Why Vedana and What is Vedana?

Why Vedana and What is Vedana? {[1][2][3]}
By S. N. Goenka
When I started observing
sensations, initially there were moments of doubt, "How is this going to help
me?" {So do I.}But soon I realized that by observing sensations,
I am going to the root of the defilements.
I was actually walking towards the goal of full liberation.
He taught me the way to know the truth at
the experiential level. If anybody had tried to convince me about the teaching
of the Buddha by intellectual discussion, logic or argument, I would not have
been convinced as I was fully satisfied with my own beliefs. What convinced me
and gave me here-and-now results was the experience of the truth through bodily
sensations{身体感觉，根据实际所指，课程中常常使用的sensations翻译成“感觉”（心理学术语）会比“感受”好，后者容易跟心受（乐受、苦受、不苦不乐受）混淆。}.
And what makes him {the Buddha} a peerless scientist is the discovery
that tanha (trsna, craving) arises in response to vedana.
Tanha is craving. Craving for continuing
or acquiring that which is pleasant and craving to get rid of or repelling that
which is unpleasant. Therefore tanha actually means both craving and aversion.
The discovery of the Buddha, that the real cause of tanha lies in vedana, is the
unparalleled gift of the Buddha to humanity. With this one discovery he gave us
the key to open the door of liberation within ourselves.
The Buddha discovered and disclosed that vedana
paccaya tanha, which means that defilements{tanha 和嗔等} arise at the level of vedana and in
response to vedana. {这个反应过程中，贪嗔（负面的情绪和由此产生的行为）是结果，原因的一部分是感受，感受的一部分原因是外界刺激。} It is logical that if tanha arises in response to vedana,
any endeavour to reach the root of tanha and to eradicate ([ ] 去除)
tanha must include the
understanding of vedana, the experience of it and the knowledge of how it causes
craving and aversion, and the wisdom to know how it can be used for the
eradication of tanha.
……{巴利文引文}
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, is fully liberated.
This is why the Buddha practised and taught the meditation of awareness of mind
and matter (nama and rupa) {名色}. Rupa includes kaya (body) and vedana is felt on
kaya. Nama includes citta (consciousness) and the dhammas
(mental concomitants{ [ ] 附随物} ) arising on it. Vedana is also a cetasika {心所} (mental
concomitant). The Buddha says that the experience of all mental concomitants
includes and is inseparable from vedana. { 试译：所有的心理体验不可分割地包含着感受。}
Hence according to my understanding of
the teaching of the Buddha, not only do kayanupassana {身念住} and
vedananupassana {受念住}involve the awareness of vedana but vedana also
forms an integral part of dhamma nupassana and
citta nupassana. A meditator whether practising kaya nupassana or
vedana nupassana or citta nupassana or dhamma nupassana, continues to be aware of
vedana. He realizes the phenomenon of arising
(samudayadhammanupassi) and the phenomenon of passing away
(vayadhammanupassi) by maintaining awareness of vedana with the
understanding of its impermanent nature. {“无常”的认识是从觉知感觉的过程中体验得来的。}
Thus he does not allow tanha to arise
in response to vedana: He responds neither with tanha of craving towards a
pleasant sensation nor with tanha of aversion towards an unpleasant sensation. A
meditator maintains upekkha (equanimity) based on understanding of anicca
(impermanence).
My journey within clearly showed me that a behaviour pattern is formed in the
darkness of ignorance where one keeps reacting with craving and aversion,
knowingly or unknowingly, towards bodily sensations. Thus, one becomes a slave
of one‘s behaviour pattern and keeps reacting to sensations at the deepest
level. The anusaya kilesa {[4]} are sleeping volcanos, the latent {潜伏的}
behaviour patterns, of blind reaction to sensations. The Buddha‘s discovery
helps a meditator to come out of this blind behaviour pattern. Among the many
meditation techniques of India and other parts of the world that I have come
across or have heard about, there is none that goes to the root cause of the
defilements of craving and aversion and eradicates them.
……{巴利文引文}
Eradicate the latent tendency of craving using pleasant sensations (by
equanimous observation of the pleasant sensations understanding their changing
nature), eradicate latent tendency {趋向，倾向} of aversion using unpleasant sensations and
eradicate the latent tendency of ignorance using neutral sensations.
