<p>SN 41.6 refers to perception &amp; feeling as the '<strong>citta</strong>-sankhara', which means the conditioner of the <strong>mind</strong> (<strong>citta</strong>). What this means is perception &amp; feeling can cause the <strong>mind (citta)</strong> to generate greed, hatred &amp; delusion, as follows:</p>
<blockquote>
<p>Bhikkhus, dependent on the eye and forms, eye-consciousness arises; the meeting of the three is contact; with contact as condition there arises a feeling felt as pleasant or painful or neither-painful-nor-pleasant.</p>
<p>When one is touched by a <strong>pleasant feeling</strong>, if one delights in it, welcomes it, and remains holding to it, then the underlying <strong>tendency to lust</strong> lies within one.</p>
<p>When one is touched by a <strong>painful feeling</strong>, if one sorrows, grieves and laments, weeps beating one’s breast and becomes distraught, then the underlying <strong>tendency to aversion</strong> lies within one.</p>
<p>When one is touched by a <strong>neither-painful-nor-pleasant feeling</strong>, if one does not understand as it actually is the origination, the disappearance, the gratification, the danger, and the escape in regard to that feeling, then the underlying <strong>tendency to ignorance</strong> lies within one.</p>
<p><a href="https://suttacentral.net/mn148/en/bodhi?lang=en&amp;reference=none&amp;highlight=false" rel="nofollow noreferrer">MN 148</a></p>
</blockquote>
<p>Importantly, SN 41.6 says:</p>
<blockquote>
<p>Saññā ca vedanā ca <strong>cetasikā</strong>. Ete dhammā <strong>citta</strong>ppaṭibaddhā</p>
<p>Perception and feeling are <strong>mental</strong>. They’re tied up with the
<strong>mind</strong>.</p>
</blockquote>
<p>Note: the words cetasikā <a href="https://suttacentral.net/define/ceto?lang=en" rel="nofollow noreferrer">(ceto) and citta</a> are synonymous.</p>
<p>SN 36.6 says:</p>
<blockquote>
<p>They experience two <strong>feelings</strong>:</p>
<p>So dve <strong>vedanā</strong> vedayati—</p>
<p><strong>physical</strong> and <strong>mental</strong>.</p>
<p><strong>kāyika</strong>ñca, <strong>cetasika</strong>ñca.</p>
</blockquote>
<p>In summary, SN 41.6 is only about mental (cetasika) feelings. It is not about physical (kāyika) feelings. The purpose of SN 41.6 is to explain how mental feeling &amp; perception condition the citta (mind-heart). In other words, as explained in SN 36.6, physical (kāyika) feelings alone cannot condition (sankhara) the mind-heart (citta).</p>
<p>For more detail about physical &amp; mental feelings, refer to <a href="https://suttacentral.net/sn48.37/en/sujato?lang=en&amp;layout=linebyline&amp;reference=none&amp;notes=none&amp;highlight=false&amp;script=latin#4.2" rel="nofollow noreferrer">SN 48.37</a>.</p>

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2024-08-02T02:32:46.640Z
2024-08-02T02:49:06.577Z
2024-08-02T02:49:06.577Z
Dhamma Dhatu
<p><a href="https://www.accesstoinsight.org/tipitaka/sn/sn36/sn36.006.than.html" rel="nofollow noreferrer">Sallatha Sutta</a> says:</p>
<p>&quot;Now, the well-instructed disciple of the noble ones, when touched with a feeling of pain, does not sorrow, grieve, or lament, does not beat his breast or become distraught. <strong>So he feels one pain: physical, but not mental.</strong></p>
<p>But according to <a href="https://www.dhammatalks.org/suttas/SN/SN41_6.html" rel="nofollow noreferrer">SN 41.6 With Kāmabhū (On the Cessation of Perception &amp; Feeling)</a>:</p>
<blockquote>
<p>Perceptions &amp; feelings are mental;</p>
</blockquote>
<p>Do you think the use of the physical-mental dichotomy is misleading for those familiar with SN41.6?  Or make us think about anything in particular?  It just seems like if you cross the two discourses the problem arises...</p>

