SN 35-44 The Group of Connected Discourses Beginning With the Six Sense Fields – Saḷāyatanavaggasaṁyutta > SN 36 Connected Discourses on Feelings – Vedanāsaṁyutta > SN 36.6 An Arrow

Linked Discourses 36.6 – Saṁyutta Nikāya 36.6

1. With Verses – 1. Sagāthāvagga

SN 36.6 An Arrow – Sallasutta

“Bhikkhū, an uneducated ordinary person feels pleasant, painful, and neutral feelings.

“Assutavā, bhikkhave, puthujjano sukhampi vedanaṁ vedayati, dukkhampi vedanaṁ vedayati, adukkhamasukhampi vedanaṁ vedayati.

An educated noble disciple also feels pleasant, painful, and neutral feelings.

Sutavā, bhikkhave, ariyasāvako sukhampi vedanaṁ vedayati, dukkhampi vedanaṁ vedayati, adukkhamasukhampi vedanaṁ vedayati.

What, then, is the difference between an ordinary uneducated person and an educated noble disciple?”

Tatra, bhikkhave, ko viseso ko adhippayāso kiṁ nānākaraṇaṁ sutavato ariyasāvakassa assutavatā puthujjanenā”ti?

“Our teachings are rooted in the Buddha. …”

Bhagavaṁmūlakā no, bhante, dhammā …pe…

“When an uneducated ordinary person experiences painful physical feelings they sorrow and wail and lament, beating their breast and falling into confusion.

assutavā, bhikkhave, puthujjano dukkhāya vedanāya phuṭṭho samāno socati kilamati paridevati urattāḷiṁ kandati sammohaṁ āpajjati.

They experience two feelings:

So dve vedanā vedayati—

physical and mental.

kāyikañca, cetasikañca.

It’s like a person who is struck with an arrow,

Seyyathāpi, bhikkhave, purisaṁ sallena vijjheyya.

only to be struck with a second arrow.

Tamenaṁ dutiyena sallena anuvedhaṁ vijjheyya.

That person experiences the feeling of two arrows.

Evañhi so, bhikkhave, puriso dvisallena vedanaṁ vedayati.

In the same way, when an uneducated ordinary person experiences painful physical feelings they sorrow and wail and lament, beating their breast and falling into confusion.

Evameva kho, bhikkhave, assutavā puthujjano dukkhāya vedanāya phuṭṭho samāno socati kilamati paridevati urattāḷiṁ kandati sammohaṁ āpajjati.

They experience two feelings:

So dve vedanā vedayati—

physical and mental.

kāyikañca, cetasikañca.

When they’re touched by painful feeling, they resist it.

Tassāyeva kho pana dukkhāya vedanāya phuṭṭho samāno paṭighavā hoti.

The underlying tendency for repulsion towards painful feeling underlies that.

Tamenaṁ dukkhāya vedanāya paṭighavantaṁ, yo dukkhāya vedanāya paṭighānusayo, so anuseti.

When touched by painful feeling they look forward to enjoying sensual pleasures.

So dukkhāya vedanāya phuṭṭho samāno kāmasukhaṁ abhinandati.

Why is that?

Taṁ kissa hetu?

Because an uneducated ordinary person doesn’t understand any escape from painful feeling apart from sensual pleasures.

Na hi so, bhikkhave, pajānāti assutavā puthujjano aññatra kāmasukhā dukkhāya vedanāya nissaraṇaṁ,

Since they look forward to enjoying sensual pleasures, the underlying tendency to greed for pleasant feeling underlies that.

tassa kāmasukhañca abhinandato, yo sukhāya vedanāya rāgānusayo, so anuseti.

They don’t truly understand feelings’ origin, ending, gratification, drawback, and escape.

So tāsaṁ vedanānaṁ samudayañca atthaṅgamañca assādañca ādīnavañca nissaraṇañca yathābhūtaṁ nappajānāti.

The underlying tendency to ignorance about neutral feeling underlies that.

Tassa tāsaṁ vedanānaṁ samudayañca atthaṅgamañca assādañca ādīnavañca nissaraṇañca yathābhūtaṁ appajānato, yo adukkhamasukhāya vedanāya avijjānusayo, so anuseti.

If they feel a pleasant feeling, they feel it attached.

So sukhañce vedanaṁ vedayati, saññutto naṁ vedayati.

If they feel a painful feeling, they feel it attached.

Dukkhañce vedanaṁ vedayati, saññutto naṁ vedayati.

If they feel a neutral feeling, they feel it attached.

Adukkhamasukhañce vedanaṁ vedayati, saññutto naṁ vedayati.

They’re called an uneducated ordinary person who is attached to rebirth, old age, and death, to sorrow, lamentation, pain, sadness, and distress, I say.

Ayaṁ vuccati, bhikkhave, ‘assutavā puthujjano saññutto jātiyā jarāya maraṇena sokehi paridevehi dukkhehi domanassehi upāyāsehi, saññutto dukkhasmā’ti vadāmi.

When an educated noble disciple experiences painful physical feelings they don’t sorrow or wail or lament, beating their breast and falling into confusion.

