-by Vipassana Research Institute
Vedanā (sensations) are of diverse types (vividhā)1 and are experienced every moment within the body. Broadly speaking, however, there are three kinds – pleasant (sukha), unpleasant (dukkha), and neutral (adukkhamasukhā). The sensations arise within the body as a result of contact (phassa) and sooner or later pass away.2
The experience of painful contact within the body results in an unpleasant sensation that is unpalatable, distressful, painful, sorrowful, and an affliction. Faced with such an experience, an ordinary person becomes distressed, disturbed and unbalanced. When the pain is intense, he weeps, laments, cries, falls into despair and becomes deluded.3 Experiencing an unpleasant sensation, he desperately makes every possible effort to get rid of it, to pull himself out of it. He musters his will to free himself as quickly as possible. Because of this bodily pain and affliction, he becomes unhappy, restless, worried, disturbed and mentally distressed. He is thus miserable and troubled, both bodily and mentally, as if pierced by two arrows at the same time.4 This is due to his attachment to the sensations.5 He is ignorant, not knowing their true nature, and hence is unable to have a dispassionate attitude towards them. He makes every effort to repel the cause of his pain. He does so because of the latent tendency of aversion (paṭighānusaya) so deeply rooted in him. He fails to understand that this tendency (anusaya) is a defilement. Instead, he multiplies and perpetuates it. He is carried away by this anusaya and continues to flow with it.6
Even while striving to get over the unpleasant sensation, he indulges himself in craving for imaginary situations where there is no unpleasant sensation whatsoever. He starts enjoying this imaginary state and thereby develops lust for it. What a pity that an ignorant person, though distressed by his unpleasant sensation, also delights in and craves for the sensual desire (kāmasukha) that he has created in his mind.7 Why can he not maintain a balanced, dispassionate state of mind when experiencing an unpleasant sensation? He is unable to do so because he becomes attached to the sensation and is overpowered by it. Out of ignorance, he does not comprehend the true transitory nature (anicca) of the sensation. He does not realise its arising (samudaya), its passing away (atthaṇgama), the relishing of it (assāda), the danger in it (ādīnava) or the escape from it (nissaraṇa). He is further unaware of his latent tendency of aversion (paṭighānusaya), which he, out of ignorance, is also multiplying. Such an ignorant person is not only attached to the unpleasant sensation, but he is also bound up with all types of sensations and, therefore, with all the miseries in the world: birth, decay and death, and so on.8
When a pleasant contact arises in the body, an ignorant person experiences it as pleasant, as it apparently is. Not comprehending its true nature, he becomes involved and attached and starts taking pleasure in it.9 He does not understand that the pleasant sensation that has arisen due to bodily contact is transitory, ephemeral, and impermanent and sooner or later is bound to pass away. Being ignorant of it, he tends to develop craving for its continuance. He is also unaware of his dormant tendency of lust (rāgānusaya), the deep-rooted defilement in him. Because of his attachment,10 he keeps increasing his craving and continues to flow with it.11 Not understanding the true nature of a pleasant sensation as it really is—the arising of it (samudaya), the passing away of it (atthaṇgama), the relishing of it (assāda), the danger in it (ādīnava) or the escape from it (nissaraṇa)—he is attached to it and thus is subject to lamentation and sorrow.
There arise situations in which an ordinary person experiences neither pleasant nor unpleasant sensations (adukkhamasukhā vedanā) and is delighted and satisfied with this. Such an attitude indicates his ignorance (avijjā), as he does not know that this experience is also transitory, ephemeral and still within the sphere of mind and matter (nāma-rūpa). Being unaware of the dormant tendency of ignorance (avijjānusaya) within him, he acts in such a way as to multiply it and continues to flow with it. He is deluded12 and therefore falls into despair and becomes unhappy.
