Saṃyutta Nikāya
4. Saḷāyatana Vagga
36. Vedanā Saṃyutta
2. Raho-Gata Vagga
The Book of the Kindred Sayings
4. The Book Called the Saḷāyatana-Vagga
Containing Kindred Sayings on the 'Six-Fold Sphere' of Sense and Other Subjects
36. Kindred Sayings about Feeling
2. The Chapter on Solitude
Sutta 16
Dutiya Santakam (aka Ānanda) Suttaṃ
Property (2)
Translated by F. L. Woodward
Edited by Mrs. Rhys Davids
Copyright The Pali Text Society
Commercial Rights Reserved
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Then the venerable Ānanda came to see the Exalted One
on coming to him greeted him courteously,
and after the exchange of greetings and compliments
sat down at one side.
As he sat at one side, the Exalted One said to the venerable Ānanda: -
"What, Ānanda, is feeling?
What is the arising of feelings?
What is the ceasing of feelings?
What the way leading to the ceasing of feelings?
What is the satisfaction?
What is the misery?
What is the refuge from feeling?"
■
"For us, lord,
things have the Exalted one as their root,
their guide,
their resort.
Well indeed were it
if the meaning of this that has been spoken
were to manifest itself in the Exalted One.
Hearing it from him
the brethren will remember it."
"Then listen, Ānanda.
Apply your mind closely and I will speak."
"Even so, lord," replied the venerable Ānanda.
■
The Exalted One said: -
"There are these three feelings, Ānanda:
pleasant feeling,
painful feeling,
neutral feeling.
These, Ānanda, are called feeling.
By the arising of contact
comes the arising of feelings.
By the ceasing of contact
comes the ceasing of feelings.
This Ariyan Eightfold Path
is the way leading to the ceasing of feelings,
namely:
Right belief,
right intention,
right speech,
right action,
right living,
right effort,
right mindfulness,
right contemplation.
That pleasure,
that mental ease
which arises owing to feeling, -
that is called:
'the satisfaction of feeling.'
As to the feelings which are impermanent,
painful,
changeable by nature, -
these are called:
'the misery of feeling.'
That restraint of desire and lust for feeling,
that abandoning of desire and lust for feeling, -
that is the refuge from feeling.
§
Moreover, Ānanda, I have seen,
the ceasing of the activities to be gradual.
When one has attained the first trance,
speech has ceased.
When one has attained the second trance,
thought initial and sustained has ceased.
When one has attained the third trance,
zest has ceased.
When one has attained the fourth trance,
inbreathing and outbreathing have ceased.
When one has attained the realm of infinite space,
perception of objects has ceased.
When one has attained the realm of infinite consciousness,
perception of the realm of infinite space has ceased.
When one has attained the realm of nothingness,
the perception of the realm of infinite consciousness has ceased.
When one has attained the realm of neither-perception-nor-non-perception,
the perception of the realm of nothingness has ceased.
Both perception and feeling have ceased
when one has attained the cessation of perception and feeling.
For the brother who has destroyed the āsavas,
lust is extinguished,
hatred is extinguished,
illusion is extinguished.
§
Again, Ānanda, I have seen
that the mastery of the activities is gradual.
When one has attained the first trance,
speech is mastered.
When one has attained the second trance,
thought initial and sustained is mastered.
When one has attained the third trance,
zest is mastered.
When one has attained the fourth trance,
inbreathing and outbreathing is mastered.
When one has attained the realm of infinite space,
perception of objects is mastered.
When one has attained the realm of infinite consciousness,
perception of the realm of infinite space is mastered.
When one has attained the realm of nothingness,
the perception of the realm of infinite consciousness is mastered.
When one has attained the realm of neither-perception-nor-non-perception,
the perception of the realm of nothingness is mastered.
Both perception and feeling are mastered
when one has attained the cessation of perception and feeling.
For the brother who has destroyed the āsavas,
lust is mastered,
hatred is mastered,
illusion is mastered.
§
There are these six calmings, Ānanda.
When one has attained the first trance,
speech is calmed down.
When one has attained the second trance,
thought initial and sustained is calmed down.
When one has attained the third trance,
zest is calmed down.
When one has attained the fourth trance,
inbreathing and outbreathing is calmed down.
In the trance where perception and feeling have ceased,
perception and feeling are calmed down.
For the brother who has destroyed the āsavas,
lust is calmed down,
hatred is calmed down,
illusion is calmed down."
