Vedanā, Tisso vedanā

Sensation, Sense Experience, The Three Sensations

'Wherever there is sense-experience, there is pain.'
Yam kiñci vedayitaṃ taṃ dukkhasmin.
— SN 2.12.32

 

References:

Satipatthana Resources
Rhys Davids Introduction to their translation of the Satipatthana Sutta, and the translation itself
Puremind, M. Punnaji, Awakening Meditation, 1-13, 1-15, 3-12, 4-3, 4-6, 6-8, 7-6,7, 7-11, 8-52, 8-60, 8-61, 8-86
[MN 10]
[DN 22]
[DN 33]
[AN 10.27]
PTS: The Book of the Gradual Sayings, V: The Book of the Tens, The Great Chapter, The Great Questions, Woodward, trans., pp36ff
ATI: Contemplation of Feeling,The Discourse-Grouping on the Feelings, Nyanaponika Thera
[SN 5.29]
[AN 6.63]
BD: Drawing From Experience, Olds, trans.
The Third Lesson
MN 12 Where there is a very important and unusual use of the term to describe the experience of the Arahant (who is beyond sense experience or sensation or feeling).
SN 4.36.14. Where the two modes of sense experience are described where one being mental and the other being physical points to the better translation of vedana as 'sense experience' rather than 'sensation'.

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Pāḷi	MO	Hare	Horner	Punnaji	Bodhi	Nanamoli	Rhys Davids	(Mrs)Rhys Davids	Thanissaro	Walshe	Woodward
vedana	experience, sense experience	feeling	feeling	sensation	feelings	feelings	feelings	feelings, modes of feelings	feelings, moods	feelings	feeling
Sukhavedanā	pleasant	feeing of ease	pleasurable feeling	pleasant sensation	pleasant feeling	pleasant feeling	ease, pleasant feeling	pleasant feeling	good moods, ease, well-being	pleasant feeling	pleasant feeling
dukkha vedanā	Painful Ugly Ukky K-kha; Pain; shit; unpleasant sensation	Ill, feeling of ill	anguish, painful feeling	Unease	suffering, unpleasant sensation, painful feeling	Suffering, painful feeling	Ill, painful feeling, malaise	Ill, Sorrow, painful feeling	suffering, bad moods, depression, sorrow, annoyance or discouragement	Suffering, painful feeling	Ill, painful feeling
adukkha-m-asukhā vedanā	not-unpleasant-but-not-pleasant	feeling of neither ill nor ease	neither painful nor pleasant	neutral sensation	neither-painful-nor-pleasant feeling	neither-painful-nor-pleasant feeling	neutral feeling	neutral feeling	(uses upekkha-vedana) neutral moods	neither (pleasant, painful)	neither pleasant nor painful

 

 

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This is how Vedana fits into the paṭicca samuppāda: Downbound, The Six-fold Sense Realm rebounds bound up in Contact (PHASSA: touch)
Downbound Contact Rebounds bound up in (Sense) Experience (VEDANA).
Downbound (Sense) Experience Rebounds Bound up in Hunger/Thirst (TANHA wanting)
 
Or, according to the "Backwards-up" methodology:
Could there be any kind of wanting (wanting to get pleasure, wanting to end pain, wanting to live, wanting to live again, wanting to end living) if there were no experience of sensations of pleasure or pain or neither pleasure nor pain at any one of the six organs of sense?
No, there could not be any kind of wanting if there were no experience of sensations of pleasure, pain or neither pleasure nor pain at any one (or more) of the six organs of sense.
Therefore Wanting arises dependant on Sense Experience.
Could there be any Experience of Pleasure or Pain or neither Pleasure nor pain at any of the six organs of sense if there were no contact of any kind by any organ of sense with any object of sense?
No, there could not be any experience of pleasure or pain or neither pleasure nor pain at any of the six sense organs if there were no contact by any organ with any object.
Therefore (Sense) Experience arises dependant on Contact.

 

§

 

Unworldly

SN 4 36 31 Nyapaniko]

"There is, O monks, worldly joy (piti), there is unworldly joy, and there is a still greater unworldly joy. There is worldly happiness (sukha), there is unworldly happiness, and there is a still greater unworldly happiness. There is worldly equanimity, there is unworldly equanimity, and there a still greater unworldly equanimity. There is worldly freedom, there is unworldly freedom, and there is a still greater unworldly freedom.

