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5. Vedanāpañha

Feelings Question

Rājā āha—
The king asked:

“bhante nāgasena, sukhā vedanā kusalā vā akusalā vā abyākatā vā”ti?
“Venerable Nāgasena, is pleasant feeling wholesome or unwholesome or indeterminate?”

“Siyā, mahārāja, kusalā, siyā akusalā, siyā abyākatā”ti.
“It could be wholesome, your majesty, or it could be unwholesome, or it could be indeterminate.”

“Yadi, bhante, kusalā na dukkhā, yadi dukkhā na kusalā, kusalaṁ dukkhanti nuppajjatī”ti.
“If, venerable sir, wholesome feelings are not painful, and if painful feelings are not wholesome, then there does not arise a wholesome feeling which is painful.”

“Taṁ kiṁ maññasi, mahārāja, idha purisassa hatthe tattaṁ ayoguḷaṁ nikkhipeyya, dutiye hatthe sītaṁ himapiṇḍaṁ nikkhipeyya, kiṁ nu kho, mahārāja, ubhopi te daheyyun”ti?
“What do you think, your majesty, if one might place a hot iron ball in a man’s hand and place a snowball in his other hand, would both hurt him?”

“Āma, bhante, ubhopi te daheyyun”ti.
“Yes, venerable sir, they would both hurt him.”

“Kiṁ nu kho te, mahārāja, ubhopi uṇhā”ti?
“Well, your majesty, are they both hot?”

“Na hi, bhante”ti.
“Certainly not, venerable sir.”

“Kiṁ pana te, mahārāja, ubhopi sītalā”ti?
“What then, your majesty, are they both cold?”

“Na hi, bhante”ti.
“Certainly not, venerable sir.”

“Ājānāhi niggahaṁ yadi tattaṁ dahati, na ca te ubhopi uṇhā, tena nuppajjati.
“Know your own refutation. If something hot hurts, and they are not both hot, it is not because of that the suffering arises.

Yadi sītalaṁ dahati, na ca te ubhopi sītalā, tena nuppajjati.
And, if something cold hurts, and they are not both cold, it is not because of that the suffering arises.

Kissa pana te, mahārāja, ubhopi dahanti, na ca te ubhopi uṇhā, na ca te ubhopi sītalā?
So, how is it, your majesty, that both hurt, and they are not both hot, and they are not both cold?

Ekaṁ uṇhaṁ, ekaṁ sītalaṁ, ubhopi te dahanti, tena nuppajjatī”ti.
And, how is it that with one hot and the other cold, they both hurt, and it is not because of that the suffering arises?”

“Nāhaṁ paṭibalo tayā vādinā saddhiṁ sallapituṁ, sādhu atthaṁ jappehī”ti.
“I am not competent to converse with you, a debater of the doctrine. It would be good, venerable sir, if you told me the meaning.”

Tato thero abhidhammasaṁyuttāya kathāya rājānaṁ milindaṁ saññāpesi—
Then the elder instructed King Milinda with a talk connected with Abhidhamma.

“Chayimāni, mahārāja, gehanissitāni somanassāni, cha nekkhammanissitāni somanassāni, cha gehanissitāni domanassāni, cha nekkhammanissitāni domanassāni, cha gehanissitā upekkhā, cha nekkhammanissitā upekkhāti, imāni cha chakkāni, atītāpi chattiṁsavidhā vedanā, anāgatāpi chattiṁsavidhā vedanā, paccuppannāpi chattiṁsavidhā vedanā, tadekajjhaṁ abhisaññūhitvā abhisampiṇḍetvā aṭṭhasataṁ vedanā hontī”ti.
“There are, your majesty, these six joys dependent on the householder life, these six joys dependent on renunciation, these six sorrows dependent on the householder life, these six sorrows dependent on renunciation, these six neutral feelings dependent on the householder life, these six neutral feelings dependent on renunciation. Thus, there are these six sets of six. There are then thirty-six types of feeling in the past, thirty-six types of feeling in the future, and thirty-six types of feeling in the present. So, assembling them and bringing them all together, there are one hundred and eight types of feeling.”

“Kallosi, bhante nāgasenā”ti.
“You are clever, venerable Nāgasena!”

Vedanāpañho pañcamo.
Feelings Question fifth