Why Is ‘Neutral Vedanā’ of ‘Anicca Nature’?

Any ‘neutral vedanā‘ is of ‘anicca nature’ because it is also generated via the ‘distorted saññā‘ generated by the mind itself. Thus, it is tied to the fact that we never experience the ‘real world’ that is ‘colorless, tasteless, etc.’

July 24, 2026

Introduction

1. Our attachment to sensory experiences keeps us trapped in the rebirth process filled with suffering. Even though there are existences (in Deva and Brahma realms) that are relatively free of suffering, the vast majority of rebirths are in the apāyās filled with suffering. Furthermore, even those ‘good existences’ end in death.

  • Our lives are focused on maximizing ‘sukha vedanā‘ based on sensual pleasures. 
  • When people encounter ‘dukha vedanā,’ they tend to look for ways to get more ‘sukha vedanā‘ to overcome the depressed mind. That is the only way a puthujjana knows how to deal with the inevitable dukha vedanā. 
  • That mentality keeps us trapped in an endless rebirth process dominated by suffering.
‘Dukkha‘ Is Not the Same as ‘Dukha Vedanā‘

2. Many people tend to interpret ‘dukkha‘ as ‘suffering’ and even more specifically as ‘painful feeling.’

  • However, the Pali word for ‘painful feeling’ is ‘dukha vedanā‘ (with a single ‘k’). See, for example, “Paṭhamalokadhamma Sutta (AN 8.5)” and “Pātāla Sutta (SN 36.4).” 
  • It is clear from the verse, “..sukhaṁ dukhañca“, in the “Paṭhamalokadhamma Sutta (AN 8.5),” that dukha is the opposite of sukha.
  • Therefore, the Pāli word for suffering is dukha, and we experience only three types of vedanā: sukha, dukha, and adukkhamasukha. The last one refers to a ‘neutral vedanā.’ 
  • Therefore, dukkha (with two ‘k’s) in ‘Dukkha Sacca‘ does not refer to a dukha vedanā; it is about stopping the rebirth process. Here, dukkha is dukha + kha, or the “stopping the arising of dukha” in the sense that there is dukha in the world, but it can be overcome.
Dukkha Sacca (Noble Truth on Suffering)

3. We mostly experience neutral (adukkhamasukha) vedanā, mixed with sukha vedanā and dukha vedanā. However, it is not possible to get rid of dukha vedanā only. In the process of achieving that, all three types of vedanā will be stopped from arising. The phrase ‘to stop from arising’ has a special word in Pali: ‘nirodha.’ 

  • ‘Dukkha Nirodha‘ is not the same as getting rid of any dukha vedanā that has already arisen; one must seek medical help for that. ‘Dukkha nirodha‘ is about stopping the possibility of the arising of future suffering.
  • Therefore, ‘Dukkha Sacca‘ (Dukkha with two ‘k’s) is about stopping the possibility of the arising of even a trace of dukha vedanā. 
  • Also see “Does the First Noble Truth Describe only Suffering?” 
All Three Types of Vedanā Must be Overcome

4. In that process, all three types of vedanā are stopped from arising. This ‘vedanā nirodha‘ can be experienced even during life by one with a magga phala who has cultivated Satipaṭṭhāna and is able to enter the Satipaṭṭhāna Bhūmi and stay there; see below.

  • The Buddha stated that all three vedanās must be overcome: “Vedanā Sutta (SN 45.169).” Even the Sutta Central translation there correctly translates the verse “Imāsaṁ kho, bhikkhave, tissannaṁ vedanānaṁ abhiññāya pariññāya parikkhayāya pahānāya …pe… ayaṁ ariyo aṭṭhaṅgiko maggo bhāvetabbo’ti.” as “The Noble Eightfold Path should be developed for the direct knowledge, complete understanding, finishing, and giving up of these three feelings.”
  • In this post, I will clarify the reason why we must overcome even the adukkhamasukha vedanā. At first glance, it does not seem to make sense. But this is the ‘previously unheard teachings of a Buddha.’
  • Note that ‘Sacca’ (in ‘Dukkha Sacca‘ or the ‘Noble Truth on Suffering’) is pronounced ‘sachcha’; see #3 of “Buddha Dhamma – Introduction.“
Nibbāna Sukha – Not a Vedanā

5. In other words, Nibbāna is free of all three types of vedanā. It can be experienced even during this life, as mentioned in #4 above. This is why ‘Nibbāna sukha‘ is not a vedanā. It is simply the absence of even a trace of suffering. 

