[19] Comy.: "From the fourth Jhana onwards, it is the
neither-painful-nor-pleasant feeling (that is present in these
meditative states). But this neutral feeling, too, is called
'pleasure' (sukha), on account of its being peaceful and
sublime. What arises by way of the five cords of sensual desire
and by way of the eight meditative attainments is called
'pleasure as being felt' (//vedayita-sukha//). The state of
Cessation of Perception and Feeling is a 'pleasure, not being
felt' (//avedayita-sukha//). Hence, whether it be pleasure felt
or not felt, both are assuredly 'pleasure,' in the sense of
their being painfree states (//niddukkhabhava-sankhatena
sukhena//)."

In Anguttara Nikaya, Nines, No. 34, the venerable Sariputta
exclaims: "Nibbana is happiness, friend; Nibbana is happiness,
indeed!" The monk Udayi then asked: "How can there be
happiness when there is no feeling?" The venerable Sariputta
replied: "Just this is happiness, friend, that therein there is
no feeling." The continuation of that Sutta may also be
compared with our text. On Nibbana as happiness, see also
Anguttara Nikaya, Sixes, No. 100.

* * *

MISCELLANEOUS TEXTS

for use in the Contemplation of Feelings

Feelings are like bubbles.
Khandha Samyutta No. 95

All things converge on feelings.
Anguttara Nikaya, Nines, No. 14

"All feeling -- whether it is of the past, the future or the present,
whether in oneself or in others, whether coarse or sublime, inferior
or superior, far or near -- should be seen with right understanding as
it actually is: 'This is not mine, this I am not, this is not a self
of mine.'"
Anatta-lakkhana Sutta, Samyutta Nikaya,
XXII, 59.

Pleasant feeling is pleasant when present; it is painful when
changing.

Painful feeling is painful when present; it is pleasant when
changing.

Neither-painful-nor-pleasant feeling is pleasant if one understands
it; it is painful if there is no understanding.

Majjhima Nikaya No. 44; Cula Vedalla
Sutta

A well-taught noble disciple ... does not consider feeling as the self
nor the self as the owner of the feeling, nor feeling as included
within the self, nor the self as included within the feeling.

Of such a well-taught noble disciple it can be said that he is
unfettered by the bondage of feeling, unfettered by bondage inner or
outer. He has seen the coast, he has seen the Other Shore, and he is
fully freed from suffering -- this I say.

Khandha Samyutta No. 117

It was said that one should know the feelings, their conditioned
origin, their diversity, their outcome, their cessation, and the way
to their cessation. Why was this said?

What are the feelings? These three: pleasant, painful, and
neither-painful-nor-pleasant.

What is the conditioned origin of these feelings? Sense-impression
is the conditioned origin of the feelings.

What is the diversity in feelings? There are pleasant feelings,
worldly and unworldly; there are painful feelings, worldly and
unworldly; and there are neutral feelings, worldly and unworldly.

What is the outcome of feelings? It is the personalized existence
(//attabhava//) born of this or that (feeling), be it of a meritorious
or demeritorious character, which one who feels causes to arise.

What is the cessation of feelings? It is the cessation of sense
impression that is the cessation of feelings.

And it is the noble eightfold path that is the way leading to the
cessation of feelings, namely: right understanding, right thought,
right speech, right action, right livelihood, right effort, right
mindfulness and right concentration.

If a noble disciple knows in such way the feelings, their
conditioned origin, their diversity, their outcome, their cessation,
and the way to their cessation, he will be one who knows this
penetrative Holy Life, namely the cessation of feelings.

//From// Anguttara Nikaya, Sixes, No. 63

On account of what has it been said that the four Noble Truths are the
Dhamma taught by me, which is unrefuted, untarnished, irreproachable
and uncensored by intelligent ascetics and brahmins?

