65. Discourse on Feeling (SA65)

Thus have I heard. At one time the Buddha was staying at Sāvatthī in Jeta’s Grove, Anāthapiṇḍika’s Park.

At that time the Blessed One said to the monks: “You should constantly cultivate meditation with diligence, calm the mind within. Why is that? Monks, you should constantly cultivate meditation with diligence, calm the mind within and examine the aggregates as they really are.

“How to examine the aggregates as they really are? In this way: ‘This is bodily form, this is the arising of bodily form, this is the cessation of bodily form. This is feeling … perception … formations … consciousness, this is the arising of consciousness, this is the cessation of consciousness.’

“What is the arising of bodily form, the arising of feeling … of perception … of formations … of consciousness? A foolish unlearned worldling does not examine painful, pleasant or neutral feelings as they really are: ‘this is the arising of feeling, the cessation of feeling, the gratification of feeling, the danger in feeling, and the escape from feeling.’ Because of not examining it as it really is, he delights in feeling and is attached to it, giving rise to clinging. In dependence on clinging, there is becoming. In dependence on becoming, there is birth. In dependence on birth, there is old age, disease, death, worry, sorrow, vexation, and pain. In this way this entire great mass of dukkha arises again and again. This is called the arising of bodily form, this is called the arising of feeling … of perception … of formations … of consciousness.

“What is the cessation of bodily form, the cessation of feeling … of perception … of formations … of consciousness? The learned noble disciple examines the experience of painful, pleasant or neutral feelings as it really is: ‘this is the arising of feeling, the cessation of feeling, the gratification of feeling, the danger in feeling, and the escape from feeling. Because of examining it as it really is, delight in feeling and attachment to it ceases. Because of the cessation of attachment, clinging ceases. Because of the cessation of clinging, there is the cessation of becoming. Because of the cessation of becoming, there is the cessation of birth. Because of the cessation of birth, there is the cessation of old age, disease, death, worry, sorrow, vexation, and pain. In this way this entire great mass of dukkha completely attains cessation. This is called the cessation of bodily form, the cessation of feeling … of perception … of formations … of consciousness.

“Therefore, monks, you should constantly cultivate meditation with diligence, calm the mind within. A monk who is established in meditating with diligent effort and who calms the mind within, examines the aggregates as they really are.”

When the Buddha had spoken this discourse, the monks, hearing what the Buddha had said, were delighted and received it respectfully.

As for ‘examining’, in the same way for ‘analysing’, ‘analysing in various ways’, ‘understanding’, ‘widely understanding’, ‘understanding in various ways’, ‘becoming familiar with’, ‘becoming familiar with by cultivating’, ‘engaging with’, ‘contacting’, and ‘realizing’, twelve discourses should be recited fully in the same way.

Translated by Bhikkhu Anālayo. Originally published in ‘On the Five Aggregates (3)—A Translation of Saṁyukta-āgama Discourses 59 to 87’. Dharma Drum Journal of Buddhist Studies, vol. 13, pp. 1–65 (2013). New Taipei City: Dharma Drum Buddhist College.

Prepared for SuttaCentral by Bhikkhu Sujato.