"Now, O monks, what is worldly joy? There are these five cords of sense desire: forms cognizable by the eye that are wished for and desired, agreeable and endearing, associated with sense-desire and tempting to lust. Sounds cognizable by the ear... odors cognizable by the nose... flavors cognizable by the tongue... tangibles cognizable by the body, wished for and desired, agreeable and endearing, associated with sense-desire and tempting to lust. It is the joy that arises dependent on these five cords of sense desire which is called 'worldly joy.'

"Now what is unworldly joy? Quite secluded from sense desires, secluded from unwholesome states of mind, a monk enters upon and abides in the first meditative absorption (jhana), which is accompanied by thought-conception and discursive thinking, and has joy and happiness born of seclusion. With the stilling of thought-conception and discursive thinking, he enters upon and abides in the second meditative absorption which has internal confidence and singleness of mind without thought conception and discursive thinking, and has joy and happiness born of concentration. This is called 'unworldly joy.'

"And what is the still greater unworldly joy? When a taint-free monk looks upon his mind that is freed of greed, freed of hatred, freed of delusion, then there arises joy. This called a 'still greater unworldly joy.'

 

§

 

Carpenter Fivetools

[SN 4 36 19 Nyaponika]
= [MN 59 Than]

"How many kinds of feelings, reverend Udayi, were taught by the Blessed One?"

"Three kinds of feelings, Carpenter, were taught by the Blessed One: pleasant, painful and neutral feelings. These are the three feelings taught by the Blessed One."

After these words, Carpenter Fivetools said: "Not three kinds of feelings, reverend Udayi, were taught by the Blessed One. It is two kinds of feelings that were stated by the Blessed One: pleasant and painful feelings. The neutral feeling was said by the Blessed One to belong to peaceful and sublime happiness."

...

The Blessed One said: "Ananda, Udayi's way of presentation, with which Carpenter Fivetools disagreed, was correct, indeed. But also Carpenter Fivetool's way of presentation, with which Udayi disagreed, was correct. In one way of presentation I have spoken of two kinds of feelings, and in other ways of presentation I have spoken of three, of six, of eighteen, of thirty-six, and of one hundred and eight kinds of feelings. So the Dhamma has been shown by me in different ways of presentation.

 

§

 

The One-hundred-and-eight Exposition

[SN 4 36 22 Bhk. Thanissaro]

"Monks, I will teach you a one-hundred-and-eight exposition that is a Dhamma exposition. Listen and pay close attention. I will speak."

"As you say, lord," the monks responded.

The Blessed One said: "And which one-hundred-and-eight exposition is a Dhamma exposition? There is the exposition whereby I have spoken of two feelings, the exposition whereby I have spoken of three feelings... five... six... eighteen... thirty-six... one hundred and eight feelings.

"And which are the two feelings? Physical and mental. These are the two feelings.

"And which are the three feelings? A feeling of pleasure, a feeling of pain, a feeling of neither pleasure nor pain. These are the three feelings.

"And which are the five feelings? The pleasure-faculty, the pain-faculty, the happiness-faculty, the distress-faculty, the equanimity-faculty. These are the five feelings.

"And which are the six feelings? A feeling born of eye-contact, a feeling born of ear-contact... nose-contact... tongue-contact... body-contact... intellect-contact. These are the six feelings.

"And which are the eighteen feelings? Six happiness-explorations, six distress-explorations, six equanimity-explorations. These are the eighteen feelings.

"And which are the thirty-six feelings? Six kinds of household happiness and six kinds of renunciation happiness; six kinds of household distress and six kinds of renunciation distress; six kinds of household equanimity and six kinds of renunciation equanimity. These are the thirty-six feelings.

"And which are the one hundred and eight feelings? Thirty-six past feelings, thirty-six future feelings, and thirty-six present feelings. These are the one hundred and eight feelings. These are the one hundred and eight feelings.

"And this, monks, is the one-hundred-and-eight exposition that is a Dhamma exposition."

 

§

 

An Analysis of the Six Sense-media

[MN 137 Bhk. Thanissaro]

"And what are the six kinds of household equanimity? The equanimity that arises when a foolish, deluded person — a run-of-the-mill, untaught person who has not conquered his limitations or the results of action and who is blind to danger — sees a form with the eye. Such equanimity does not go beyond the form, which is why it is called household equanimity. (Similarly with sounds, smells, tastes, tactile sensations, and ideas.)

"And what are the six kinds of renunciation equanimity? The equanimity that arises when — experiencing the inconstancy of those very forms, their change, fading, and cessation — one sees with right discernment as it actually is that all forms, past or present, are inconstant, stressful, subject to change: This equanimity goes beyond form, which is why it is called renunciation equanimity. (Similarly with sounds, smells, tastes, tactile sensations, and ideas.)