Based on the six elements [1] there is descent into the womb.
When such descent into the womb takes place, there will be
mind-and-body (nama-rupa). Mind-and-body conditions the sixfold
sense-base. The sixfold sense-base conditions sense-impression.
Sense-impression conditions feeling. Now it is for one who feels [2]
that I make known, 'This is suffering,' 'This is the origin of
suffering,' 'This is the cessation of suffering,' 'This is the way
leading to the cessation of suffering.'

//From// Anguttara Nikaya, Threes, No.61

[1] These are the elements of earth, water, fire, wind, space
and consciousness. See Majjh. 140.

[2] The commentary applies this to one who //understands//
feeling and quotes the beginning of the Contemplation of
Feeling from the Satipatthana Sutta. -- Alternatively, "One
who feels" may also refer to all beings who feel suffering
and seek a release from it.

"Sisters, suppose there is a lamp burning: its oil, its wick, its
flame, its radiance, all are impermanent and liable to change. Now,
would anyone speak correctly when saying: 'When this lamp is burning,
its oil, wick and flame are impermanent and liable to change, but its
radiance is permanent, everlasting, eternal, and not liable to
change?'" -- "Certainly not, venerable sir." "Why not?" -- "Because,
venerable sir, when that lamp burns, its oil is impermanent and liable
to change, and so are the wick, the flame and the radiance."

"In the same way, sisters, would anyone speak correctly when
saying: "These six (organ) bases in oneself are impermanent, but what,
dependent on them, I feel as pleasant or painful or
neither-painful-nor-pleasant, that is permanent, ever-lasting,
eternal, and not liable to change'?" -- "Certainly not, venerable
sir." "Why not?" -- "Because, venerable sir, each kind of feeling
arises dependent on its appropriate condition, and with the cessation
of the appropriate condition the corresponding feeling ceases."

"Well said, sisters, well said! When a noble disciple perceives
this, he sees it with right understanding, as it actually is."

//From// Majjhima Nikaya No. 146;
Nandaka's Exhortation

Pleasant feeling is impermanent, conditioned, dependently arisen,
having the nature of wasting, vanishing, fading and ceasing. The
painful feeling and the neutral feeling, too, are impermanent,
conditioned, dependently arisen, having the nature of wasting,
vanishing, fading and ceasing.

When a well-taught disciple perceives this, he becomes
dispassionate towards pleasant feelings, dispassionate toward painful
feelings and dispassionate toward neutral feelings. Being
dispassionate, his lust fades away, and with the fading away of lust,
he is liberated. When liberated, there comes to him the knowledge that
he is liberated. He now knows: 'Birth is exhausted, the holy life
has been lived, done is what was to be done, there is no more of this
to come.'

A monk whose mind is thus liberated, concurs with none and
disputes with none; he employs the speech commonly used in the world,
but without misapprehending it.

//From// Majjhima Nikaya No. 74;
Dighanakha

* * *

Aphorisms from the Exegetical Literature

To know, as it actually is, the origin, (cessation, and the way to
cessation) of feeling, etc., leads to liberation without clinging,
because it partakes of the path.

The lack of full penetration of the origin, etc., of feeling leads
to imprisonment in the jail house of Samsara, because (such ignorance)
is a condition for the Kamma-formations (sankhara).

Delusion which hides the true nature of feelings, leads to
enjoyment of feelings.

But an understanding of feelings as it actually is, leads to the
penetration of feeling and to dispassion regarding it.

By not understanding the danger and misery (//adinava//) in
feelings, the craving for feelings will grow; and this happens
because one only considers what is enjoyable in feelings (//assada//).

When there is lust for what is felt, one will be wriggling in the
grip of the notions of self and self's property, and in the grip of
the notions of eternalism, and so on. This is due to the proximity of
the cause for it, since clinging (to ego-belief and views) is
conditioned by craving.

For those who proclaim doctrines of eternalism etc., or feel
emotions corresponding (to them), sense-impression is the cause
(//hetu//). This applies because (having such ideas or emotions)
cannot occur without the meeting of sense-organ, object, and
consciousness (which constitute sense-impression).

//From// Sub-Commentary to Brahmajala
Sutta (//pakarana-naya//)