  • “Nibbāna sukha” is NOT  a feeling. It is the absence of suffering. The closest analogy is the following: Suppose someone has had a chronic headache from birth. One day, it is cured, and he feels a great relief. That relief was not a new vedanā but the absence of “dukha vedanā” that he experienced up to that time.
  • Therefore, in most places in the Tipiṭaka (and always in ‘Dukkha Sacca‘), dukkha conveys ‘suffering’ in the sense of ‘sustaining the rebirth process’ because the rebirth process is filled with suffering. This is why even sukha vedanā must be considered as ‘dukkha;’ see #10 below.
  • However, in many suttās, dukkha (with two ‘k’s) is also used to refer to ‘dukha vedanā,’ but the implication is that it can be stopped from arising (nirodha).
  • Thus, ‘dukkha‘ in the First Noble Truth (Dukkha Sacca) means we generate ‘dukkha‘ with all three types of vedanā mentioned above. Even when we experience ‘sukha vedanā,’ they also extend the rebirth process (because we attach to them), and that takes the mind away from Nibbāna. 
Kāma Assāda (Sensual Pleasures) Are Mind-Made Vedanā

6. What takes the mind away from Nibbāna (at the very first moment of experiencing a sensory input at the ‘kāma dhātu‘ stage) is automatic triggering of avijjā by the ‘kāma loka saññā.’ That is the critical role played by the ‘kāma loka saññā.’

  • We must learn to overcome it and to enter the ‘Satipaṭṭhāna Bhūmi‘ free of the ‘kāma loka saññā’ to grasp the ‘real nature of the colorless world,’ and that happens at the Sotāpanna stage.
  • The Buddha explained that both sukha and dukha vedanā are made up by the mind itself. There is a somewhat complex mechanism (Paṭicca Samuppāda) that the mind employs to trigger sukha and dukha vedanā via ‘distorted saññā‘ as we have discussed. 
  • We experience (feel) any of the three types of vedanā AFTER they advance to the ‘nava kamma‘ stage. 

7. All three types of vedanā start at a very weak level as manāpa/amanāpa in the ‘kāma dhātu‘ stage. Of course, a ‘neutral vedanā‘ does not grow beyond the first couple of steps in the ‘purāna kamma‘ stage.

  • However, sukha and dukha vedanā start growing in the ‘purāna kamma‘ stage, starting at the initial bahiddha and ajjhatta steps. Then they grow in a series of steps, first in the ‘purāna kamma‘ stage and then in the ‘nava kamma‘ stage. By the time we become aware of them, they are in the ‘nava kamma‘ stage and still growing. We don’t experience that ‘growth’ because the ‘purāna kamma‘ stage is over in a split second.
  • Therefore, even the delicious taste of honey/sugar starts at the ‘kāma dhātu‘ stage only as a slight liking (manāpa). That is hard to believe, too. But, again, this is the ‘previously unheard teachings of a Buddha.’
  • Most importantly, all three types of vedanā CANNOT be stopped by willpower. It is done by fully understanding how those vedanā arise via the ‘kāma loka saññā‘ based on Paṭicca Samuppāda. 
Fooled by the ‘Kāma Loka Saññā‘

8. That mechanism of ‘stepwise increase of sukha/dukha in a series by the mind itself’ presents to us a world full of ‘mind-pleasing things.’ However, the real world out there does not have any mind-pleasing aspects like colors or tastes, for example.

‘Blue Sky’ Is Not Real!

9. As we have discussed, any sensory event (generating sukha, dukkha, or adukkhamasukha vedanā) initiates a ‘pañcupādānakkhandha generation’ process. Alternatively, we can say it initiates a Paṭicca Samuppāda process.