Sutavā ca kho, bhikkhave, ariyasāvako dukkhāya vedanāya phuṭṭho samāno na socati, na kilamati, na paridevati, na urattāḷiṁ kandati, na sammohaṁ āpajjati.

They experience one feeling:

So ekaṁ vedanaṁ vedayati—

physical, not mental.

kāyikaṁ, na cetasikaṁ.

It’s like a person who is struck with an arrow,

Seyyathāpi, bhikkhave, purisaṁ sallena vijjheyya.

but was not struck with a second arrow.

Tamenaṁ dutiyena sallena anuvedhaṁ na vijjheyya.

That person would experience the feeling of one arrow.

Evañhi so, bhikkhave, puriso ekasallena vedanaṁ vedayati.

In the same way, when an educated noble disciple experiences painful physical feelings they don’t sorrow or wail or lament, beating their breast and falling into confusion.

Evameva kho, bhikkhave, sutavā ariyasāvako dukkhāya vedanāya phuṭṭho samāno na socati, na kilamati, na paridevati, na urattāḷiṁ kandati, na sammohaṁ āpajjati.

They experience one feeling:

So ekaṁ vedanaṁ vedayati—

physical, not mental.

kāyikaṁ, na cetasikaṁ.

When they’re touched by painful feeling, they don’t resist it.

Tassāyeva kho pana dukkhāya vedanāya phuṭṭho samāno paṭighavā na hoti.

There’s no underlying tendency for repulsion towards painful feeling underlying that.

Tamenaṁ dukkhāya vedanāya appaṭighavantaṁ, yo dukkhāya vedanāya paṭighānusayo, so nānuseti.

When touched by painful feeling they don’t look forward to enjoying sensual pleasures.

So dukkhāya vedanāya phuṭṭho samāno kāmasukhaṁ nābhinandati.

Why is that?

Taṁ kissa hetu?

Because an educated noble disciple understands an escape from painful feeling apart from sensual pleasures.

Pajānāti hi so, bhikkhave, sutavā ariyasāvako aññatra kāmasukhā dukkhāya vedanāya nissaraṇaṁ.

Since they don’t look forward to enjoying sensual pleasures, there’s no underlying tendency to greed for pleasant feeling underlying that.

Tassa kāmasukhaṁ nābhinandato yo sukhāya vedanāya rāgānusayo, so nānuseti.

They truly understand feelings’ origin, ending, gratification, drawback, and escape.

So tāsaṁ vedanānaṁ samudayañca atthaṅgamañca assādañca ādīnavaṁ ca nissaraṇañca yathābhūtaṁ pajānāti.

There’s no underlying tendency to ignorance about neutral feeling underlying that.

Tassa tāsaṁ vedanānaṁ samudayañca atthaṅgamañca assādañca ādīnavañca nissaraṇañca yathābhūtaṁ pajānato, yo adukkhamasukhāya vedanāya avijjānusayo, so nānuseti.

If they feel a pleasant feeling, they feel it detached.

So sukhañce vedanaṁ vedayati, visaññutto naṁ vedayati.

If they feel a painful feeling, they feel it detached.

Dukkhañce vedanaṁ vedayati, visaññutto naṁ vedayati.

If they feel a neutral feeling, they feel it detached.

Adukkhamasukhañce vedanaṁ vedayati, visaññutto naṁ vedayati.

They’re called an educated noble disciple who is detached from rebirth, old age, and death, from sorrow, lamentation, pain, sadness, and distress, I say.

Ayaṁ vuccati, bhikkhave, ‘sutavā ariyasāvako visaññutto jātiyā jarāya maraṇena sokehi paridevehi dukkhehi domanassehi upāyāsehi, visaññutto dukkhasmā’ti vadāmi.

This is the difference between an educated noble disciple and an uneducated ordinary person.

Ayaṁ kho, bhikkhave, viseso, ayaṁ adhippayāso, idaṁ nānākaraṇaṁ sutavato ariyasāvakassa assutavatā puthujjanenāti.

A wise and learned person isn’t affected

Na vedanaṁ vedayati sapañño,

by feelings of pleasure and pain.

Sukhampi dukkhampi bahussutopi;

This is the great difference in skill

Ayañca dhīrassa puthujjanena,

between the wise and the ordinary.

Mahā viseso kusalassa hoti.

A learned person who has assessed the teaching

Saṅkhātadhammassa bahussutassa,

discerns this world and the next.

Vipassato lokamimaṁ parañca;

Desirable things don’t disturb their mind,

Iṭṭhassa dhammā na mathenti cittaṁ,

nor are they repelled by the undesirable.

Aniṭṭhato no paṭighātameti.

Both favoring and opposing

Tassānurodhā athavā virodhā,

are cleared and ended, they are no more.

Vidhūpitā atthagatā na santi;

Knowing the stainless, sorrowless state,

Padañca ñatvā virajaṁ asokaṁ,

they who have gone beyond rebirth understand rightly.”

Sammā pajānāti bhavassa pāragū”ti.