Saṃyukta Āgama (289), Part Four

(4) Original text: 多闻圣弟子于诸缘起。善思惟观察。所谓乐触缘生乐受。乐受觉时。如实知乐受觉。彼乐触灭。乐触因缘生受。亦灭止。清凉息没。如乐受。苦触喜触。忧触舍触因缘生舍受。舍受觉时。如实知舍受觉。彼舍触灭。彼舍触因缘生舍受。亦灭止。清凉息没。彼如是思惟。此受触生触乐触缚。彼彼触乐故。彼彼受乐。彼彼触乐灭。彼彼受乐亦灭止。清凉息没。

Explanation: The Buddha said that a well-learned noble disciple should skillfully contemplate and observe all dependent arising. When the conditions of the mind's dependent dharmas—such as the coming together of agreeable contact—give rise to pleasant feeling, at the moment one feels pleasant feeling, one should know the feeling of pleasure as it truly is; when the agreeable contact ceases, the feeling born from the conditions of that agreeable contact also ceases and stops, and the mind becomes cool, tranquil, and extinguished. Just as with pleasant feeling, when painful contact arises, one should know the painful feeling as it truly is; and even when the conditions of joyful contact, sorrowful contact, and neutral contact give rise to the feeling of joy, the feeling of sorrow, and the feeling of neutrality, one should know the pleasant feeling, the sorrowful feeling, and the neutral feeling as they truly are. When the conditions of joyful contact, sorrowful contact, and neutral contact cease, those contacts also cease, and the mind becomes cool and tranquil.

A well-learned noble disciple should contemplate thus: because these feeling-contacts can give rise to the pleasant feeling of contact and the bondage of contact, when the pleasant feeling of each contact arises, each pleasant feeling arises; when each pleasant contact has ceased, each pleasant feeling also ceases, and the mind becomes cool and tranquil.

A well-learned noble disciple is able to skillfully contemplate and observe all dependent arising. All dharmas in the world arise from causes and conditions; there is not a single dharma that does not arise from causes and conditions. With causes and conditions, worldly dharmas assemble and arise; without causes and conditions, dharmas do not manifest. When the conditions differ, the dharmas that arise differ, sentient beings' physical bodies differ, and their living environments differ as well. Where do the conditions come from? From the seeds formed by bodily, verbal, and mental actions. A well-learned noble disciple is able to skillfully contemplate and observe all dependent arising, whereas ordinary worldlings do not contemplate and observe—they consider everything to be normal and take it for granted. When noble disciples observe dependent arising, they deeply investigate the source and causes of birth, aging, sickness, and death, tracing them all the way back to that initial point of dependent arising.

Taking pleasant feeling as an example of dharmas born from causes and conditions: painful contact, joyful contact, sorrowful contact, and neutral contact are all feelings produced through the arising of conditions. Pain, pleasure, sorrow, joy, and neutrality—these feelings arise only because there is contact: painful contact, pleasant contact, joyful contact, sorrowful contact, and neutral contact. Without these conditions of contact, these mental feelings would not arise. Therefore the contacts of pain, pleasure, sorrow, joy, and neutrality are all illusory, and the feelings are also illusory, arising and ceasing, changing and impermanent. Behind every arising of conditions there is a reason and a mystery. 

What is neutral feeling? It is feeling neither pain nor pleasure, feeling neither comfort nor suffering, as if one has forgotten oneself, with no other particular feelings—this is called neutral feeling. When does neutral feeling arise? It occurs rather often during sitting meditation. Occasionally one seems to forget oneself and forget everything around one, producing neither pleasant feeling nor painful feeling. At that time it is neutral feeling. When the mind has concentration, one can clearly feel: "I am now experiencing painful feeling; I now have pleasant feeling; I now have joyful feeling; I now have a feeling of sorrow; I truly know these feelings now; I am aware of them as they truly are." If those contacts of pain, pleasure, sorrow, joy, and neutrality cease, the feelings of pain, pleasure, sorrow, joy, and neutrality will also disappear and pass away. After they cease, everything becomes tranquil and settles down, and the mind becomes cool and serene.