6. The Connected Discourses on Feelings

Udāna

[1]Further, an udāna states:

Self-existence and causes and conditions, 
Views, defilement, and those subject to transmigration,[2]
Transformation, distinction, and principle of the path, 
Tranquillity and subsequent contemplation.

The self-existence of various feelings should be well understood; the causes and conditions of various feelings should be well understood; right view regarding feelings should be well understood; the defilements regarding sensations should be well understood; for the pudgala (i.e., person) who can receive the experience of feelings, critical analysis and non-critical analysis, these two powers and their differences, should be well understood; like this, the liberated regarding feelings and the non-liberated regarding feelings, and their differences in the continuity (of saṃsāra), should be well understood; the principle that all feelings are the path of suffering should be well understood; the distinction between the tranquillity and cessation of various feelings should be well understood; the observation of all aspects of experience regarding feelings should be well understood.

5; 733 (470)

[3]Thus have I heard:

At one time, the Buddha was dwelling in Rājagṛha at Kalandaka’s Bamboo Grove.

At that time, the Bhagavān addressed the bhikṣus: “A foolish, unlearned ordinary person experiences a painful feeling,[4] pleasant feeling, and neither painful nor pleasant feeling; a well-versed noble disciple, also experiences a painful feeling,[5] pleasant feeling, and neither painful nor pleasant feeling. Bhikṣus, what kinds of differences exist between an ordinary person and a noble person?”

The bhikṣus addressed the Buddha: “Bhagavān, you are the root of the Dharma, the Dharma-eye, the reliance of the Dharma. O excellent Bhagavān, we politely request that you explain in detail. Having heard, the bhikṣus will accept and practice accordingly.”

The Buddha told the bhikṣus: [6]“Listen carefully, contemplate well, I shall explain it to you. Bhikṣus, a foolish, unlearned ordinary person, experiences various feelings, which increase in all kinds of pain, even to the point of the end of his life, resulting in distress, lamentation, weeping, shouting, and the arising of mental madness. At such a time, two kinds of feelings increase: bodily feeling and mental feeling. For example, if two poisoned arrows strike a man, he experiences extreme pain. A foolish, unlearned ordinary person is also like that; two kinds of feelings increase— bodily feeling and mental feeling, and he experiences extreme pain. Why is that? Because that foolish, unlearned ordinary person lacks thorough knowledge. They give rise to pleasant feelings of contact concerning the five desires and enjoy the five desires and pleasures, and because they enjoy the five desires and pleasures, they are driven by the propensity towards craving. Because of painful feelings of contact, they then give rise to ill will, and because they give rise to ill will, they are driven by the propensity towards anger.

“Regarding these two kinds of feelings, whether regarding their arising, cessation, delight, troubles, and separation, they do not understand them accurately. Because they do not accurately understand them, they give rise to neither painful nor pleasant feeling, and are driven by the propensity towards delusion. They are ultimately unseparated from being bound by pleasant feelings, ultimately unseparated from being bound by painful feelings, and ultimately unseparated from being bound by neither painful nor pleasant feelings. What is this bondage? It is said that greed, anger, and delusion are their bonds; that birth, old age, sickness, death, sorrow, lamentation, worry, and suffering are their bonds.

“A well-versed noble disciple experiences painful feelings from bodily contact and is greatly afflicted by suffering, even to the point of the end of his life, but he does not give rise to distress, lamentation, weeping, shouting, or mental madness. At such a time, he only gives rise to one kind of feeling, namely bodily feeling, and he does not give rise to mental feeling. For example, if a man is struck by one poisoned arrow, not struck by a second poisoned arrow. At such a time, he only gives rise to one kind of feeling, namely bodily feeling, and he does not give rise to mental feeling. Because of the pleasant feeling of contact, they are not impassioned by pleasurable desires. Because they are not impassioned by pleasurable desires, concerning that pleasant feeling, the propensity towards craving does not drive them; concerning painful feeling contact, they do not give rise to ill-will, and because they do not give rise to ill-will, the propensity towards anger does not drive them.

“Regarding those two propensities, their accumulation, cessation, delight, troubles, and separation are accurately understood. Because they accurately understand that the propensity towards delusion does not drive them concerning neither painful nor unpleasant feelings. Concerning that pleasant feeling, they are liberated and unbound; concerning painful feeling, and neither painful nor pleasant feeling, they are liberated and unbound.

“From what are they unbound? It is said that from greed, anger, and delusion, they are unbound, from birth, old age, sickness, death, sorrow, lamentation, worry, and suffering, they are unbound.”

At that time, the Bhagavān uttered a gāthā, saying:

“The well-learned, regarding suffering and pleasure, 
Do not fail to feel, realise, and understand them;  "But between them and ordinary people, 
There is, in truth, a great difference.[7]

“In pleasant feeling, they are without negligence; 
In painful contact, sorrow does not increase; 
Both suffering and pleasure are relinquished, 
Neither opposing nor conforming.

“The bhikṣu, with applied skilful means, 
Whose right knowledge is imperturbable 
Regarding all feelings here, 
Can know them with their cleverness.

“Because of fully understanding feelings, 
Amidst present dharmas, they exhaust all outflows; 
At death, they are not counted among those who fall to lower realms, 
But eternally abide in parinirvāṇa.”

After the Buddha spoke this sūtra, when the bhikṣus heard what the Buddha said, they rejoiced and remembered it well.

[1] The “Connected Discourses on Feelings” have a total of 31 sūtras. It corresponds to the Saṃyutta Nikāya’s “Connected Discourses on Feelings” (SN 36).

Yogācārabhūmi Śāstra, fascicle 96b.

[2] The character for “destination” meaning “transmigration” here was mistakenly written in the original edition as “cross over,” which as been corrected based on the Song edition.

[3] Sutta SN 36.6 in the Saṃyutta Nikāya’s “Collected Discourses on Feeling.

[4] “feeling” was originally missing and was reinserted based on the Song edition.

[5] “feeling” was originally missing and was reinserted based on the Song edition.

[6] At “Listen carefully,” originally they was “A foolish… bhikṣus”— 32 characters: it is a redundant passage, and has been omitted.

[7] “difference”, was mistakenly written in the original edition as “hearing”, which has now been corrected.