Commentary on the Satipaṭṭhāna Sutta (Second Edition) (Newly Revised)
Chapter 3: Contemplation of the Mindfulness of Feeling
What feelings are included in the mindfulness of feeling in the Great Mindfulness Sutra (Mahāsatipaṭṭhāna Sutta)? They include the feelings of the six consciousnesses, that is, the feelings of body and mind. What are the feelings of the six consciousnesses? They are the feeling of the eye consciousness at the eye faculty, the feeling of the ear consciousness at the ear faculty, the feeling of the nose consciousness at the nose faculty, the feeling of the tongue consciousness at the tongue faculty, the feeling of the body consciousness at the body faculty, and there is also the feeling of the mind consciousness; the feeling of the mind consciousness is called the feeling of the mind, purely a feeling of the mind. The feelings of the five consciousnesses, although arising at the five faculties, are in fact also feelings within the mind; the five faculties themselves have no feeling—it is the consciousness-mind that has feeling. The feeling of the mind consciousness, in most cases, also cannot be separated from the five faculties; most of the time it is a feeling produced together with the five consciousnesses. Feelings on the mind and feelings on the body are all feelings of the consciousness-mind; feelings within the mind are called internal feelings, and the mind's feelings toward external forms, sounds, smells, tastes, and touches are called external feelings.
Original text:然。诸比丘。如何比丘于受观受而住耶。诸比丘。比丘若在感乐受。知我在感乐受。在感苦受者。知我在感苦受。在感不苦不乐受者。知我在感不苦不乐受。
Explanation: Then, O bhikkhus, how does a bhikkhu contemplate his feelings in contemplative practice (vipaśyanā-caryā) and abide with the mind resting on feelings? O bhikkhus, if a bhikkhu is experiencing a pleasant feeling, he should know in his mind, "I am experiencing a pleasant feeling"; if he is experiencing a painful feeling, he should know in his mind, "I am experiencing a painful feeling"; if he is experiencing a neither-painful-nor-pleasant feeling, he should know in his mind, "I am experiencing a neither-painful-nor-pleasant feeling."
In this section the World-Honored One teaches the bhikkhus to contemplate the mindfulness of feeling, to cultivate the contemplation of the mindfulness of feeling, observing at every moment the various feelings within one's own mind, concentrating all attention on feelings, and through awareness and contemplative practice of one's own feelings, realizing that feeling is suffering. Feelings are divided into five kinds: painful feeling, pleasant feeling, sorrowful feeling, joyful feeling, and neutral feeling (upekṣā-vedanā); or broadly into three kinds: comfortable and pleasant feelings are pleasant feelings, painful and unpleasant feelings are painful feelings, and feelings that are neither good nor bad, neither painful nor pleasant, are neutral feelings.
In cultivating the contemplation of the mindfulness of feeling, how should one contemplate feelings? One should clearly know all feelings of body and mind; that is, one should know one's own mental state and physical state. Not knowing belongs to the neutral/indeterminate (avyākṛta). When in a neutral state, contemplative practice is impossible; at that time the mind may be indulging in wandering thoughts or in torpor, and then one does not know one's own inner feelings and cannot practice contemplation. Therefore, when cultivating the four foundations of mindfulness, there must always be a "knowing" in the mind in order to practice contemplation and give rise to wisdom. How does wisdom arise? When the objective knowing of the three kinds of feeling reaches a certain degree, and the conditions of time and circumstance are complete, one will directly perceive that feelings are subject to arising and ceasing, impermanent, and without self; the wisdom of non-arising arises, and the view of self (satkāya-dṛṣṭi) is eradicated.
If painful, pleasant, or neither-painful-nor-pleasant feelings arise in the mind or on the body, one should be clearly aware of them at all times. If you know you are experiencing pleasure, then your mind is resting on your pleasant feeling without scattering, without wandering thoughts, and without torpor. When experiencing a painful feeling, you also know you are experiencing a painful feeling, knowing that your mind is now in pain, displeased, unhappy, and vexed; all these feelings must be known in the mind, clearly and without confusion. This is meditation (samādhi), and there is also wisdom.
When experiencing a neither-painful-nor-pleasant feeling, the mind should also know it. The neither-painful-nor-pleasant feeling is not easy to detect or introspect upon, because without any distinctive feeling it does not easily draw attention and is not easily noticed. If the current state of body and mind is neither very good nor very bad, without introspection and with an unrefined mind, it is not easy to detect; it is often forgotten and goes unnoticed. When there is neither pain nor pleasure, one often does not turn the light back upon oneself, as if the physical body were forgotten, while the mind chases after the external body and the external world. At such times one should withdraw the mind and concentrate attention on the feelings of one's own body and mind to observe them.