Both an ordinary person and a well-trained Vipassana meditator, who has reached the stage of saintliness, can experience the same sensations in the body. But there is a vast difference in their comprehension and outlook. As stated above, since a puthujjana (ignorant person) is the victim of the anusayas (latent tendencies), he immediately starts reacting blindly when he experiences any sensation arising in the body. Being unaware of the true nature of these sensations, he remains attached (saṃyutta) to them. In contrast, an ariyasāvaka (noble disciple) practises by minutely observing the impermanence of the sensations (aniccānupassī viharati) and their passing away (vayānupassī viharati). He does not cling to them (virāgānupassī viharati), he observes the ceasing of them (nirodhānupassī viharati), and thus, emerges from them (paṭinissaggānupassī viharati).13 In this way, he eradicates all the latent tendencies which can no longer defile him. When he experiences an unpleasant sensation, he is not disturbed by it. He observes it as a wound on his body (sallato), keeps a dispassionate attitude towards it and remains unattached to it.14 He maintains a balanced state of mind and is not disturbed mentally.15
Further, if he experiences a pleasant sensation, he does not take any pleasure in it. He fully understands its true nature of anicca and so develops no lust for it, which would eventually lead to misery. Thus, he keeps himself detached from the sensations.16 He knows correctly that sooner or later they will pass away. He has no tendency towards lust (rāgānusaya) in him. When he experiences a neutral sensation of peace and tranquillity of mind, he does not get deluded by it. Rather, he keeps himself detached. A developed Vipassana student fully understands that this tranquil and peaceful state of mind is not the final stage. It too is impermanent (anicca) and, like the other sensations, is in the field of nāma-rūpa. He does not take any delight in it and keeps a balanced, dispassionate state of mind. He is always mindful and attentive (sato) and keeps a constant understanding of anicca (sampajāno) towards his sensations. Since his avijjānusaya (tendency of ignorance) is destroyed, he truly knows the arising (samudaya) and passing away of it (atthaṇgama), the relishing of it (assāda), danger in it (ādīnava) and the escape (nissaraṇa) from the sensations; it is said:
Samāhito sampajāno, sato Buddhassa sāvako;
vedanā ca pajānāti, vedanānañca sambhavaṃ.
Yattha cetā nirujjhanti, maggañca khayagāminaṃ;
vedanānaṃ khayā bhikkhu, nicchāto parinibbuto ti.17
A follower of the Buddha, with concentration, awareness and constant thorough understanding of impermanence, knows with wisdom the sensations, their arising, their cessation and the path leading to their end. A meditator who has reached the end (has experienced the entire range) of sensations (and has gone beyond) is freed from craving, fully liberated.
This is the main aim of Vipassana and the ultimate purpose of this practice. This is the consummation of brahmacariya (the path of truth). The Buddha praises a well-trained practitioner who has perfectly understood the true nature of sensations and is not attached to them. He says:
Na vedanaṃ vedayati sapañño, sukhaṃ pi dukkhaṃ pi bahussuto pi;
ayaṃ ca, dhīrassa puthujjanena, mahā viseso kusalassa hoti.
Saṇkhātadhammassa bahussutassa, vipassato lokamimaṃ paraṃ ca;
iṭṭhassa dhammā na mathenti cittaṃ, aniṭṭhato na paṭighātameti.18
A wise, well-trained practitioner is not afflicted (mentally) by experiencing either a pleasant or unpleasant sensation (or otherwise). This is the vast difference between an ordinary person and a skilful, wise person. For he who has mastered the truth is well-trained and has correctly viewed this world and beyond; neither desirable things churn in his mind, nor do undesirable ones harm him.
The practice of Vipassana is fulfilled only when a practitioner comes to realise perfectly the true transitory nature of sensations and remains ever mindful (sato) with constant thorough understanding (sampajāno) of them. This is the ultimate aim of Vipassana, and this is the crux of the practice.
Notes: (All references are to the VRI edition.)
- Saṃyutta Nikāya 2.4.260 Vedanāsaṃyutaṃ, Paṭhamaākāsasuttaṃ
- Ibid. 2.4.252, Pātālasuttaṃ, Sarīrikāya vedanāya. Also Ibid. 2.4.258, Phassamūlakasuttaṃ, Vedanā phassajā phassamūlakā, phassanidānā, phassapaccayā.
- Ibid. 2.4.254, Sallasuttaṃ, Sammohaṃ āpajjati.
- Ibid. 2.4.254, So dvisallena vedanaṃ vedayati... So dve vedanā vedayati kāyikaṃ ca cetasikaṃ ca.
- Loc. cit., Saññutto hoti.
- Loc. cit., Dukkhāya vedanāya paṭighavantaṃ, yo dukkhāya vedanāya paṭighānusayo so anuseti.
- Loc. cit., So dukkhāya vedanāya phuṭṭho samāno kāmasukhaṃ abhinandati.
- Loc. cit., Dukkhaṃ ce vedanaṃ vedayati saññutto naṃ vedayati. Assutavā puthujjano saññutto jātiyā jarāya maraṇena sokehi…
- Loc. cit., Saññutta hoti... abhinandati.
- Loc. cit., Sukhaṃ ce vedanaṃ, vedayati, saññutto naṃ vedayati.
- Loc. cit., Yo sukhāya vedanāya rāgānusayo, so anuseti.
- Ibid 2.4.252, Sammohaṃ āpajjati.
- Saṃyutta Nikāya 2.4.255-256, Paṭhamagelañña-Sutta and Dutiyagelañña-Sutta.
- Ibid. 2.4.254, Sallasuttaṃ, visaññutto naṃ vedayati.
- Ibid. 2.4.254, Kāyikaṃ vedayati na cetasikaṃ.
- Ibid. 2.4.254, visaññutto naṃ vedayati.
- Ibid. 2.4.249, Samādhisuttaṃ
- Ibid. 2.4.254, Sallasuttaṃ