I realized this to be a unique contribution of the Buddha to humanity. The
question that arises now is what do we call vedana? It is clear from the words
of the Buddha that vedana is one of the four aggregates of mind (sanna {想（蕴）}, sankhara {行（蕴）}
and Vinnana {识（蕴）} being the other three) and that it plays a vital role in liberation
from misery. The Buddha gave importance to the vedana that one feels on the
body. The vedana that one feels on the body is experienced by the vedana khandha {受蕴}
(feeling aggregate) of nama, rather, it is the vedana khandha of
nama. Rupa (matter) in itself cannot experience sensations arising on it. For
the meditation of liberation from misery, bodily sensations are important. This
does not mean that mental feeling (somanassa and domanassa) is to be ignored; it
continues simultaneously.
This tradition gives all
importance to the sensations that one feels on the body.
My first Vipassana course showed me that mere
intellectual knowledge of the impermanent nature of mind and matter phenomenon
can purify only the intellect to some extent.
I benefited so much from this technique of meditation that I started reading the
words of the Buddha in accordance with my teacher‘s advice.
Reading the words of the Buddha (Tipitaka) gave me so much joy! How
wrong my earlier information turned out to be! It showed how the Buddha‘s
emphasis was on actual experience of the truth. How could a teaching so firmly
grounded in reality lead to delusions? The words bhavito bahulikato-know with your own
experience and thus gain and multiply knowledge occurs many times in Tipitaka.
The Buddha said again and again, "jana, passa"-know thyself, with your own
experience. The actual experience of the truth, as it is, ensures that there are
no illusions or delusions, no imagination or any blind beliefs on this path. The
words of the Buddha also confirmed my experience that the physical, bodily
sensations are of utmost importance to the art of liberation from all suffering.
……（{巴利文引文}）
"What now, O monks, is pain? If there is, O monks, any kind of bodily pain, any
kind of bodily unpleasantness or any kind of painful or unpleasant feeling as a
result of bodily contact-this, O monks, is called pain."
And while describing domanassa it is said, "……{巴利文引文}"
"What now, O monks, is grief? If there is, O monks, any kind of mental pain, any
kind of mental unpleasantness or any kind of painful or unpleasant feeling as a
result of mental contact-this, O monks, is called grief."
This again makes it clear that when the Buddha describes dukkha {苦} vedana, he is
talking about bodily sensations.
The Buddha says in the Satipatthana Sutta: Atapi sampajano satima.
Atapi and satima are simple to understand but I had to search for the meaning of
sampajano. I found that it was clearly defined: Sampajanna is
continuous clear comprehension and thorough understanding of the impermanent
nature of the physical and mental structure (particularly vedana). Vedana is
felt on the body but it is part of the mind and its observation means the
observation of the mind and matter phenomenon.
……{巴利文引文}
And how, O monks, does a monk understand thoroughly? Here, monks, a monk knows
sensations arising in him, knows their persisting, and knows their passing away;
he knows each initial application of the mind on an object arising in him, knows
its persisting and knows its passing away; he knows perceptions arising in him,
knows their persisting, and knows their passing away. This, meditators, is how a
meditator understands thoroughly. A monk should abide mindful and composed {镇静的;沉着的}.
This is our instruction to you.
The words of the Buddha also clarify that vedana indicates sensations on the
body:
……{巴利文引文}
Through the sky blow many different winds, from east and west, from north and
south, dust-laden and dustless, cold as well as hot, fierce gales and gentle
breezes-many winds blow. In the same way, in this body, sensations arise,
pleasant, unpleasant, and neutral. When a bhikkhu, {比丘} practising ardently{热心地，热烈地}, does not
neglect his faculty of thorough understanding, then such a wise person fully
comprehends all sensations. And having fully comprehended them, within this very
life he becomes freed from all impurities. At his life‘s end, such a person,
being established in Dhamma and understanding sensations perfectly, attains the
indescribable stage.
Similarly emphasising the fact that vedana manifests in the body, he said-
……{巴利文引文}
Suppose, meditators, there is a public guest-house. People from the east, west,
north, and south come and dwell there. People who are Kshatriyas, Brahmins,
Vaishya and Shudras come and dwell there. In the same way, meditators, various
sensations arise in this body, pleasant sensations, unpleasant sensations and
neutral sensations arise. Pleasant sensations with attachment, unpleasant
sensations with attachment, and neutral sensations with attachment arise.
Likewise arise pleasant, unpleasant, and neutral sensations without attachment.