Ordinarily one should train oneself so that there is always a "knowing" in the mind at every moment; attention should be concentrated, energy focused, neither scattered nor drowsy, maintaining this knowing in the mind. What is the state of a person who has this knowing? Such a person is very deep and composed, single-mindedly focused, with refined and penetrating thinking and strong powers of observation. Without this knowing, a person is not intelligent—muddled and scattered. However, those who have cultivated to the state of no-mind are exceptions, because they are indifferent to everything, no longer concerned, with few feelings; their cultivation has achieved preliminary accomplishment, their minds are not on worldly dharmas, and if they wish to raise the mind to observe, they can do so very deeply and thoroughly.
The Buddha trained his disciples to have meditative concentration and observational ability in their minds at all times; this is the prerequisite for opening wisdom. With concentration and wisdom, one can observe oneself at all times, observe others, and observe all dharmas, knowing the root and essence of dharmas, and then one can handle matters wisely and appropriately. If one does not even know the current condition of one's own physical body or the condition of others, one cannot handle people and affairs well. To handle matters well, energy and attention should be concentrated on the matter at hand, seeing it clearly and distinctly; within this there is concentration and wisdom. Concentration and wisdom are simultaneous and of one essence: without concentration there is no wisdom—without this, there is not that.
What is the neither-painful-nor-pleasant feeling that should be perceived at all times? For example, sitting here now, one has temporarily forgotten the body and does not know of the body's existence; this is a neither-painful-nor-pleasant feeling. If the body is very comfortable, one can perceive it and will become attached to it; if the body is very uncomfortable, one will also know it, and afterward will try to eliminate the pain or avoid having pain.
The neither-painful-nor-pleasant feeling is not like this. When a person comes before you with no relation to yourself, seeing them is as if not seeing them; there is no particular feeling in the mind, neither liking nor disliking—a state of indifference. This is the neither-painful-nor-pleasant feeling. When an event occurs, when an object is before you, and you have no feeling about these—neither liking nor disliking, without any thoughts—all these belong to the neither-painful-nor-pleasant feeling. If the body has no particular sensation, one will not pay attention to it. But when cultivating the contemplation of feeling, one must place attention on one's various feelings, always with knowing, the mind not scattered.
Original text:若在感肉体之乐受者。知我在感肉体之乐受。
Explanation: The Buddha said that when a bhikkhu is experiencing a bodily pleasant feeling, he should clearly know in his mind, "I am experiencing a bodily pleasant feeling."
This pleasant feeling is divided into mental pleasant feeling and bodily pleasant feeling. What is the situation of bodily pleasant feeling? For example, when during sitting meditation the qi channels pass through the body, the body has a pleasant feeling and feels very comfortable; when the qi channels run through the body without obstruction and flow smoothly, and the qi and blood are abundant, the physical body feels very comfortable. If the qi sinks down to the dantian, the whole body feels especially comfortable. Especially when the concentration of the first dhyāna is present, the pleasant contact is strongest: the body feels as if floating like an immortal, tranquil and supple, light and at ease, as if amid clouds and mist; the mind is joyful and the body blissful—human language cannot accurately describe or express it.
Who feels the sensations of the body? It is still the feeling of the body consciousness itself; the physical body has no feeling—it is the feeling of the body consciousness within the physical body, a purely bodily feeling, which in fact is accompanied by the feeling of the mind consciousness; otherwise the body would have no feeling. For another example, if you are suddenly struck, you feel pain. Whose reaction is this reaction of pain? It is the reaction of the body consciousness and the mind consciousness. After the pain, the mind feels distressed and may even give rise to hatred. Whose feeling is this painful feeling? It is the feeling of the mind consciousness, with the mind consciousness's feeling predominant. At the moment of such feeling there are two kinds: one on the body, one on the mind consciousness, and the two are mixed together. If the mind can be more refined, the two can be separated.
Or if some part of the body is cut and feels very painful, this pain itself involves the feelings of the body consciousness and mind consciousness; when it hurts, if you feel bitterness and great discomfort in your mind, that is the solitary consciousness (mano-vijñāna-eka-citta)'s separate feeling. To completely separate the two kinds of feeling requires meditative concentration and a refined mind. When there is a bodily pleasant feeling, one should know one is experiencing bodily pleasure. Both bodily and mental pleasures involve the mental experience of the mind consciousness. Ordinary people do not understand these terms and concepts and simply distinguish body and mind; in fact, the feeling on the body is also of the consciousness-mind, and the feeling of the mind is primarily of the mind consciousness—all are feelings of the consciousness-mind; they have differences and also connections.
Original text:又在感精神之乐受者，知我在感精神之乐受。
Explanation: If one is experiencing a mental pleasant feeling, one should know that one is experiencing a mental pleasant feeling.
