<p>Neutral feeling can be course in two ways. for normally it course to ignorance (creates Ego). for Buddhas(pure minds) it is not course to ignorance .<br>
For eg. Normal person feels Neutral feeling as i feel.(something).  but for Buddhas its only feeling.</p>

CC BY-SA 3.0
2015-08-21T07:13:23.017Z
2015-08-21T07:13:23.017Z
Shrawaka
<p>Craving can arise in respect to any type of feeling.</p>
<p>There there three types of craving (tanha), namely, craving for sensual pleasures (kama-tanha), craving to be (bhava-tanha) and craving not to be (vibhava-tanha) - <a href="https://www.accesstoinsight.org/tipitaka/sn/sn56/sn56.011.than.html" rel="nofollow noreferrer">SN 56.11</a>.</p>
<p>The word 'craving' is not the opposite of the word 'aversion'. To the contrary, 'aversion' is a type of craving, namely, craving not to be.</p>
<p>Thus, MN 148 says there can be 'gratification' or 'lust' towards neutral feeling.</p>
<blockquote>
<p>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 (<a href="https://suttacentral.net/define/ass%C4%81da?lang=en" rel="nofollow noreferrer">assāda</a>), the danger and the escape in regard
to that feeling, then the underlying tendency to ignorance 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>

CC BY-SA 4.0
2023-12-03T02:24:53.247Z
2023-12-03T02:24:53.247Z
Dhamma Dhatu
<p>There is more subtlety to the mind's relationship to feelings than only craving or aversion. The Vedanās and the underlying tendencies that arise are described in the Pahana Sutta (SN 36.3) like this:</p>

<blockquote>
  <p>In the case of pleasant feelings, O monks, the underlying tendency to lust should be given up; in the case of painful feelings, the underlying tendency to resistance (aversion) should be given up; <strong>in the case of neither-painful-nor-pleasant feelings, the underlying tendency to ignorance should be given up.</strong> <a href="http://www.accesstoinsight.org/tipitaka/sn/sn36/sn36.003.nypo.html" rel="nofollow noreferrer">Pahana Sutta: Giving Up</a></p>
</blockquote>

<p>Neutral feeling can give rise to boredom, restlessness and confusion which are clearly obstacles to insight and equanimity.</p>

CC BY-SA 3.0
2015-08-20T20:21:03.410Z
2015-08-20T20:21:03.410Z
Devindra
<p>Taṇhā doesn't automatically have to relate to neutral feelings. Remember, the twelve links of dependent origination are talking about nessisary causation, not sufficient causation, so when the Buddha says</p>

<blockquote>
  <p>[W]ith feeling as condition, craving [comes to be]</p>
</blockquote>

<p>the meaning is that feeling is necessary for craving to arise, and without feeling, craving can never arise. But it does not mean that if there is feeling, craving will always arise.</p>

CC BY-SA 3.0
2015-08-20T21:37:39.940Z
That's a very good point. The source texts continually surprise me with how explicitly logical and complete they are.
Jeff Wright
CC BY-SA 3.0
2015-08-20T20:16:09.410Z
2015-08-20T20:50:32.097Z
2015-08-20T20:50:32.097Z
Bakmoon
<p>How does craving (taṇhā) manifest with respect to neutral feelings?</p>

<p>In Dependent Origination (or dependent co-arising, however you'd like to call it), it is said that Craving (taṇhā) follows on the heels of Feeling (vedanā). Feeling, in general, is of 3 main types: pleasant, unpleasant, neutral.</p>

<p>I do see how craving/aversion manifests with respect to both pleasant and unpleasant feeling. But how does it relate to neutral feeling? How is it that I either lust after or try to avoid something that is truly neutral?</p>

<pratityasamutpada><tanha><craving>
How does craving (taṇhā) relate to neutral feelings?
# How does craving (taṇhā) relate to neutral feelings?

(Asked by: username_0 on 2015-08-20)

How does craving (taṇhā) manifest with respect to neutral feelings?

In Dependent Origination (or dependent co-arising, however you'd like to call it), it is said that Craving (taṇhā) follows on the heels of Feeling (vedanā). Feeling, in general, is of 3 main types: pleasant, unpleasant, neutral.

I do see how craving/aversion manifests with respect to both pleasant and unpleasant feeling. But how does it relate to neutral feeling? How is it that I either lust after or try to avoid something that is truly neutral?

**Tags:** pratityasamutpada, tanha, craving


---

## 4 answers

### Answer by username_3 on 2015-08-20. Score: 4 | Accepted answer

There is more subtlety to the mind's relationship to feelings than only craving or aversion. The Vedanās and the underlying tendencies that arise are described in the Pahana Sutta (SN 36.3) like this:

> In the case of pleasant feelings, O monks, the underlying tendency to lust should be given up; in the case of painful feelings, the underlying tendency to resistance (aversion) should be given up; **in the case of neither-painful-nor-pleasant feelings, the underlying tendency to ignorance should be given up.** [Pahana Sutta: Giving Up](http://www.accesstoinsight.org/tipitaka/sn/sn36/sn36.003.nypo.html)

Neutral feeling can give rise to boredom, restlessness and confusion which are clearly obstacles to insight and equanimity.


---

### Answer by username_4 on 2015-08-20. Score: 4

Taṇhā doesn't automatically have to relate to neutral feelings. Remember, the twelve links of dependent origination are talking about nessisary causation, not sufficient causation, so when the Buddha says

> [W]ith feeling as condition, craving [comes to be]

the meaning is that feeling is necessary for craving to arise, and without feeling, craving can never arise. But it does not mean that if there is feeling, craving will always arise.

> **Comments:**
> **username_0**: That's a very good point. The source texts continually surprise me with how explicitly logical and complete they are.  

---

### Answer by username_1 on 2015-08-21. Score: 1

Neutral feeling can be course in two ways. for normally it course to ignorance (creates Ego). for Buddhas(pure minds) it is not course to ignorance .  
For eg. Normal person feels Neutral feeling as i feel.(something). but for Buddhas its only feeling.


---

### Answer by username_2 on 2023-12-03. Score: 1

Craving can arise in respect to any type of feeling.

There there three types of craving (tanha), namely, craving for sensual pleasures (kama-tanha), craving to be (bhava-tanha) and craving not to be (vibhava-tanha) - [SN 56.11](https://www.accesstoinsight.org/tipitaka/sn/sn56/sn56.011.than.html).

The word 'craving' is not the opposite of the word 'aversion'. To the contrary, 'aversion' is a type of craving, namely, craving not to be.

Thus, MN 148 says there can be 'gratification' or 'lust' towards neutral feeling.

> 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 ([assāda](https://suttacentral.net/define/ass%C4%81da?lang=en)), 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)


---

