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'Vedanā' is a word in Sanskrit and Pāli meaning "feeling" or "sensation". It refers to the pleasant, unpleasant and neutral sensations that occur when our internal sense organs come into contact with external sense objects and the associated consciousness.
In Buddhism, attachment to vedanā leads to suffering; reciprocally, concentrated awareness of vedanā can lead to mindfulness, clear comprehension and Enlightenment.

Contents

Attributes

Wisdom practices

See also

Notes

Sources

External links

Attributes

The Pali literature describes vedanā in various ways including three "modes," five "types" and six "classes."^[1]
The Buddha taught there were three modes of vedanā:
:
★ pleasant (''sukhā'')
:
★ unpleasant (''dukkhā'')
:
★ neither pleasant nor unpleasant (''adukkham-asukhā'', sometimes referred to as "neutral")^[2]
Each mode of vedanā is accompanied by its corresponding ''underlying tendency''. The underlying tendency for pleasant vedanā is the tendency toward lust, for unpleasant, the tendency toward aversion, and for neither pleasant nor unpleasant, the tendency toward ignorance.
In the post-canonial Visuddhimagga, five types of vedanā are enumerated:
:
★ physical pleasure (''sukha'')
:
★ physical displeasure (''dukkha'')
:
★ mental happiness (''somanassa'')
:
★ mental unhappiness (''domanassa'')
:
★ equanimity (''upekkhā'').^[3]
Elsewhere in the Pali Canon it is stated that there are six classes of vedanā, corresponding to sensations arising from contact (Skt: ''sparśa''; Pali: ''phassa'') between an internal sense organ (''ayatana''; that is, the eye, ear, nose, tongue, body or mind), an external sense object and the associated consciousness (Skt.: ''vijnana''; Pali: ''viññāna'').^[4]

Wisdom practices

Vedanā is one of the five aggregates (Skt.: ''skandha''; Pali: ''khandha'') of clinging (Skt., Pali: ''upādāna''). Meditating on the aggregates with concentration (''samadhi'') and insight (''vipassana'') can lead to deep mindfulness (''sati''), clear comprehension (Pali: ''''; Skt.: '')) and Enlightenment (''bodhi'').^[5]
More basically, by learning to observe ''vedanā'' objectively (''vedanānupassana'') one can avoid new reactions, and can experience directly within oneself the reality of impermanence (''anicca''). This experience is essential for understanding the nature of attachment, leading to liberation of the mind.
Vedanā is described by the Buddha as having both mental and physical aspects; therefore, ''vedanā'' offers a means to examine the totality of the mental-physical phenomenon.
In the Chain of Conditioned Arising (Skt: ''Pratītyasamutpāda''; Pali: ''), the Buddha explained that vedanā arises with contact as its condition, and acts as a condition for (Skt.; Pali: '').

See also

★ (Skt.; Pali: '') - six sense bases

★ (Pali; Skt.: '') - foundations of mindfulness

★ Skandha (Skt.; Pali: ''khandha'') - aggregates

Notes

1. Regarding the distinction between "modes" and "types," see Rhys Davids & Stede (1921-25), p. 648, entry for "Vedanā."
2. See, for instance, SN 36.5, ''Datthabba Sutta'' (Nyanaponika, 1983).
In the Visuddhimagga 460, there is a similar but different threefold enumeration: wholesome (''kusalā''), unwholesome (''akusalā'') and indefinite (''avyākatā'') (Rhys Davids & Stede, 1921-25, ''ibid'').
3. Vism. 461 (Rhys Davids & Stede, 1921-25, ''ibid.'').
4. See, for example, the ''Chachakka Sutta'' (MN 148) which ascribes to the Buddha the following words:
:"'The six classes of feeling should be known.' Thus was it said. In reference to what was it said? Dependent on the eye & forms there arises consciousness at the eye. The meeting of the three is contact. With contact as a requisite condition there is feeling. Dependent on the ear & sounds there arises consciousness at the ear. The meeting of the three is contact. With contact as a requisite condition there is feeling. Dependent on the nose & aromas there arises consciousness at the nose. The meeting of the three is contact. With contact as a requisite condition there is feeling. Dependent on the tongue & flavors there arises consciousness at the tongue. The meeting of the three is contact. With contact as a requisite condition there is feeling. Dependent on the body & tactile sensations there arises consciousness at the body. The meeting of the three is contact. With contact as a requisite condition there is feeling. Dependent on the intellect & ideas there arises consciousness at the intellect. The meeting of the three is contact. With contact as a requisite condition there is feeling. 'The six classes of feeling should be known.' Thus was it said...." (Thanissaro, 1998.)
For other references to the "six classes of feeling/sensation," see the ''Sattatthana Sutta'' (SN 22.57) (Thanissaro, 1997b), and the ''Vedana Sutta'' (SN 25.5) (Thanissaro, 2004).
5. AN 4.41: for Pali, see SLTP (n.d); for English translations, see Nyanaponika & Bodhi (1999), pp. 88-89, Thanissaro (1997a), Upalavanna (n.d.).