Mental pleasant feeling is purely the feeling of the mind consciousness; it may be unrelated to bodily pleasant feeling, or it may be related. When experiencing mental pleasure, the mind must know; if there is no knowing, then one is either scattered or drowsy, not in a state of focused contemplative practice. Everyone may have quite a few mental pleasant feelings, after all—there are many things one likes; whatever one likes is a mental pleasant feeling. If the mind is not greedy, there will be no pleasant feeling—one treats things calmly, not caring too much.
Mental pleasant feelings are mainly liking, satisfaction, craving, and happiness. As long as the mind likes something, that is craving; craving the dharmas of the desire realm, one cannot escape the desire realm; craving the dharmas of the three realms, one cannot escape the three realms. As long as there is craving, the mind attaches and the mind delights, and one is bound by delight-craving and attachment, unable to attain liberation. Liking a thing, one is stuck to that thing and the mind cannot be liberated. If every thought of the mind is about the thing one likes, one will be firmly bound and remain in the cycle of birth and death, unable to attain liberation.
When experiencing bodily pleasant feeling, the mind should know it; when experiencing mental pleasant feeling, the mind should also know it. Thus one is not deluded about any dharma in one's present body and mind. When this knowing continues for a long time, introspection arises, and there is an opportunity for awakening—knowing that the true nature of pleasant feeling is impermanent, suffering, empty, and without self.
Original text:或在感肉体之苦受者。知我在感肉体之苦受。
Explanation: Or when experiencing a bodily painful feeling, the mind should also know clearly and distinctly: "I am experiencing a bodily painful feeling."
When experiencing bodily painful feeling, only through continuous, practical observation and knowing in the present can the awakened mind arise, thereby knowing that all these feelings are arising and ceasing, impermanent, false, and not self. Bodily painful feelings are everywhere in the Sahā world—for example, the alternation of the four seasons and changes in the environment cause the body to experience cold, heat, touch, and pain. For example, going outside on a cold day now, the wind blowing on the body feels bone-piercing; this is a bodily painful feeling. Of bodily and mental feelings, which predominates in this bone-piercing sensation? At this time the bodily sensation predominates, with a slight mental sensation simultaneously; but some people may have no mental painful feeling, not taking the cold as suffering—strong-willed and optimistic, indifferent to the environment.
If the weather is too cold and the bodily painful feeling is severe, some people's mental painful feeling will increase; the bodily sensation is truly too painful, the mind gives rise to afflictions, and the mental painful feeling becomes prominent. When and which feeling predominates is not fixed; the two do not appear completely equally and synchronously. If a person is cultivated, strong-willed, and has aspirations, they will not much care about bodily painful feeling, and their mind will not feel suffering. This varies from person to person, depending on one's endurance and aspirations.
Bodily painful feeling, over time, transforms into mental painful feeling. For example, when ill, at first getting an injection the mind does not feel suffering; but if injections are given every day, the mind becomes vexed; especially if the illness shows no improvement, the mind bears a burden and mental painful feeling increases. So feeling sometimes emphasizes the bodily aspect and sometimes the psychological, that is, mental, aspect. Being suddenly struck, although the body hurts very much, some people's minds are not averse; at that time there is no painful feeling in the mind. But if one is struck repeatedly, the mind cannot bear it; then the body suffers and the mind also suffers, and the mental suffering becomes more obvious. So the feelings of body and mind change, and the emphasis shifts.
When experiencing bodily painful feeling, the mind should know; when experiencing mental painful feeling, the mind should also know. Going out daily in wind and sun, doing heavy physical labor, there will be bodily painful feelings; returning home, the body aches everywhere and nothing feels comfortable; or with rheumatism, the body feels extremely heavy—all these are bodily painful feelings. When painful feelings multiply, the mind becomes very agitated, and mental painful feelings become intense and ever more numerous. When the body suffers and the mind also suffers, that is the most painful. Some people work extremely hard—is fatigue suffering? But they are happy in their hearts. If others strike you, you might even be pleased; so the suffering of the physical body and the suffering of the mind do not necessarily appear simultaneously.
Original text:又在感精神之苦受者。知我在感精神之苦受。
Explanation: Experiencing mental painful feeling means undergoing suffering in the mind, mainly the mind consciousness's painful feeling; the mind should also know, "I am experiencing mental painful feeling."
If the mind is not refined, mental and spiritual painful feelings are also not easy to observe or perceive. In fact, sentient beings have more painful feelings in the mental realm; the more sensitive one is, the more one perceives all kinds of things that are unsatisfactory, not as wished, not to one's liking, and then there will be afflictions such as sorrow, vexation, anguish, endurance, and torment—these are mental painful feelings. If one is foolish and numb or careless, some slight afflictions go unfelt—except for cultivators who have reached the state of no-mind, who care about nothing.
