on what the Buddha taught
Saṃyutta Nikāya
Saḷāyatanavaggo
Vedanāsaṃyuttaṃ
Sagāthāvaggo
Sallasuttaṃ
SN36.6
'Not having learned, almsmen, a commoner feels feeling, even a happy one. He feels feeling, even a sufferable one. He feels feeling, even a neither-sufferable-nor-happy one. Having learned, almsmen, a disciple of nobleness feels feeling, even a happy one. He feels feeling, even a sufferable one. He feels feeling, even a neither-sufferable-nor-happy one. In this, almsmen, what is the distinction, what is the peculiarity, what is making the difference for a learned disciple of nobleness with a not learned commoner?'
'Rooted in the exalted one are our, venerable, principles ... pe ...'
'Not having learned, almsmen, a commoner being touched by a sufferable feeling grieves, is in misery, wails, beats the chest, laments, meets with bewilderment. He feels two feelings: and a bodily and a mental. Just as if, almsmen, a man would be pierced with a spike. That with this, along the piercing, he would be pierced by a second spike. Because so, almsmen, that man feels the feeling by two spikes. Just so now, almsmen, not having learned a commoner being touched by a sufferable feeling grieves, is in misery, wails, beats the chest, laments, meets with bewilderment. He feels two feelings: and a bodily and a mental. Just like that but now being touched by a sufferable feeling; resistance is. That with this, with sufferable feeling, resistance; what to sufferable feeling the tendency for resistance is, that lies dormant. He, being touched by a sufferable feeling, welcomes the happiness by lust.
Therefor, what is the reason?
For he doesn't, almsmen, know. A commoner has not learned the going out of sufferable feeling other than from happiness by lust. For that he has been pleased with happiness by lust and what to happy feeling the tendency for passion is, that lies dormant. He essentially not knows 'and the rise', 'and the setting', 'and the sweetness', 'and the wretchedness', 'and the going out' of those feelings. For he essentially not understood 'and the rise', 'and the setting', 'and the sweetness', 'and the wretchedness', 'and the going out' of those feelings, what to neither-sufferable-nor-happy feeling the tendency for not-knowing is that lies dormant. That if happiness is the feeling he feels, he feels this one linked. If suffering is the feeling he feels, he feels this one linked. If neither-suffering-nor-happiness is the feeling he feels, he feels this one linked. This is called, almsmen, a commoner who has not learned: linked 'with birth', 'with oldness', 'with death', 'with sorrows', 'with lamentations', 'with sufferings', 'with distresses', 'with unrests'; 'linked from suffering' I say.
But now having learned, almsmen, a disciple of nobleness being touched by a sufferable feeling grieves not, is not in misery, wails not, not beats the chest, laments not, not meets with bewilderment; he feels one feeling: bodily, not mental. Just as if, almsmen, a man would be pierced with a spike. That with this, after piercing, he would not be pierced by a second spike. Because so, almsmen, that man feels the feeling by one spike. Just so now, almsmen, having learned a disciple of nobleness being touched by a sufferable feeling grieves not, is not in misery, wails not, not beats the chest, laments not, not meets with bewilderment; he feels one feeling: bodily, not mental. Just like that but now being touched by a sufferable feeling; resistance is not. That with this, with sufferable feeling, no resistance; what to sufferable feeling the tendency for resistance is, that does not lie dormant. He, being touched by a sufferable feeling, does not welcome the happiness by lust.
Therefor, what is the reason?
For he does, almsmen, know. A disciple of nobleness has learned the going out of sufferable feeling other than from happiness by lust. For that he has not been welcoming the happiness by lust; what to happy feeling the tendency for passion is, that does not lie dormant. He essentially knows: 'and the rise', 'and the setting', 'and the sweetness', 'and the wretchedness', 'and the going out' of those feelings. For he essentially understood 'and the rise', 'and the setting', 'and the sweetness', 'and the wretchedness', 'and the going out' of those feelings, what to neither-sufferable-nor-happy feeling the tendency for not-knowing is that does not lie dormant. That if happiness is the feeling he feels, he feels this one unlinked. If suffering is the feeling he feels, he feels this one unlinked. If neither-suffering-nor-happiness is the feeling he feels, he feels this one unlinked. This is called, almsmen, a disciple of nobleness who has learned: unlinked 'with birth', 'with oldness', 'with death', 'with sorrows', 'with lamentations', 'with sufferings', 'with distresses', 'with unrests'; 'unlinked from suffering' I say.
This now is, almsmen, the distinction, this is the peculiarity, this is making the difference for a learned disciple of nobleness with a not learned commoner.'
The wise feels no feeling,
even a happy one,
even a sufferable one, he is very learned indeed.
And this, of the steadfast with a commoner,
is the great distinction of wholesomeness.
For the very learned, of the inclined principle,
clearly seen is this world and beyond.
For pleasant principles not shake the mind,
from the unpleasant no resistance comes.
For those compliances and/or non-compliances
are scattered, they are gone; not 'they are'.
Acquainting the path and the stainless, sorrowless,
he rightly knows the going beyond of existence.