From:
MilindapaƱha Milinda's Questions
VicÄravagga Examination Chapter
9. VedanÄlakkhaį¹apaƱha Distinguishing Characteristic of Feeling Question
āBhante nÄgasena, kiį¹lakkhaį¹Ä vedanÄāti? āVenerable NÄgasena, what is the distinguishing characteristic of feeling?ā
āVedayitalakkhaį¹Ä, mahÄrÄja, vedanÄ anubhavanalakkhaį¹Ä cÄāti. āBeing felt and experiencing, your majesty, are the distinguishing characteristics of feeling.ā
āOpammaį¹ karohÄ«āti. āPlease give me an analogy.ā
āYathÄ, mahÄrÄja, kocideva puriso raƱƱo adhikÄraį¹ kareyya, tassa rÄjÄ tuį¹į¹ho adhikÄraį¹ dadeyya, so tena adhikÄrena paƱcahi kÄmaguį¹ehi samappito samaį¹
gibhÅ«to paricareyya, tassa evamassa āmayÄ kho pubbe raƱƱo adhikÄro kato, tassa me rÄjÄ tuį¹į¹ho adhikÄraį¹ adÄsi, svÄhaį¹ tatonidÄnaį¹ imaį¹ evarÅ«paį¹ vedanaį¹ vedayÄmÄ«āti. āJust as, your majesty, some person or other might perform a service for the king, and the king, satisfied, would repay that service. And that person, because of that service, would go about provided with and possessed of the five strands of sensual pleasure, and it might occur to him āpreviously I performed a service for the king and he, satisfied, repaid me for that service, and for that reason I experience such and such feelings.ā
YathÄ vÄ pana, mahÄrÄja, kocideva puriso kusalaį¹ kammaį¹ katvÄ kÄyassa bhedÄ paraį¹ maraį¹Ä sugatiį¹ saggaį¹ lokaį¹ upapajjeyya, so ca tattha dibbehi paƱcahi kÄmaguį¹ehi samappito samaį¹
gibhÅ«to paricareyya, tassa evamassa āsvÄhaį¹ kho pubbe kusalaį¹ kammaį¹ akÄsiį¹, sohaį¹ tatonidÄnaį¹ imaį¹ evarÅ«paį¹ vedanaį¹ vedayÄmÄ«āti. Or just as, your majesty, some person or other might perform a good deed and at the beak up of the body after dying, might be reborn in a good destination, in a heavenly world, and there would go about provided with and possessed of the five strands of divine sensual pleasure, and it might occur to him āpreviously I performed a good deed, and for that reason I experience such and such feelings.ā
Evaį¹ kho, mahÄrÄja, vedayitalakkhaį¹Ä vedanÄ anubhavanalakkhaį¹Ä cÄāti. In the same way, your majesty, being felt and experiencing are the distinguishing characteristics of feeling.ā
āKallosi, bhante nÄgasenÄāti. āYou are clever, venerable NÄgasena.ā
VedanÄlakkhaį¹apaƱho navamo. Distinguishing Characteristic of Feeling Question ninth