Some animals are very miserable, yet they do not know suffering and have no awakening. Why do they not know suffering? Because of foolishness. Being human is very painful, yet why do many people live a whole life of suffering without knowing suffering? Also because of foolishness. Because sentient beings are foolish, the Buddha comes to the human world to teach them, telling them that the five aggregates (pañca-skandha) are suffering, the eighteen realms are suffering, and the three realms are all suffering, so that sentient beings awaken to suffering and then give rise to the mind of renunciation, diligently studying the Buddha-dharma. If sentient beings were not foolish, there would be no need for the Buddha to come teach us; the Buddha would not need to expound to sentient beings the Four Noble Truths of suffering, origin, cessation, and path. It is because we are foolish and do not understand this principle, do not understand the truth of suffering, that the Buddha comes to teach and transform us.
Now cultivating the four foundations of mindfulness is precisely to make us not foolish—feeling and knowing at every moment, always with a knowing in the mind, always with awareness; when conditions mature, one will know that this feeling is suffering. Knowing suffering, one will then find a way to eliminate suffering; to eliminate suffering one can only study the Buddha-dharma; only by cultivating the principle of the Four Truths can suffering be extinguished. Through studying the Four Noble Truths, we will know that the method of extinguishing suffering is to extinguish the mind; when the mind is extinguished, suffering is extinguished, and liberation is attained. What mind is to be extinguished? The mind of craving and love. Liking this and liking that, liking everything—liking here and there, craving unceasing, one is bound in the desire realm, unable to attain liberation. In fact, craving gains nothing; instead, through craving one creates karmic actions of birth and death, and thus painful feelings and painful retributions are all craved in.
What is the result of craving? The result is always painful feeling. If not craving, the mind has nothing it seeks; without craving there is no burning vexation, the mind is relaxed and at ease, without bondage. Sentient beings then no longer create karmic actions of birth and death, are not bound by the realms of the six sense objects, and the mind can be liberated, no longer bound to the three evil destinies, nor bound in the three realms, unable to escape the cycle of the six destinies. The reason sentient beings are not at ease is that within their minds there are the afflictions of greed, hatred, and delusion, grasping (upādāna) all dharmas and creating all karmic actions of birth and death; then they must undergo the retribution of birth and death, and thus painful feelings come. Therefore, the root of all sentient beings' painful retributions is craving-love.
After understanding the principle that all feeling is suffering, one no longer craves; after not craving, painful feelings diminish. The more one likes and craves, the less pure the mind, the more obstructions, the more everything goes contrary to one's wishes, and the more the mind suffers. When we experience mental painful feelings, the mind should know; every painful feeling should be known, the mind always carrying this knowing, and wisdom can arise. Our feelings toward all dharmas are suffering; even when pleasant, it is still suffering. Understanding this truth of suffering, there is wisdom, and henceforth one no longer pursues feelings, gradually departing from craving-love.
Original text:或在感肉体之不苦不乐受者。知我在感肉体之不苦不乐受。
Explanation: When the contemplative practitioner experiences the bodily neither-painful-nor-pleasant feeling, he should know, "I am experiencing the bodily neither-painful-nor-pleasant feeling."
The third kind of feeling is the neither-painful-nor-pleasant feeling. When the body's present condition is neither painful nor pleasant, the mind should also know it: the present body is neither too light nor too heavy and burdensome, not too tired, not too painful—rather moderate. When neutralized to a very stable state, one almost cannot feel the existence of the physical body; this is called forgetting the body. Forgetting the body means occasionally not knowing the body's existence, the body's feeling being neither painful nor pleasant. During neutral feeling (upekṣā-vedanā), one often cannot feel the existence of the physical body.
Sometimes when the mind is considering another important matter and not attending to the body, the body is in a neither-painful-nor-pleasant feeling. This situation is not common; if one's meditative concentration is fairly good, bodily pleasant feelings will be more numerous. If one's meditative concentration is not good, bodily painful feelings are usually more common, though neither-painful-nor-pleasant feelings sometimes also appear. When asleep without dreams, one cannot feel the body, because the six consciousnesses are absent. When dreaming, one may sometimes still feel the body's fatigue or weariness.
Original text:又在感精神之不苦不乐受者。知我在感精神之不苦不乐受。
Explanation: The neither-painful-nor-pleasant feelings of the body must be known at every moment; the neither-painful-nor-pleasant feelings of the mind, the psychology, and the mind consciousness must also be known at all times. The neither-painful-nor-pleasant feeling is relatively peaceful and stable; with feelings of pain and pleasure, the mind is not tranquil (praśama) and is certainly clamorous. This shows that sentient beings' minds rarely have moments of calm stability; psychologically and mentally it is either pain or pleasure, always clamoring. When playing and enjoying, one seems to feel quite happy; but when happy, the mind is not tranquil or calm. When the music ends and people disperse, that feeling of desolation is suffering. Even at the moment of pleasure it is suffering: the mind does not wish this feeling to disappear, does not wish the happiness to pass, and wants to hold onto it forever—at that time the mind is suffering. Wanting to grasp people, affairs, things, and principles—is this grasping mind not very painful? Whatever is sought is suffering.
