ vedanāṁ vedayāmī’ti pajānāti. ‘Kāyassa bhedā uddhaṁ jīvitapariyādānā idheva sabbavedayitāni anabhinanditāni sītībhavissantī’ti pajānāti.

9Seyyathāpi, bhikkhave, telañca paṭicca vaṭṭiñca paṭicca telappadīpo jhāyeyya, tasseva telassa ca vaṭṭiyā ca pariyādānā anāhāro nibbāyeyya;

evameva kho, bhikkhave, bhikkhu kāyapariyantikaṁ vedanāṁ vedayamāno ‘kāyapariyantikaṁ vedanāṁ vedayāmī’ti pajānāti. Jīvitapariyantikaṁ vedanāṁ vedayamāno ‘jīvitapariyantikaṁ vedanāṁ vedayāmī’ti pajānāti. ‘Kāyassa bhedā uddhaṁ jīvitapariyādānā idheva sabbavedayitāni anabhinanditāni sītībhavissantī’ti pajānātī"ti.

Sattamaṁ.