CC BY-SA 4.0
2024-08-02T02:26:53.607Z
BE. Please do not delete your question again. Yesterday, I answered it but it disappeared. thanks
Dhamma Dhatu
CC BY-SA 4.0
2024-08-02T04:22:11.543Z
@user66697 what is nsp?
blue_ego
<sutras><feelings>
Is Sallatha Sutta's mental-physical paradigm confusing?
# Is Sallatha Sutta's mental-physical paradigm confusing?

(Asked by: username_0 on 2024-08-02)

[Sallatha Sutta](https://www.accesstoinsight.org/tipitaka/sn/sn36/sn36.006.than.html) says:

"Now, the well-instructed disciple of the noble ones, when touched with a feeling of pain, does not sorrow, grieve, or lament, does not beat his breast or become distraught. **So he feels one pain: physical, but not mental.**

But according to [SN 41.6 With Kāmabhū (On the Cessation of Perception & Feeling)](https://www.dhammatalks.org/suttas/SN/SN41_6.html):

> Perceptions & feelings are mental;

Do you think the use of the physical-mental dichotomy is misleading for those familiar with SN41.6? Or make us think about anything in particular? It just seems like if you cross the two discourses the problem arises...

**Tags:** sutras, feelings

> **Comments:**
> **username_1**: BE. Please do not delete your question again. Yesterday, I answered it but it disappeared. thanks  
> **username_0**: @user66697 what is nsp?  

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## 1 answers

### Answer by username_1 on 2024-08-02. Score: 1 | Accepted answer

SN 41.6 refers to perception & feeling as the '**citta**-sankhara', which means the conditioner of the **mind** (**citta**). What this means is perception & feeling can cause the **mind (citta)** to generate greed, hatred & delusion, as follows:

> Bhikkhus, dependent on the eye and forms, eye-consciousness arises; the meeting of the three is contact; with contact as condition there arises a feeling felt as pleasant or painful or neither-painful-nor-pleasant.
>
> When one is touched by a **pleasant feeling**, if one delights in it, welcomes it, and remains holding to it, then the underlying **tendency to lust** lies within one.
>
> When one is touched by a **painful feeling**, if one sorrows, grieves and laments, weeps beating one’s breast and becomes distraught, then the underlying **tendency to aversion** lies within one.
>
> When one is touched by a **neither-painful-nor-pleasant feeling**, if one does not understand as it actually is the origination, the disappearance, the gratification, the danger, and the escape in regard to that feeling, then the underlying **tendency to ignorance** lies within one.
>
> [MN 148](https://suttacentral.net/mn148/en/bodhi?lang=en&reference=none&highlight=false)

Importantly, SN 41.6 says:

> Saññā ca vedanā ca **cetasikā**. Ete dhammā **citta**ppaṭibaddhā
>
> Perception and feeling are **mental**. They’re tied up with the
> **mind**.

Note: the words cetasikā [(ceto) and citta](https://suttacentral.net/define/ceto?lang=en) are synonymous.

SN 36.6 says:

> They experience two **feelings**:
>
> So dve **vedanā** vedayati—
>
> **physical** and **mental**.
>
> **kāyika**ñca, **cetasika**ñca.

In summary, SN 41.6 is only about mental (cetasika) feelings. It is not about physical (kāyika) feelings. The purpose of SN 41.6 is to explain how mental feeling & perception condition the citta (mind-heart). In other words, as explained in SN 36.6, physical (kāyika) feelings alone cannot condition (sankhara) the mind-heart (citta).

For more detail about physical & mental feelings, refer to [SN 48.37](https://suttacentral.net/sn48.37/en/sujato?lang=en&layout=linebyline&reference=none¬es=none&highlight=false&script=latin#4.2).


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