Does every pleasant feeling contain suffering? We can look for which pleasant feeling contains no suffering. Suffering has three kinds: the suffering of suffering, the suffering of conditioning, and the suffering of decay. The suffering of decay: although a matter produces a pleasant feeling, it cannot last long; the matter will eventually disappear. While feeling pleasure, the mind worries about losing it—this is the painful feeling within the pleasant feeling; when the matter finally passes, the mind produces a sense of loss—this is also painful feeling. While enjoying pleasure, the pleasant feeling flows and changes; the mind does not wish the pleasant feeling to end, and so the mind is suffering. Moreover, when a pleasant feeling lasts long, one naturally no longer feels it as pleasant; the mind becomes accustomed, and there is no longer any pleasant feeling.
When one is promoted and becomes wealthy, when relatives gather—though pleasant feelings are many, there are simultaneously painful feelings. When the mind is extremely joyful, it is not calm; it is itself a clamor, not tranquil—so pleasant feeling is itself suffering. When relatives gather, the mind is happy, but within the happiness there is also distress: on one hand worrying that the relatives will disperse, on the other hand having to make many preparations for the gathering and do many things—very troublesome. When gathered together, all kinds of matters need handling, and perhaps there are many conflicts—are these painful feelings? All are painful feelings. Making delicious food for festivals and eating happily—but one must also do various preparations and afterward clean up; these are all suffering. In fact, there is no pleasure without suffering: when too happy, one fears this happiness will vanish, and one must pay a price for this happiness—so in this world there is no pure pleasure. The suffering of conditioning: in experiencing every person, affair, thing, and principle there is the suffering of conditioning—there is always arising, abiding, changing, and ceasing, and in the end all will disappear and perish, unable to endure forever; this is the suffering of conditioning. Old age, sickness, and death are themselves suffering, not pleasurable matters—hence called the suffering of suffering.
Finally the Buddha tells us a truth: all feelings are painful feelings. If there were pleasure in feelings, the Buddha would not have us contemplate feeling as suffering and tell us not to pursue feelings; if feelings were all pleasant, we would be unwilling to eliminate feelings and would still crave them. Because all feeling is suffering—pleasant feeling is suffering, pain itself is suffering, and within neither-pain-nor-pleasure there is still suffering—therefore all feelings are suffering.
If one had just descended from the heavens and come among humans, could one feel even the most pleasurable things in the human world as pleasant? Of course not. The contrast between the human world and the heavens is too great; the mind would produce a severe sense of loss. While others are immersed in various pleasant feelings, one would feel extremely distressed and depressed. Because we have lived in the heavens and know what kind of state the heavens are—how sublime and wonderful—looking again at the human world, there is no comparison; the gap between the two is simply too great—could the mind feel happy? What kind of living state is a celestial maiden in the heavens? If she came here and married a farming peasant, what would she feel?
If a person has encountered beautiful things and then encounters ugly and lowly ones, the mind certainly cannot accept it. But what if we suddenly went from the human world to the heavens? Rising from low to high—that is true happiness. So all pleasant feelings are relative and differentiated: the more foolish one is, the easier to be satisfied and the more able to feel pleasure; the more one has seen of the world, the less easily contented and the less able to feel pleasure. Because he has experienced many things, with broad horizons and wide knowledge, he has the wisdom to distinguish good from bad, will not be easily satisfied, and will not easily feel happy.
The Buddha requires his disciples to know the neither-painful-nor-pleasant feeling as well: when the body is experiencing a neither-painful-nor-pleasant feeling, the mind should be clear. For example, during sitting meditation, the body was just now very heavy; now the qi channels have opened somewhat and the body feels a bit more comfortable—the feeling shifts little by little from painful feeling to neither-painful-nor-pleasant feeling, and finally a pleasant feeling arises in the body. Within this there is a neither-painful-nor-pleasant feeling; with a somewhat refined mind, one should be able to perceive it. Sometimes when we concentrate on thinking about something, we forget the body; the body was originally in painful feeling, but having forgotten it, it is no longer painful feeling but neither-painful-nor-pleasant feeling; otherwise one would continue perceiving painful or pleasant feeling.
The neither-painful-nor-pleasant feelings of the mind and psychology must also be known. If the mind is numb, one cannot feel them: clearly a matter is distressing and painful, yet a foolish person does not know the pain, the mind numb. A well-cultivated person, a person of no-mind, is also numb in mind—no painful feeling toward adversity and suffering, no pleasant feeling toward favorable circumstances, not feeling anything in particular, always corresponding to the neither-painful-nor-pleasant feeling. Concentration and wisdom are connected: the more wisdom, the more one can observe that all feelings are suffering, and one will no longer crave feelings. If one can further cultivate some wisdom, one can, amid all painful feelings, feel the neither-painful-nor-pleasant feeling.