Sources

★ Nyanaponika Thera (trans.) (1983). ''Datthabba Sutta: To Be Known'' (SN 36.5). Retrieved 2007-06-08 from "Access to Insight" at: http://www.accesstoinsight.org/tipitaka/sn/sn36/sn36.005.nypo.html.

★ Nyanaponika Thera & Bhikkhu Bodhi (trans.) (1999). ''Numerical Discourses of the Buddha: An Anthology of Suttas from the Anguttara Nikaya''. Kandy, Sri Lanka: Buddhist Publication Society. ISBN 0-7425-0405-0.

★ Rhys Davids, T.W. & William Stede (eds.) (1921-5). ''The Pali Text Society’s Pali–English Dictionary''. Chipstead: Pali Text Society. A general on-line search engine for the PED is available at http://dsal.uchicago.edu/dictionaries/pali/.

★ Sri Lanka Buddha Jayanti Tipitaka Series (SLTP) (n.d.). '' (AN AN 4.1.5.1, in Pali). Retrieved 2007-06-08 from "MettaNet-Lanka" at: http://www.mettanet.org/tipitaka/2Sutta-Pitaka/4Anguttara-Nikaya/Anguttara2/4-catukkanipata/005-rohitassavaggo-p.html.

★ Thanissaro Bhikkhu (trans.) (1997a). ''Samadhi Sutta: Concentration'' (AN 4.41). Retrieved on 2007-06-08 from "Access to Insight" at: http://www.accesstoinsight.org/tipitaka/an/an04/an04.041.than.html.

★ Thanissaro Bhikkhu (trans.) (1997b). ''Sattatthana Sutta: Seven Bases'' (SN 22.57). Retrieved 2007-06-08 from "Access to Insight" at: http://www.accesstoinsight.org/tipitaka/sn/sn22/sn22.057.than.html.

★ Thanissaro Bhikkhu (trans.) (1998). ''Chachakka Sutta: The Six Sextets'' (MN 148). Retrieved 2007-06-08 from "Access to Insight" at: http://www.accesstoinsight.org/tipitaka/mn/mn.148.than.html.

★ Thanissaro Bhikkhu (trans.) (2004). ''Vedana Sutta: Feeling'' (SN 25.5). Retrieved 2007-06-08 from "Access to Insight" at: http://www.accesstoinsight.org/tipitaka/sn/sn25/sn25.005.than.html.

★ Upalavanna, Sister (n.d.). '' – Developments of concentration'' (AN AN 4.5.1). Retrieved 2007-06-08 from "MettaNet-Lanka" at: http://www.mettanet.org/tipitaka/2Sutta-Pitaka/4Anguttara-Nikaya/Anguttara2/4-catukkanipata/005-rohitassavaggo-e.html.

External links

★ Nyanaponika Thera (ed., trans.) (1983). ''Contemplation of Feeling: The Discourse-Grouping on the Feelings (Vedana-Samyutta)'' (The Wheel, No. 303/304). Kandy, Sri Lanka: Buddhist Publication Society. Transcribed by Joe Crea (1995). Retrieved 2007-06-08 from "Access to Insight" at: http://www.accesstoinsight.org/lib/authors/nyanaponika/wheel303.html.