  • Some of those may not lead to strong akusala kamma that generates kammic energies capable of bringing vipāka. However, the mind is ‘fooled’ by all of those, thinking that such sensory events accurately represent things in the external world. 
  • As we have discussed, the ‘rūpa‘ we experience are very different from that which exists in the external world. Rūpa with ‘attractive features like color, musical overtones, or mind-pleasing tastes, smells, touch do not exist in the external world; those are ‘mind-made perceptions.’ See, for example, “Without ‘Mind-Made’ Perception, World Is Colorless, Soundless, Tasteless, Odorless, and Touchless” and “Human Life is Unlivable in a ‘Colorless’ World.”
  • The fact that we attach to adukkhamasukha vedanā is evident by considering the following. We look at the blue sky and don’t think twice about it. Even though we may not dwell on the ‘blueness’ of the sky, we don’t realize that the sky actually does not have a ‘blue color’ and our minds are ‘fooled by it.’ Any color is a ‘mind-made perception,’ and modern science confirms that, as discussed in the above links. That is an example of attachment to adukkhamasukha vedanā (even though it does not lead to kamma accumulation in the ‘nava kamma‘ stage). Please ask questions in the forum if this critical point is unclear.
  • In other words, the mind of anyone below the Anāgāmi stage transitions into the ‘purāna kamma‘ stage with any sensory input, even those that generate only ‘neutral vedanā‘; see “Purāna and Nava Kamma – Sequence of Kamma Generation.” This is why one must understand the ‘purāna kamma‘ stage.
Daṭṭhabba Sutta – ‘Seeing Correctly’

10. “Daṭṭhabba Sutta (SN 36.5)” captures what we discussed above. The following are the main ideas expressed in the sutta (without translating it verse by verse).

  • There are three feelings: pleasant (sukha vedanā), painful (dukkha vedanā), and neutral (adukkhamasukha vedanā).
  • A pleasant feeling should be seen as a cause of suffering (dukkhato daṭṭhabbā).
  • Painful feeling should be seen as being pierced by a spear, i.e., a cause for even more suffering (sallato daṭṭhabbā).
  • Neutral feeling should be seen to depict the ‘anicca nature of our experience’ (aniccato daṭṭhabbā), because we do not experience the ‘true nature’ of sensory inputs that generate them, even though we may not pursue them. 
  • When a bhikkhu has seen these three feelings in this way, they’re called a bhikkhu who sees the world correctly (‘sammaddaso bhikkhu‘), has cut off craving (‘acchecchi taṇhaṁ‘), broken off the bonds to the rebirth process (‘vivattayi saṁyojanaṁ’), and has reached the end of suffering (‘antamakāsi dukkhassā‘).
  • The two verses at the end of the sutta repeat the above.
  • That process starts at the Sotāpanna stage, with a partial understanding of those aspects.
Dvayatānupassanā Sutta

11. The “Dvayatānupassanā Sutta (Snp 3.12)” succinctly states that  ‘All the suffering that originates is caused by feeling’ (‘Yaṁ kiñci dukkhaṁ sambhoti sabbaṁ vedanā paccayā ti‘).

The World Runs on a ‘Faulty Platform’

12. We initially attach to sukha vedanā with ‘kāma saṅkappa‘ (in the ‘purāna kamma‘ stage), believing that they can bring ‘ long-term happiness’ or at least ‘real.’ However, that belief is based on a false premise; mind-pleasing rūpa do not exist in the world, and even light with colors is mind-made!

  • Thus, our sensory experiences are built on a ‘faulty platform.’ Anything built on an untruth can never result in a good outcome. Even though it may provide temporary happiness, the eventual outcome is to be trapped in the rebirth process. (viparināma dukkhatā).
  • We also initially attach to dukha vedanā with ‘vyāpāda saṅkappa.’ (dukkha dukkhatā)
  • Finally, we also believe that adukkhamasukha vedanā are also ‘real’ and attach with ‘vihiṁsā saṅkappa‘ (in the ‘purāna kamma‘ stage). Here, ‘vihiṁsā‘ does not mean one has thoughts of hurting others; one is hurting oneself here due to ignorance of the ‘real nature of the world.’ (saṅkhāra dukkhatā).
  • Those are the three types of dukkhatā stated in the “Dukkhapañhā Sutta (SN 38.14).” Note that ‘dukkhatā’ means something like “causes for suffering,’ and not types of vedanā felt, as implied by the English translation in the link.
‘Neutral Vedanā‘ Also Arises on the ‘Faulty Platform’

13. Since the sukha vedanā induces one to engage in immoral deeds, it is of viparināma nature, i.e., eventually leading to suffering. See “Vipariṇāma – Two Meanings.”

