[Home]  [Sutta Indexes]  [Glossology]  [Site Sub-Sections]

Pay attention! Give ear! This is for your Good! For Your Profit for many a long day. Don't play with your food!

Sensation

Two Classes of Sensation are to be known.

Sensation that has to do with worldly things and sensation has to do with letting go.

He understands that the same sensation can be seen in different ways according as it has to do with worldly things or letting go.

For example:

When he sees an object with the eye, hears a sound with the ear, smells a scent with the nose, tastes a taste with the tongue, feels a touch with the body, or has the rare thought with his mind and experiences pleasant sensations from having been able to attain, or from remembering having attained this sensation, this is called "pleasant sensation downbound to the world"

When he sees an object with the eye, hears a sound with the ear, smells a scent with the nose, tastes a taste with the tongue, feels a touch with the body, or has a thought with his Mind and experiences pleasant sensations from having been able to attain, or from remembering having attained this sensation, but remembers that seeing, hearing, smelling, tasting, touching, and thinking is changeable, and subject to ending, and he does not cling to this sensation, but lets it go, this is called "pleasant sensation bound up not downbound to anything at all in the world"

When he sees an object with the eye, hears a sound with the ear, smells a scent with the nose, tastes a taste with the tongue, feels a touch with the body, or has a thought with his mind and experiences painful sensations from not having been able to attain, or from remembering not having attained this sensation, this is called "Painful sensation downbound to the world"

When he sees an object with the eye, hears a sound with the ear, smells a scent with the nose, tastes a taste with the tongue, feels a touch with the body, or has a thought with his mind and experiences painful sensations from not having been able to attain, or from remembering not having attained this sensation, but remembers that seeing, hearing, smelling, tasting, touching, and thinking is changeable, and subject to ending and thinks: "O,O,O when will I experience the incomparable freedom of Nibbāna?" and, not clinging to this sensation, but letting it go, he sets his mind to accomplishing this, this is called "Painful sensation bound up not downbound to anything at all in the world"

When he sees an object with the eye, hears a sound with the ear, smells a scent with the nose, tastes a taste with the tongue, feels a touch with the body, or has a thought with his mind and experiences not-painful-but-not-pleasant sensations, and does not see Freedom in Freedom, this is called "not-painful-but-not-pleasant sensation downbound to the world"

When he sees an object with the eye, hears a sound with the ear, smells a scent with the nose, tastes a taste with the tongue, feels a touch with the body, or has a thought with his mind and experiences not-painful-but-not-pleasant sensations, and sees freedom in freedom, and in freedom seeing freedom he is free, he has experienced a taste of Nibbāna in the here and now, and this is called "not-painful-but-not-pleasant sensation bound up not downbound to anything at all in the world"

And he is aware of such as it would be positioned in time as 'Of the Past', 'Of the Future', or 'Of the Present.'

A simile is given for the recommended attitude:

What do you think? When The Farmer, when he Wishes to Thrash a Sheaf of Wheat, throws that Sheaf of Wheat onto the Thrashing Floor and Getting a Good Grip on his Thrasher Lays into that Sheaf of Wheat, Thrashing that Sheaf of Wheat with a Good Thrashing, and then, when he is done, calls to his Five Strapping Sons and tells them to Give that Sheaf of Wheat yet another Thrashing, and they too, Getting a Good Grip on their Thrashers, Give that Sheaf of Wheat yet another Thrashing, has that Sheaf of Wheat been given a Satisfactory Thrashing, thus Thrashed by the Farmer and Thrashed yet again by the Farmer's Five Strapping Sons?

Three Types of Sensation are to be known.

Pleasant Sensation
Unpleasant Sensation
Sensation that is neither Pleasant nor Unpleasant.

Six cases of sensation are to be known.

Rebounding off the Eye and Material shape Visual Consciousness appears;
the three joined up is Contact;
Rebounding off the contact is Sensation.

Rebounding off Ear and Sounds Auditory Consciousness appears;
the three joined up is Contact;
Rebounding off the contact is Sensation.

Rebounding off Nose and Scents Consciousness of Scents appears;
the three joined up is Contact;
Rebounding off the contact is Sensation.

Rebounding off Tongue and Flavors Consciousness of Scents appears;
the three joined up is Contact;
Rebounding off the contact is Sensation.

Rebounding off Body and Touches Consciousness of Touch appears;
the three joined up is Contact;
Rebounding off the contact is Sensation.

Rebounding off Mind and Mental Object Consciousness of Ideas appears;
the three joined up is Contact;
Rebounding off the contact is Sensation.