Sensations
SENSATIONS, FEELING TONE [tshor
ba]
What is the absolutely specific characteristic of feeling?
It is to experience. That is to say, in any experience, what we experience
is the individual maturation of any positive or negative actions as its
final result.
What is feeling? It is three ways of experiencing -- pleasantly, unpleasantly, and indifferently. 'Pleasant' is that which one would like to feel again (when the original feeling is over). 'Unpleasant' is what one would like to get rid of when it is present. 'Indifferent' is where neither of these two desires occur.
1. A sustaining feeling of addiction
2. A sustaining feeling of realization
The sustaining feeling of addiction occurs on the level of desiring sensuous things of this world. The sustaining feeling of realization is to turn away from being addicted to these things and occurs on the level of those thought processes which are summarized by the subject matter of the first meditative stage. The division into two kinds of feelings is made here for the purpose of knowing how the strength of feeling itself may, on the one hand, bring to light an existing desire or bring about detachment from this addiction through the subject matter of meditative concentration.
-Abhidarmasamuccaya
Here, the experience of feeling is called maturation. This is said for
the purpose of becoming aware of the fact that pleasant or unpleasant feelings
arising in us are nothing more than the result of the maturation of our
action.
The lam rim chen mo states,
The infallibility of our actions means that, whether we be
ordinary persons or exalted beings, any pleasure with its pleasant feeling
tone which occurs in us or any feeling of relief as is felt in a breeze
by those born in hell, starts from previously accumlated positive actions,
for it is impossible for pleasure to come from negative actions. So also,
every painful feeling, even if it may occur in a saintly person, comes
from previously accumulated negative actions, for it is impossible for
pain to come from positive actions. From negative actions come all frustrations
And also, all evil forms of life. From positive actions come all happy forms of life,
And also, all happiness in every walk of life.
-Ratnamala
Therefore, pleasure and frustration do not originate without a cause nor
do they originate from inappropriate causes such as the gods Vishnu, Shiva,
or anyone else. From generally positive or negative actions come generally
positive or negative feelings. The various shades of these feelings come
from the intensity of positive or negative actions. In each case, the certainty
that the relationship between one's action and its result is certain and
infallible, with no irregularity whatsoever, is the right view held by
all Buddhists and praised as the foundation of all that is bright.
What is feeling? It is three ways of experiencing -- pleasantly, unpleasantly, and indifferently. 'Pleasant' is that which one would like to feel again (when the original feeling is over). 'Unpleasant' is what one would like to get rid of when it is present. 'Indifferent' is where neither of these two desires occur.
-Pancaskandhaprakarana
These three feelings become six according to their division whether they
occurphysically or mentally so that one has three physical feelings and
three mental feelings. The difference between physical feelings and mental
feelings is that physical feelings occur within the realm of the five sense
perceptions while mental feelings are those which occur in the realm of
thought. Why do we talk about physical feeling as that which occurs within the
realm of sense perception? Darkness is everywhere just as the skin covers the whole body
-Catuhsataka
Since the skin covers the whole body from head to toe, feelings which originate
in the realm of the other four sensory perceptions are also called physical
feelings. If we further distinguish those six feelings as subjectivistic
feelings and transpersonal feelings, we have an additional twelve which
make up a total of eighteen. Subjectivistic feelings are those that are
always on the level of thinking that they are my feelings, while
the transpersonal feelings are those which are felt on the level of primal
awareness which immediately understands that there is no abiding principle
to which the self may be reduced.
You might ask how it is that those who have this primal awareness by
which they immediately understand that the self is not an eternal entity,
have painful feelings, since the transpersonal feeling just explained would
be in the realm of frustration. Oh there are many reasons for this. For
example. ~ Even those Arhats who have rejected the belief that self
is an eternal entity still suffer such unpleasant feelings as headaches
as a result of their former actions.
-Vinayasastra
Feeling classified according to the function of rejection and aiding is twofold:1. A sustaining feeling of addiction
2. A sustaining feeling of realization
The sustaining feeling of addiction occurs on the level of desiring sensuous things of this world. The sustaining feeling of realization is to turn away from being addicted to these things and occurs on the level of those thought processes which are summarized by the subject matter of the first meditative stage. The division into two kinds of feelings is made here for the purpose of knowing how the strength of feeling itself may, on the one hand, bring to light an existing desire or bring about detachment from this addiction through the subject matter of meditative concentration.