  • Dukha vedanā leads directly to more dukha vedanā and also accumulates kammic energy for more suffering in the future.
  • One also attaches to adukkhamasukha vedanā via avijjā, because one does not realize that all sensory experiences are false; e.g., the sky is not blue, and grass is not green. That is why it is of anicca nature. Thus, to see the ‘anicca nature,’ one must see that any rūpa we experience are made up by the mind and does not exist in the world. See #12 of “Yoniso Manasikāra – Connection to Saññā.”
  • Now let us discuss the growth of sukha and dukha vedanā in a bit more detail. It happens concurrently with increasing attachment to the sensory input.
Details of Attachment and Growth of ‘Mind-Made Pleasure’

14. The following are some key steps in the ‘growth of sukha and dukha vedanā.’

  • Even in the ‘kāma dhātu‘ stage, the ‘kāma loka saññā‘ generates a very weak ‘sense of like/dislke’ called ‘manāpa/amanāpa.’ 
  • For anyone with the ‘kāma rāga saṁyojana‘ intact, the mind automatically attaches to that slight ‘like/dislike’ or even the ‘neutral vedanā‘ by generating ‘kāma saṅkappa, vyāpāda saṅkappa or vihiṁsā saṅkappa‘ as discussed above in #12. With that, the mind moves into the ‘kāma bhava.’ Since the mind of an Arahant or Anāgāmi has eliminated the kāma rāga saṁyojana, their minds stay in the ‘kāma dhātu‘ stage. That is critical to understand.
  • Thus, the mind of the puthujjana has now initiated the pañcupādānakkhandha (or Paṭicca Samuppāda) process.
  • In the second step, the mind of the puthujjana again attaches to the bahiddha vedanā (in the ‘bahiddha stage’ of pañcupādānakkhandha) and advances to the ajjhatta vedanā (in the ‘ajjhatta stage’ of pañcupādānakkhandha). With that step, the vedanā has grown a bit more. All other components of the pañcupādānakkhandha (rūpa, saññā, saṅkhāra, viññāṇa) advance, too, at each step. They all get stronger with each of the following steps, too.
  • That ajjhatta viññāṇa is the cakkhu viññāṇa, i.e., the process of ‘cakkhuñca paṭicca rupeca uppajjhati cakkhu viññāṇaṁ‘ is complete. Now, the cakkhu viññāṇa (by recalling past experiences with the help of the manasikāra cetasika) makes its own version of the rūpa that was grasped in the previous two steps. That ‘mind-made rūpa‘ is the ‘cakkhu viññeyya rūpa‘ in the suttās. These are the mind-made rūpa that greatly enhance the illusion of ‘pleasure’ or ‘assāda.’ See “Assāda Sutta (SN 22.26).”
  • Now, another major advancement in the mind contamination process may occur if the ‘gati‘ of that puthujjana is in a ‘defiled state.’ Here is an example. If one sees an attractive woman while listening to a discourse, one may not attach to that sight. However, if the same woman is seen while having a drink in a party, that sight may generate lust or at least an attraction. This is the ‘tiṇṇaṁ saṅgati phasso‘ step, where the mind attaches somewhat strongly with ‘kāma guṇa‘ arising in the mind.
  • That leads to a relatively strong vedanā in the next ‘phassa paccayā vedanā‘ step. That is abbreviated for ‘samphassa paccayā samphassa-jā-vedanā.’ Now, the vedanā has grown significantly.
  • Next steps are ‘vedanā paccayā taṇhā‘ and ‘taṇhā paccayā upādāna.’ If that ‘samphassa-jā-vedanā‘ is strong enough, the mind goes through those two steps and advances to the ‘nava kamma‘ stage with the ‘taṇhā paccayā upādāna‘ step. 
  • All the steps up to this step have occurred in the ‘purāna kamma‘ stage without even us realizing it!
  • Up to the ‘nava kamma‘ stage, the mind runs on autopilot. We don’t experience those steps.
  • Once in the ‘nava kamma‘ stage, a puthujjana starts attaching to the sensory input consciously by engaging in the generation of mano, vaci, and kāya kamma. The vedanā grows rapidly in this stage, and that is what a puthujjana normally experiences as sukha, dukha, or adukkhamasukha (neutral) vedanā.
  • However, now the ‘damage has already been done.’ No matter how much a puthujjana tries to control the ‘nava kamma‘ stage, they will lose that fight at least in some cases.
  • Some ancient yogis like Ālāra Kalāma successfully managed to stop the ‘nava kamma‘ stage by living in forests away from ‘attractive sensory inputs’ and even moved their mind almost to the ‘ajjhatta stage’ and transitioned to the ‘rūpa loka,’ i.e., attained jhāna. However, they were unable to break the ‘kāma rāga saṁyojana,’ and thus were not ‘released from kāma loka.’ If they were able to enter jhāna until their death, they would be reborn in a Brahma realm. However, at the end of the life there, they will ‘return’ to kāma loka (at the human realm), but can be reborn in an apāya after that.
  • Therefore, the key point is that one is not released from the ‘kāma loka‘ until one breaks the kāma rāga saṁyojana by comprehending the ‘whole kamma generation process’ starting with the triggering of avijjā via the ‘kāma saññā.’
  • Even before that, one must fully comprehend the ‘whole kamma generation process’ and eliminate the three diṭṭhi saṁyojana to attain the Sotāpanna stage. Then that Sotāpanna must cultivate Satipaṭṭhāna to attain the Anāgāmi stage by eliminating the kāma rāga saṁyojana to be released from the ‘kāma loka.‘
  • The above is yet another explanation of the steps a puthujjana must comprehend to attain the Sotāpanna stage. I have discussed them previously, too.
‘Dukkha Sacca‘ Is About Stopping the Arising of Even a Trace of Dukha

