[511] (Visākha:) "Venerable lady, how many feelings (vedanā) are there?"
(Dhammadinnā:) "Friend Visākha, there are these three feelings: pleasant feeling, painful feeling, and neither-painful-nor-pleasant feeling."
"But, venerable lady, what is pleasant feeling? What is painful feeling? What is neither-painful-nor-pleasant feeling?"
"Friend Visākha, whatever is felt bodily or mentally as pleasant and agreeable—this is pleasant feeling. Friend Visākha, whatever is felt bodily or mentally as painful and disagreeable—this is painful feeling. Friend Visākha, whatever is felt bodily or mentally as neither agreeable nor disagreeable—this is neither-painful-nor-pleasant feeling."
"But, venerable lady, in what way is pleasant feeling pleasant, and in what way painful?"
"Friend Visākha, pleasant feeling is pleasant while it persists and painful when it changes; painful feeling is painful while it persists and pleasant when it changes; neither-painful-nor-pleasant feeling is pleasant when there is knowledge of it and painful when there is no knowledge of it."
"But, venerable lady, what underlying tendency (anusaya) lies latent in pleasant feeling? What underlying tendency lies latent in painful feeling? What underlying tendency lies latent in neither-painful-nor-pleasant feeling?"
"Friend Visākha, the underlying tendency to lust (rāgānusaya) lies latent in pleasant feeling; the underlying tendency to aversion (paṭighānusaya) lies latent in painful feeling; the underlying tendency to ignorance (avijjānusaya) lies latent in neither-painful-nor-pleasant feeling."
"But, venerable lady, does the underlying tendency to lust lie latent in all pleasant feeling? Does the underlying tendency to aversion lie latent in all painful feeling? Does the underlying tendency to ignorance lie latent in all neither-painful-nor-pleasant feeling?"
"Friend Visākha, the underlying tendency to lust does not lie latent in all pleasant feeling; the underlying tendency to aversion does not lie latent in all painful feeling; the underlying tendency to ignorance does not lie latent in all neither-painful-nor-pleasant feeling."
"But, venerable lady, what should be abandoned in regard to pleasant feeling? What should be abandoned in regard to painful feeling? What should be abandoned in regard to neither-painful-nor-pleasant feeling?"
"Friend Visākha, the underlying tendency to lust should be abandoned in regard to pleasant feeling; the underlying tendency to aversion should be abandoned in regard to painful feeling; the underlying tendency to ignorance should be abandoned in regard to neither-painful-nor-pleasant feeling."
"But, venerable lady, should the underlying tendency to lust be abandoned in regard to all pleasant feeling? Should the underlying tendency to aversion be abandoned in regard to all painful feeling? Should the underlying tendency to ignorance be abandoned in regard to all neither-painful-nor-pleasant feeling?"
"Friend Visākha, the underlying tendency to lust is not to be abandoned in regard to all pleasant feeling; the underlying tendency to aversion is not to be abandoned in regard to all painful feeling; the underlying tendency to ignorance is not to be abandoned in regard to all neither-painful-nor-pleasant feeling.
"Here, friend Visākha, a bhikkhu, quite secluded from sensual pleasures, secluded from unwholesome states, enters and dwells in the first meditative absorption (jhāna), which is accompanied by applied thought and sustained thought, with rapture and pleasure born of seclusion. With that he abandons lust, and the underlying tendency to lust does not lie latent therein.
"Here, friend Visākha, a bhikkhu reflects thus: 'When indeed shall I enter and dwell in that base (āyatana) which the noble ones now enter and dwell in?' For one who thus arouses longing for the supreme liberations (vimokkha), grief arises with that longing as condition. With that he abandons aversion, and the underlying tendency to aversion does not lie latent therein.
"Here, friend Visākha, a bhikkhu, with the abandoning of pleasure and the abandoning of pain, and with the previous passing away of gladness and grief, enters and dwells in the fourth meditative absorption, which is without pain and without pleasure and has purity of mindfulness through equanimity. With that he abandons ignorance, and the underlying tendency to ignorance does not lie latent therein."
English translation from the Pali (Siam Raṭṭha edition) — under review, not for citation.