7.
The First Discourse on Many
265.
Then several monks approached the Blessed One;
having approached, they paid respect to the Blessed One and sat down to one side.
Seated to one side, those monks said this to the Blessed One -
"What indeed, venerable sir, is feeling, what is the origin of feeling, what is the cessation of feeling, what is the practice leading to the cessation of feeling?
What is the gratification in feeling, what is the danger, what is the escape?"
"There are these three feelings, monks -
pleasant feeling, unpleasant feeling, neither-unpleasant-nor-pleasant feeling -
these are called, monks, feelings.
From the origin of contact is the origin of feeling;
from the cessation of contact is the cessation of feeling.
It is just this noble eightfold path that is the practice leading to the cessation of feeling, as follows -
right view, etc.
right concentration.
Whatever happiness and pleasure arises dependent on feeling, this is the gratification in feeling.
That feeling is impermanent, suffering, subject to change, this is the danger in feeling.
Whatever is the removal of desire and lust, the abandoning of desire and lust regarding feeling, this is the escape from feeling.
"But, monks, the progressive cessation of activities has been declared by me. For one who has attained the first meditative absorption, speech has ceased, etc. For a monk who has eliminated the mental corruptions, lust has ceased, hate has ceased, delusion has ceased. But, monks, the progressive appeasement of activities has been declared by me. For one who has attained the first meditative absorption, speech has been appeased, etc. For a monk who has eliminated the mental corruptions, lust has been appeased, hate has been appeased, delusion has been appeased. There are these six tranquillities, monks. For one who has attained the first meditative absorption, speech has been calmed. For one who has attained the second meditative absorption, applied and sustained thought have been calmed. For one who has attained the third meditative absorption, rapture has been calmed. For one who has attained the fourth meditative absorption, in-breath and out-breath have been calmed. For one who has attained the cessation of perception and feeling, perception and feeling have been calmed. For a monk who has eliminated the mental corruptions, lust has been calmed, hate has been calmed, delusion has been calmed." The seventh.