Yes. All other vedanas are mental. But there are two types of “mental vedanā.”
- We experience five types of sensory experiences via the physical body (let us ignore the sensory inputs that come directly to the mind via dhammā). They are sights, sounds, smells, tastes, and body touches.
- That last category is “kāyika vedanā.” The other four (sights, sounds, smells, tastes) do not generate vedanā via the nervous system. Yet we experience joy with them too, and strictly speaking, those are due to sanna (that is what I call “distorted sanna“). They are called “cetasika vedanā“. Both kāyika vedanā and cetasika vedanā also arise in Arahants.
- Now, all those vedanā arise automatically. As I mentioned, Arahants also experience them.
- In response to them, we generate samphassa-jā-vedanā (additional mind-made vedanā) and continue to attach to them as we enjoy the sensory experience. They can be due to kāyika vedanā or cetasika vedanā. Those are the vedanā you referred to in your first post as kāyasamphassajaṃ and manosamphassajaṃ.
- Now, Arahants do not generate the second type of samphassa-jā-vedanā. To generate those, one must attach to the first type of vedanā with ignorance. Arahants fully understand that kāyika vedanā will be there until death, i.e., until their physical bodies die. They also understand that cetasika vedanā are due to “distorted sanna.”
- See “Vedanā (Feelings) Arise in Two Ways.” This is an old post, but I hope it will still be helpful.