I needed no further proof that the Buddha was referring to the physical, bodily
sensations when he described vedana! Not only did these exhortations of the
Buddha clear all my doubts, they also made me feel as if the Buddha himself was
instructing me to give importance to the bodily sensations.
My revered teacher used to chant Tikapatthana regularly. I found it
very inspiring. The study of Tikapatthana reveals the clear and explicit
guidance from the Buddha that bodily sensations (kayikam sukham and kayikam
dukkham) are the nearest strongly dependent relations to the attainment of
nibbana.
……{Pali quotation}
Pleasant bodily sensation is the cause for the arising of pleasant sensation of
the body, unpleasant sensation of the body, and attainment of fruition (nibbana)
in relation to the strong dependent condition. Unpleasant bodily sensation is
the cause for the arising of pleasant sensation of the body, unpleasant
sensation of the body, and attainment of fruition (nibbana) in relation to the
strong dependent condition.  {?}
And,
……{巴利文引文}
Dependent on pleasant bodily sensations... Vipassana arises... Path arises...
Knowledge arises... attainment of (nibbana) arises.
Some of my friends insisted that vedana is a part of nama and hence it has no
relation to the bodily sensations. Differences of opinion may exist. But for me
the entire Tipitaka bears testimony to the fact that the bodily sensations are
as much a part of vedana as mental feelings; rather, bodily sensations are much
more important in the Buddha‘s teaching. The Patthana gave an added
incontrovertible proof that bodily sensations are of utmost importance on the
path of liberation. I have immensely benefited from this and I continue to teach
Vipassana as I learnt it from my revered teacher, giving importance to bodily
sensations.
Somanassa and domanassaare used for pleasant mental feelings and unpleasant
mental feelings respectively. Sukha sukha and Dukkha dukkha are used in the
broader sense of happiness and misery but he also used them in the specific
sense of bodily pleasant and unpleasant feelings.
……{巴利文引文}
There are these three types of bodily sensations. What are the three? Pleasant
sensations, unpleasant sensations and sensations that are neutral (neither
pleasant nor unpleasant).
The Buddha always enumerated three types of vedana in the manner mentioned
above. He included somanassindriyam and domanassindriyam only when he enumerated
five types of vedana. This indicates the primacy of bodily sensations over
mental feelings in the Buddha‘s teaching.
……{巴利文引文}
The Buddha has qualified vedana by sukha vedana and dukkha vedana when he talks
about the satipatthanas but never somanassa vedana or domanassa vedana in the
context of sampajanna or satipatthanas. In the entire Tipitaka there are only
about a dozen places where vedana occurs together with somanassa but there are
hundreds of places where sukha or dukkha vedana is used, particularly in the
context of meditation of satipatthana. Thus, it is clear that vedana as a part
of the nama that is firmly rooted in kaya is what the Buddha wanted us to focus
on when he talked about meditation to eradicate suffering.
This is also the reason why brahmas from arupabrahmaloka cannot
practise Vipassana and why the Buddha could not give Dhamma to his past teachers
of arupa jhanas (seventh and eighth jhanas/dhyanas). In the fifth to eighth
jhanas,jhanas the mind is set free from the body and thus there is no experience
of vedana. Therefore, these brahmas lack rupa and cannot experience
body-sensations. Hence, the practice of the awareness of vedana is not possible
for them and they cannot walk on the path of liberation.
It is noteworthy that in practising samadhi, somanassa and domanassa disappear
in the third jhana but sukha and dukkha vedana disappear only in the fourth
jhana. Adukkhamasukha vedanaadukkhamasukha vedana remains even in the fourth
jhana. From this, one may reasonably conclude that bodily sensations give us a
stronger and more continuous hold on reality, and thus, on the root cause of
tanha. One can clearly comprehend sensations and they offer a tangible tool to
attain one‘s own salvation.
The clear, practical and result-oriented teaching of the Buddha inspires so much trust and
confidence in me. It leaves no scope for any imagination or blind faith.
Every now and then, someone comes and argues with me as to why I give so much
importance to bodily sensations. Very humbly I request him or her to come and
give a trial to Vipassana meditation, to experience and examine whether it is in
accordance with the Buddha‘s teaching.
{1、这是最有力的证据、论证。2、关键是效果，是不是佛说倒不是第一位的。}
Let our philosophical beliefs not become an obstacle for us.
Let us make use of the Buddha‘s discovery
that vedana is the tool that will liberate us from our misery.
