Glossary
indriya = faculty
pakinnaka = miscellaneous, mixed
sangaha = summary
vedană = feeling
somanassa vedană = pleasant feeling in mind
domanassa vedană = painful feeling in mind
sukha vedană = pleasant feeling in body
dukkha vedană = painful feeling in body
upekkhă vedană = indifferent or neutral feeling
According to Dr. Mehm Tin Mon's book "The Essence of Buddha Abhidhamma" (1995: pp. 113 to 115), citta and cetasika in accordance with vedană are briefly classified as follows:
Vedană is classified in two ways.
(a) Classification according to sense objects:
1.sukha vedană = pleasant feeling experienced when in contact with agreeable objects
2.dukkha vedană = painful feeling experienced when in contact with disagreeable objects
3.upekkha vedană = indifferent feeling or neutral feeling which is neither pleasurable nor painful. It is experienced when in contact with neither agreeable nor disagreeable objects.
(b) Classification according to indriya
1.somanassa vedană = pleasant feeling in mind
2.domanassa vedană = painful feeling in mind
3.sukha vedană = pleasant feeling in body
4.dukkha vedană = painful feeling in body
5.upekkhă vedană = indifferent or neutral feeling
In classification (a) sukha implies pleasant feeling either in mind or in body while dukkha implies painful feeling either in mind or in body.
In classification (b) sukha is divided into somanassa and sukha whereas dukkha is divided into domanassa and dukkha. So it should be noted that the feelings in the mind and the feelings in the body are different and that a person can be happy even if his body is in pain.
Please refer also to Table 1.1 (page 63) in Dr. Mon's book.
This classification of citta may be assumed to include the classification of cetasika according to feeling as well. The reason is that the cetasikas that associate with the sukha-sahagatam citta will be associated with sukha vedană, the cetasikas that associate with dukkha-sahagatam citta will also be associated with dukkha vedană, the cetasikas that associate with the domanassa citta will also be associated with domanassa vedană, and so on. (Mon 1995: p. 115).
"Perception and feeling belong to the mind, these things being bound up with the mind are mental formations" (Buddhaghosa: VIII, 230).
Bhadantăcariya Buddhaghosa writes in the Visuddhimagga (XIV, 125-128):
"... what is said to have the characteristic of being felt is feeling itself, according as it is said 'It is felt, friend, that is 'why it is called feeling'. (M.i, 283).
But though it is singlefold according to its individual essence as the characteristic of being felt it is nevertheless threefold as to kind, that is to say, profitable, unprofitable, and indeterminate. Herein, it should be understood that when associated with the profitable consciousness described in the way beginning '(1)-(8) That of the sense sphere is eightfold, being classified according to joy, equanimity, knowledge, and prompting is profitable, that associated with unprofitable consciousness is unprofitable; that associated with indeterminate consciousness is indeterminate.
It is fivefold according to the analysis of its individual essence into [bodily] pleasure, [bodily] pain, [mental] joy, [mental] grief, and equanimity.
Herein pleasure has the characteristic of experiencing a desirable tangible datum. Its function is to intensify associated states. It is manifested as bodily enjoyment. Its proximate cause is the body faculty.
Pain has the characteristic of experiencing an undesirable tangible datum. Its function is to wither associated states. It is manifested as bodily affliction. Its proximate cause is the body faculty.
Joy has the characteristic of experiencing a desirable object. Its function is to exploit in one way or another the desirable aspect. It is manifested as mental enjoyment. Its proximate cause is tranquillity.
Grief has the characteristic of experiencing an undesirable object. Its function is to exploit in one way or another the undesirable aspect. It is manifested as mental affliction. Its proximate cause is invariably the heart-basis.
Equanimity has the characteristic of being felt as neutral. Its function is not to intensify or wither associated states much. It is manifested as peacefulness. Its proximate cause is consciousness without happiness.
The tranquillising of the body is tranquillity of the body. The tranquillizing of consciousness is tranquillity of consciousness. And here body means the three [mental] aggregates, feeling [perception and formations] (see Dhammasangani 40). But both tranqillity of that body and of consciousness have, together, the characteristic of quieting disturbance of that body and of consciousness. Their function is to crush disturbance of the [mental] body and of consciousness. They are manifested as inactivity and coolness of the [mental] body and of consciousness. Their proximate cause is the [mental] body and consciousness. They should be regarded as opposed to the defilements of agitation, etc., which cause unpeacefulness in the [mental] body and in consciousness. (Buddhaghosa XIV, 144.)
Feelings are also classified into past, present and future; internal and external; gross and subtle; according to kind; according to individual essence; according to person; and according to the mundane and supramundane (this is expounded in detail in Buddhaghosa, Description of the Aggregates XIV 197 to 209).
Feeling has the characteristic of experiencing. Its function is to exploit the stimulus of the objective field. It is manifested as pleasure and pain. Its proximate cause is contact (Buddhaghosa XVII 51).
As to the clause 'With contact as condition, feeling'.
Feelings, when named by way of door
'Eye-contact-born' and all the rest,
Are only six; but then they are
At nine and eighty sorts assessed.
In the analysis of this clause [in the Vibhanga] only six kinds of feeling according to door are given thus 'eye-contact-born feeling, ear-nose-, tongue-, body-, mind-contact-born feeling' (Vibhanga 136). [567] Still when classed according to association with the eighty-nine kinds of consciousness, they are 'at nine and eighty sorts assessed'. (Buddhaghosa XVII 228, 229).
But from the nine and eighty feelings
Thirty-two, no more, appear
Associated with result.
And only those are mentioned here.
Herein, contact in the five doors
Conditions five in eightfold way,
And single way the rest; it acts
In the mind door in the same way.
(Buddhaghosa XVII 230).
Herein, in the five doors contact beginning with eye contact is a condition in eight ways, as conascence, mutuality, support, result, nutriment, asociation, presence, and non-disappearance, conditions, for the five kinds of feeling that have respectively eye sensitivity, etc., as their physical basis. But that contact beginning with eye contact is a condition in one way only, as decisive-support condition, for the rest of resultant feeling in the sense sphere occurring in each door as receiving, investigation and registration.
In the mind door in the same way: the contact called conascent mind-contact is also a condition in the same eight ways for the mind door, and so also for the kinds of resultant feeling in the three planes occurring with rebirth-linking, life-coninuum and death. But the mind contact associated with mind-door adverting is a condition in one way only, as decisive-support condition, for the kinds of feeling that occur in the mind door as registration in the sense-sphere (Buddhaghosa XVII 235).
Next week we will continue to study classifications of citta and cetasika according to feeling, roots, function, doors, objects and bases.
Bibliography
Buddhaghosa, Bhadantacariya, (no date), “The Visuddhi Magga”, translated from the Pali by Bhikkhu Nanamoli, Singapore Buddhist Meditation Centre, Singapore
Mon, Dr. Mehm Tin (1995), “The Essence of Buddha Abhidhamma”, Publisher Mehm Tay Zar Mon, Yangon.
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