The following post is from Jorg:
Thank you Lal!
I accidentally came across another passage that aims to justify the practice of observing sensations. It’s actually mentioned right after the already discussed key phrase Vedanāsamosaraṇā sabbe dhammā in the section called: “Vedanā in the Practice of Satipaṭṭhāna”
I’ll provide the context including the key pali phrases below.
I would be interested in knowing the meaning of those Pali verses.
“In all references to vedanā in the Satipaṭṭhāna Sutta the Buddha speaks of sukhā vedanā, dukkhā vedanā, i.e., the body sensations; or adukkhamasukhā vedanā, which in this context also clearly denotes neutral body sensations.
The strong emphasis is on body sensations because they work as a direct avenue for the attainment of fruition (nibbāna) by means of “strong dependence condition” (upanissaya-paccayena paccayo), i.e., the nearest dependent condition for our liberation. This fact is succinctly highlighted in the Paṭṭhāna, the seventh text of Abhidhamma Piṭaka under the Pakatūpanissaya, where it is stated:
1. Kāyikaṃ sukhaṃ kāyikassa sukhassa, kāyikassa dukkhassa, phalasamāpattiyā upanissayapaccayena paccayo.
2. Kāyikaṃ dukkhaṃ kāyikassa sukhassa, kāyikassa dukkhassa, phalasamāpattiyā upanissayapaccayena paccayo.
3. Utu kāyikassa sukhassa, kāyikassa dukkhassa, phalasamāpattiyā upanissayapaccayena paccayo.
4. Bhojanaṃ kāyikassa sukhassa, kāyikassa dukkhassa, phalasamāpattiyā upanissayapaccayena paccayo.
5. Senāsanaṃ kāyikassa sukhassa, kāyikassa dukkhassa, phalasamāpattiyā upanissayapaccayena paccayo.
1. Pleasant body sensation is related to pleasant sensation of the body, unpleasant sensation of the body, and attainment of fruition (nibbāna) by strong dependence condition.
2. Unpleasant body sensation is related to pleasant sensation of the body, unpleasant sensation of the body, and attainment of fruition by strong dependence condition.
3. The season (or surrounding environment) is related to pleasant sensation of the body, unpleasant sensation of the body, and attainment of fruition by strong dependence condition.
4. Food is related to pleasant sensation of the body, unpleasant sensation of the body, and attainment of fruition by strong dependence condition.
5. Lying down and sitting (i.e., the mattress and cushions, or the position of lying, sitting, etc.) is related to pleasant sensation of the body, unpleasant sensation of the body, and attainment of fruition by strong dependence condition.
From the above statement it is clear how important vedanā, sensation, is on the path of liberation. The pleasant and unpleasant body sensations, the surrounding environment (utu), the food we eat (bhojanaṃ), and the sleeping and sitting position, the mattress or cushions used, etc. (senāsanaṃ) are all responsible for ongoing body sensations of one type or another. When the sensations are experienced properly, as the Buddha explained in Mahāsatipaṭṭhāna Sutta, these become the nearest dependent condition for our liberation.
There are four dimensions to our nature: the body and its sensations, and the mind and its contents. These provide four avenues for the establishing of awareness in satipaṭṭhāna. In order that the observation be complete, we must experience every facet, which we can only do by means of vedanā. This exploration of truth will remove the delusions we have about ourselves.
In the same way, to come out of the delusion about the world outside, we must explore how the outside world interacts with our own mind-and-matter phenomenon, our own self. The outside world comes in contact with the individual only at the six sense doors: the eye, ear, nose, tongue, body and mind. Since all these sense doors are contained in the body, every contact of the outside world is at the body level.”