————————————————————————————————————
[1] 本文根据致光法师《定慧之路》一文整理、编辑；加黑、花括号内文字、尾注及小结为本人所加；题目为本人自加。原文见：http://www.vri.dhamma.org/newsletters/nl0201.html
[2]vedana. Sensation. One of the four mental aggregates or processes,. Described by the Buddha as having both mental and physical aspects; therefore vedana offers a means to examine the totality of mind and body.
In the Chain of Conditioned Arising {十二因缘}, the Buddha explained that tanha, the cause of suffering, originates as a reaction to vedana . By learning to observe vedana objectively, one can avoid any new reactions of craving or aversion, and can experience directly within oneself the reality of impermanence (anicca). This experience is essential for the development of detachment, leading to liberation of the mind.
术语解释来自：http://www.vri.dhamma.org/general/glossary.html
[3]《佛学大词典》【受】条：
梵语vedana^，巴利语同。又译为痛、觉。可分为二：
(一)心所之名，为五蕴之一。俱舍宗以受为一切心遍起的心所之一，乃十大地法之一；唯识宗则认为是五遍行之一。‘受’系根（感官）、境（对象）、识（认识之主体）三者和合之触（即接触感觉）而生。换言之，受，即领纳之意，亦即领纳违、顺、俱非等之触，及外界之对象，以此而感受苦、乐等感觉之精神作用。故‘受’为外界影响于生理、情绪、思想等，所产生之痛痒、苦乐、忧喜、好恶等感受，由此有利（顺）、不利（违）、无利害关系（俱非）等境界，产生相应之苦、乐等主观感受，而引起远离违境、追求顺境等一连串爱欲活动。
对受之解释，诸论有异，如：(1)据俱舍论卷一载，领纳所随之触，称为受。(2)据顺正理论卷二载，领纳所缘之境，称为执取受；领纳所随之触，称为自性受。(3)据阿毗达磨藏显宗论卷二载，就领纳所缘而论受之义，谓一切之心、心所皆称为受，特别是指领纳随触。(4)据五事毗婆沙论卷下等载，领纳所缘之境，称为受。(5)据成唯识论卷三、成唯识论述记卷三末等载，受不能缘俱生之触，故领纳顺、违等境界之相，为其本义；此说有驳斥前列四说之意。
关于受之分类，有诸种说法。据杂阿含经卷十七记载，受有：一受、二受、三受、四受、五受、六受、十八受、三十六受、百八受、无量受等。
(1)一受，受之自相虽有苦、乐、舍等三种，然苦受属于苦苦，乐受属于坏苦，舍受属于行苦；一切皆苦，故称一受。
(2)二受，心受、身受合称二受。眼识乃至身识等前五识之感受属肉体之受，故称身受。第六意识之感受属精神之受，故称心受。大毗婆沙论卷一一五列有诸家对心受、身受之解释，如：
1.无分别为身受，有分别为心受。
2.缘自相之境为身受，缘自相、共相之境为心受。
3.缘现在之境为身受，缘三世之境、无为之境为心受。
4.缘实有之境为身受，缘实有与假有之境为心受。
5.于境一往取为身受，于境数数取为心受。
6.于境暂缘即了为身受，于境推寻乃了为心受。
7.依色而缘色为身受，依非色而缘色、非色为心受。
8.世友论师谓一切之受皆为心受，而无身受。
(3)三受，依受之自相而有所分别。即领纳爱、非爱及非上记二种之触，而生起苦、乐、舍等三种感觉。
1.乐受，对可爱境之感受。
2.苦受，对不可爱境之感受。
3.舍受，又作不苦不乐受、非苦乐受。乃对非可爱、非不可爱境之感受。
(6)六受，又称六身受、六受法。指经由六根，六识得以觉知六境，复由根、境、识等和合之六触，产生眼触所生之受乃至意触所生之受。
(二)为十二缘起之第一支，称为受支。为幼年少年时期对苦、乐等相之了知。说一切有部基于分位缘起说认为幼年少年时期虽觉知苦、乐等相，然尚未生起淫爱，此期之位即称为受；此系以五蕴为体，而非以受为体。于唯识大乘之看法，则以无明及行为‘能引支’，识乃至受之五支为‘所引支’；又以无明及行为‘能熏’，识等五支为‘所熏’之种子。亦即识、名色、六处、触等，由于无明、行而影响阿赖耶识之种子，称为受。
The unconscious mind; latent, underlying conditioning; dormant mental impurity (also anusaya-kilesa)