15. ‘Dukkha‘ in ‘Dukkha Sacca‘ refers to the ‘net suffering’ in the rebirth process (which can be stopped from arising).

  • There can be even long-term sukha vedanā when born in a Deva realm, for example. But such births are rare, and most rebirths are in the apāyās filled with suffering. A series of specific suttās start with the ‘Manussacutiniraya Sutta (SN 56. 102)‘, which explains that, as discussed in #10 of “Rūpa Samudaya – A ‘Colorful World’ Is Created by the Mind.”
  •  The Buddha explained that suffering in the cycle of rebirth is at least maintained by attachment to all three types of vedanā experienced. We attach to all sensory inputs with all three types of vedanā initiated by ‘kāma saññā.’ Even though attachment to ‘neutral vedanā’ may not lead to potent kamma accumulation in the ‘nava kamma‘ stage, we still attach to them, believing they are ‘real’ (while entering the ‘purāna kamma‘ stage).
Summary

16. The key difference in the mindset of a puthujjana versus a Noble Person is the following: 

17. Rejecting the ‘mundane worldview’ (āpāna) and grasping ‘Buddha’s worldview’ (āna) is what elevates a puthujjana to the Sotāpanna status. See “Ānāpāna – Adopting Buddha’s Worldview and Discarding ‘Mundane Views’,” “First Stage of Ānāpānasati – Seeing the Anicca Nature of ‘Kāya’” and “Unique Worldview of a Sotāpanna.”

  • All vedanā (including ‘adukkhamasukha vedanā‘) are mind-made. I discussed that previously, too, in  “Kāma Assāda and Pain Are Mostly Mind-Made.”
  • That is why even the ‘neutral vedanā‘ or ‘adukkhamasukha vedanā‘ must also be overcome. That can happen and can be experienced even during this life if one can enter the Satipaṭṭhāna Bhūmi. This is why Nibbāna is called ‘sandiṭṭhiko.’ Also see “Sandiṭṭhiko – What Does It Mean?” Unlike in major religions, ‘salvation’ is not a promise to be realized after death, but it can be experienced in this life.
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