So sentient beings' feelings all differ, depending on each person's qualities and degree of wisdom, degree of awakening, degree of dharma study, and degree of cleverness. Why does each person have a different feeling? Because the mind's cognition differs and the realm of wisdom differs. When the same event occurs, some people have one kind of feeling and others another. For example, in a village there is a great tree over a thousand years old, very tall; if a hundred people come to view this tree, there will be a hundred concepts and views. The tree is the same, but human minds differ, so feelings differ and views differ. Each person's mind has differences, so the state each thing presents in the mind differs, and then cognition differs; cognition differing, feelings differ; feelings differing, bodily, verbal, and mental actions differ; bodily, verbal, and mental actions differing, the karmic actions and retributions created differ. In perceiving and comprehending a matter, sages perceive it and ordinary people also perceive it, but cognition and feeling both differ—caused by different minds and different realms of wisdom.
The Buddha teaches us methods of cultivating concentration and wisdom. When we understand the concepts and content of each dharma and engage in contemplative practice, with attention entirely on observing our own feelings, without a single scattered or confused thought, concentration immediately appears. With concentration, further contemplative practice becomes ever deeper and finer—thus concentration and wisdom exist simultaneously, the equal cultivation of Samādhi and Prajñā.
With concentration there is wisdom; without attaining meditative concentration, contemplative practice is very difficult; with insufficient contemplative wisdom, contemplative practice is also very difficult. If one truly wants to practice contemplation well, at a time without disturbance, practicing contemplation for one or two hours with attention entirely on the content of contemplation, one will forget oneself, the mind full of the dharma of contemplation; at that time the state of body and state of mind are both very relaxed and joyful. The qi channels of the physical body open through, the body is relaxed, the mental feelings comfortable, and even when external realms come, one is indifferent—this is concentration and wisdom. So cultivating the Path is truly good; without cultivating the Path, the mind is very agitated.
Whichever method, once mastered and the principle understood, cultivation is not so difficult; ease or difficulty lies in the person. When unfamiliar with the method of contemplative practice, one feels there is no point of entry; all things have some difficulty at the beginning stage. After becoming familiar, one can understand the contemplative content, then resolve oneself, find a suitable time and method, diligently practice contemplation, and can enter the Path. Cultivation gradually turns from unfamiliar to familiar; once familiar, one can practice contemplation in walking, standing, sitting, and lying down, observing and contemplating anytime and anywhere; wisdom and meditative concentration both grow simultaneously, and the body's sensations also improve—this is cultivation.
Original text:如是。或于内受观受而住。于外受观受而住。又于内外受观受而住。
Explanation: Having practiced contemplation in this way, the bhikkhus either abide with the mind resting on internal feelings to contemplate feeling, or abide with the mind resting on external feelings to contemplate feeling, and then abide with the mind resting simultaneously on internal and external feelings to contemplate feeling.
This involves two concepts: internal feeling and external feeling. Feelings are also divided into internal and external: feelings toward the internal body are internal feelings, and feelings toward the external body are external feelings. The internal body refers to the five-aggregate body within the physical body; the external body refers to the realms of the six sense objects such as mountains, rivers, and the great earth. Internal feeling is, first, feelings regarding one's own body, and second, feelings produced when the mind recollects and thinks—flavors of sweetness, sourness, bitterness, and spiciness arising, feelings arising without contacting external dharmas. For example, feeling the body's pain is an internal feeling; the mind recalling some matter and feeling depressed, sorrowful, and vexed is an internal feeling; feeling very comfortable in the body during sitting meditation is an internal feeling; feeling comfortable when the qi channels reach the stomach and intestines is an internal feeling; feeling joyful and at ease during sitting meditation is an internal feeling. All feelings revolving around one's own body-mind world are internal feelings.
Feelings produced when the mind contacts external forms, sounds, smells, tastes, and touches belong to external feelings. For example, when the eyes are suddenly exposed to sunlight, feeling it dazzling is an external feeling; a stone striking the body, feeling pain and heaviness is an external feeling; the ears suddenly hearing a sharp external sound, feeling it grating is an external feeling, and simultaneously feeling distressed in the mind is also an external feeling. When a fragrance drifts over and the mind feels it fragrant, that is an external feeling; when a stench drifts over and one feels it foul, that is an external feeling.
In fact, where is the "external"? All is internal, merely nominally called external. All dharmas contacted and discerned by one's own six consciousnesses are within the five aggregates and eighteen realms, all one's own inner subjectively imagined realms; strictly speaking, they all belong to the internal, and feelings toward the external six sense objects are provisionally called external. The Hīnayāna distinguishes internal and external; the Mahāyāna dharma does not speak of internal and external. Hīnayāna śrāvakas, not knowing that all is dharma born of the tathāgatagarbha, therefore distinguished an internal and external realm and internal and external feelings; in fact, all are dharmas within one's own five aggregates and eighteen realms, all dharmas within the mind of the six consciousnesses. When external forms, sounds, smells, tastes, touches, and dharmas appear, there are external contacts and external feelings. What is the external contact? Sunlight shining on the physical body, wind blowing on the physical body—sunlight and wind, these dharmas, seem to belong to the external; contacting the body and producing feelings of body and mind, they seem to be external feelings. But in fact there is no external realm; all are realms within the mind, and therefore all are internal feelings.
Then one further abides contemplating feelings simultaneously in internal and external feelings. Now, having cultivated to the point of a greater mental capacity and strengthened meditative power, one can simultaneously know internal and external feelings. For example, knowing that the body is now very harmonious and comfortable, and also feeling the external sunlight shining, making the body warmly glowing—both feelings are known simultaneously in the mind. At this time the meditative power is higher and the power of wisdom (prajñā-bala) also stronger. The more things known and the more clearly, the stronger the wisdom, and the concentration is certainly higher. When concentration and wisdom are complete, all feelings are clearly known in the mind: when sunlight shines on the body, the bodily sensation is known in the mind; feelings within the body are known; sensations of smells are known; feelings of hearing sounds are known—all feelings are known in the mind. Only when meditative power is extremely strong can all these dharmas be known.
When wisdom is strong, all dharmas are discerned very clearly. What is wisdom? Knowing is wisdom; not knowing is no wisdom. If questioned and one does not know, then there is no wisdom. Knowing everything without exception is wisdom—especially correct knowing, not mistaken knowing: that is great wisdom. Without wisdom, one knows nothing of any matter—asked three questions, three "don't knows"; even small matters of daily life, asked about, three "don't knows"—such a person has no wisdom, cannot see themselves clearly, cannot see other people, affairs, and things clearly, and cannot observe. Therefore, in contemplative practice, always maintaining a knowing is the dual cultivation of concentration and wisdom, and one will realize all dharmas.
Original text:或于受观生法而住。于受观灭法而住。又于受观生灭法而住。
Explanation: The bhikkhu either abides contemplating the dharmas newly arising in feelings, or abides contemplating the dharmas ceasing in feelings, or abides contemplating both the arising and ceasing dharmas in feelings.
What dharma is called an arising dharma, what dharma is called a ceasing dharma, what dharma arises, what dharma ceases—the mind should be clear in contemplative practice: which feeling has arisen, why it arose, what changes occurred in the feelings—all should be known in the mind. For example, the mind is now in a neither-painful-nor-pleasant feeling when suddenly a feeling emerges, from nothing to something—a newly arisen feeling. In fact, when a feeling arises, it is a transformation: from the original neither-painful-nor-pleasant feeling, it turns into a painful or pleasant feeling, or into another painful feeling; when this feeling arises, that feeling is gone.
Another example: when one is in great suffering and suddenly receives a million, the mind is no longer pained and transforms into happiness; the painful feeling ceases, the pleasant feeling arises—the feeling has transformed. This transformation is sometimes complete, sometimes incomplete. If the painful feeling is five parts and transforms into one part of pleasant feeling, the painful feeling remains four parts; transforming two parts into pleasant feeling, the painful feeling remains three parts; when completely pleasant, there is no pain. In fact, even when it is entirely pleasant feeling, there is still suffering—only the painful feeling is very subtle and not easy to observe.
When this feeling arises and that feeling ceases, the mind should know it; within this knowing there is concentration and wisdom. Without concentration, the mind scattered, one cannot know which dharma has arisen and which dharma has ceased. In the physical body, internal and external feelings are also simultaneously known—at this time the concentration and wisdom are extremely strong, perhaps able to "watch six directions with the eyes and listen to eight directions with the ears." A person with strong concentration and wisdom, while doing one thing, can know all other matters, analyze them clearly, and arrange them well. Matters on this side and that side can all be thought of and considered simultaneously—this shows the person's energy is extremely abundant, doing very many things with very high efficiency. Thus the Buddhist cultivation finds application and benefit in worldly affairs.
Original text:尚又智识所成。及忆念所成。皆会有受之思念现前。彼当无所依而住。且不执着世间任何物。诸比丘。比丘如是。于受观受而住。
Explanation: What is formed by the cognition of wisdom, and what is formed by recollection and mindfulness—thoughts concerning feelings will all appear in the mind. You should abide without relying on anything, and also not cling to anything in the world. O bhikkhus, the bhikkhu should, in just this way, abide contemplating feeling in feeling.
When contemplating the mindfulness of feeling, the mind rests on feelings; in the end contemplation is just like this—every thought is experiencing feeling, and thus one abides on feeling. This feeling-mind belongs to the six consciousnesses; the consciousness-mind experiences various feelings and contemplates their false and impermanent nature, possessing a certain wisdom; the consciousness-mind with wisdom is called the "wisdom-consciousness." If one does not yet know feelings, nor knows their falsity, there is still consciousness, but not wisdom-consciousness. After contemplative practice succeeds, all the various feelings in every thought should be known in the mind; this consciousness is endowed with wisdom—it is wisdom-consciousness.
Within wisdom-consciousness there is entirely feeling; in the end, these various feelings must also be relinquished. Contemplating feeling is also impermanent—do not abide on the contemplation of feeling. Reaching the shore, one must abandon the raft; abiding on contemplation, the mind is not empty. Having contemplated out wisdom, do not further abide in contemplation; all feelings must also be emptied, because one has realized that feeling itself is empty, impermanent, suffering, and not-self. Deeply recognizing this in the mind, one can eradicate the view of self. The mind should no longer crave feelings, not cling to sensations, but extinguish feeling. What state of mind is extinguishing feeling? Like the arhats: not taking feelings as real, not grasping various feelings, not pursuing various feelings, and thus no longer craving. Extinguishing the mind's feelings is also a link in extinguishing the cycle of birth and death; in the twelve links of dependent origination there is a birth-and-death chain of feeling, and in cultivating the dharma of causes and conditions, feeling must also be emptied.
At the end of contemplating the mindfulness of feeling, one should relinquish all feelings in the mind, and then the mind has nothing to rely on—abiding without reliance, the mind relying on no dharma, depending on nothing, because all is false and nothing can be relied upon. A mind with dependence is also birth and death, not free of the cycle. After relinquishing all feelings, the mind is empty and vacant, not attached to a single dharma; recognizing that the five aggregates are entirely false, one can eradicate the view of self. Not only should the mind not rely on feelings, it should not rely on or cling to any dharma or thing in the world; the mind's thoughts become empty. At this point, this is the realm of the third and fourth fruits of the śrāvaka—this is the entire process of contemplating feeling.
The Buddha expounded these contemplative practices very quickly, but when the disciples received the teaching and cultivated to accomplishment, the time required varied: some cultivated for several years, some for several months, some for several days, some for several hours, completing these contents and attaining a Hīnayāna śrāvaka fruit—the contemplation of the four foundations of mindfulness was thus completed. Whether Mahāyāna or Hīnayāna practitioners, each person has one indriya; with different faculties, the speed of cultivating the Path differs. Cultivation also depends on each person's merit: without merit, there is no block of time for continuous contemplative practice; those with merit can set aside time for continuous contemplative cultivation and can quickly succeed. Cultivation has a certain relationship with merit, a great relationship with meditative power, and an even greater relationship with the power of wisdom.
Some people's minds are originally pure, never wandering in thought; sitting down to practice contemplation, they succeed in one attempt. Some people's minds are too heavily attached to external objects; their thoughts cannot be effectively gathered—however they cultivate, it is a pile of wandering thoughts, and cultivation is very difficult. Those with insufficient wisdom, however they apply effort, cannot carry out contemplative practice; unable even to clarify certain terms and concepts, contemplation is even more difficult. Sentient beings' faculties vary in a thousand ways; the speed of cultivation differs from person to person—look at how complete each person's conditions for cultivation are: the less complete the conditions, the slower the cultivation; the more complete, the faster. Some people always say they have no time to cultivate, busy and tired—what is the reason? It is that their merit is incomplete.
Why is merit incomplete? In past lives, either greed, or stinginess and unwillingness to practice generosity (dāna), or heavy afflictions and afflictive obstruction (kleśāvaraṇa)—merit cannot accumulate, and there are many places where merit is consumed. When afflictions arise and flare up, merit is certainly damaged. Everyone must examine their own mental conduct, examine their conditions of the six pāramitās, quickly make their merit complete, look more for their own causes, find their own deficiencies, and then find ways to remedy them—one must change oneself. Merely emphasizing external causes and not seeking one's own causes helps nothing and harms cultivation; one should recognize how these causes came about.
Why is it so? In fact, it is all one's own cause. Who made you so busy, rushing about for a living? Why do those devas not rush about for a living? Why do those bodhisattvas in the lands of the ten-direction Buddhas not worry about livelihood? Why do others have leisure time to cultivate? Find the cause and think of ways to remedy it; one can no longer be as before—then cultivate more merit and more wisdom, reduce greed, hatred, and delusion, reduce various afflictive habits, let yourself lose less merit and accumulate more merit. With more merit, cultivation is faster.
