5.1. Sukha-vedanā

This is an exercise to learn to recognize sukhavedanā coming from experience of each of the six senses.

For this exercise it is best to get up and walk around, as you will need to access lots of different sights, sounds, smells, and tastes. Of course bodily and mental experiences are available right where you are, wherever you are.

What we are focusing on, sukhavedanā is the pleasant feeling tone that comes with any experience, the pleasantness of the experience itself. It comes so fast that it seems to be packaged together with the experience, it is immediate, experienceable, requires no thought or artificial analysis.

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Eye

Let's pay attention to sukhavedanā resulting from seeing.

Take a look around you, all around you—left, right, above and below—and notice anything that you see that is immediately pleasant, something that the mere sight of gives you a pleasant feeling.

Look around. You might enjoy beautiful scenery, the patterns on a leaf, a spider's web, a painting, the decorations or patterns on a object, a flower, the open sky, etc.

Find anything that gives you an immediate pleasant feeling, just from the sight of it.

The pleasantness of seeing is very simple, it's nothing complicated, it's something that we experience thousands of times a day. But it is very subtle, and we normally don't pay attention to it.

Normally we are focused on the objects which we see. Now we're specifically zooming in and focusing on the pleasantness that comes with seeing.

As you recognize the pleasantness, note to yourself, sukhavedanā, or sukha, or pleasant, whatever language is natural for you.

Once you have identified the sukhavedanā from this sight, move on, find another sight which gives the same pleasantness when seeing.

Learn to identify the pleasantness that arises from seeing a sight.

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Ear

Now we're going to pay attention to sukhavedanā resulting from hearing.

Continue walking around, and listen carefully to every sound. Notice anything that you hear that is immediately pleasant, something that the mere sound of gives you a pleasant feeling.

Listen around. You might enjoy the sound of birds, water, crickets, or nature. If you are a layperson, you might enjoy the sound of music.

Find anything that gives you an immediate pleasant feeling, just from the sound of it.

If you cannot find a sound in your environment, then make one. Generate a sound that gives you sukhavedanā.

The pleasantness of hearing is very simple, it's nothing complicated, it's something that we experience thousands of times a day. But it is very subtle, and we normally don't pay attention to it.

Normally we are focused on the objects which we hear. Now we're specifically zooming in and focusing on the pleasantness that comes with hearing.

As you recognize the pleasantness, note to yourself, sukhavedanā, or sukha, or pleasant, whatever language is natural for you.

Once you have identified the sukhavedanā from this sound, move on, find another sound which gives the same pleasantness when hearing.

Learn to identify the pleasantness that arises from hearing a sound.

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Nose

Now we're going to pay attention to sukhavedanā resulting from smelling.

Continue walking around, smelling everything. Notice anything that you smell that is immediately pleasant, something that the mere whiff of gives you a pleasant feeling.

Sniff around. You might enjoy the smell of freshly mowed lawn, a flower, incense, fruits or spices.

If you cannot find a smell in your immediate environment, then go and find one. Kitchens are full of good smells.

Find anything that gives you an immediate pleasant feeling, just from the smell of it.

The pleasantness of smelling is very simple, it's nothing complicated, it's something that we experience thousands of times a day. But it is very subtle, and we normally don't pay attention to it.

Normally we are focused on the objects which we smell. Now we're specifically zooming in and focusing on the pleasantness that comes from smelling.

As you recognize the pleasantness, note to yourself, sukhavedanā, or sukha, or pleasant, whatever language is natural for you.

Once you have identified the sukhavedanā from this smell, move on, find another odour which gives the same pleasantness when smelling.

Learn to identify the pleasantness that arises from smelling a scent.

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Tongue

Now we're going to pay attention to sukhavedanā resulting from taste.

Find something to taste. Anything you can put in your mouth to create a pleasant taste experience. Perhaps you like something sweet, sugar or jaggery. Perhaps you like sour tastes, like lemon or orange.

If you cannot find a taste in your immediate environment, then go and find one. Kitchens are full of good tastes.

Find anything that gives you an immediate pleasant feeling, just from the taste of it.

The pleasantness of tasting is very simple, it's nothing complicated, it's something that we experience thousands of times a day. But it is very subtle, and we normally don't pay attention to it.

Normally we are focused on the objects which we taste. Now we're specifically zooming in and focusing on the pleasantness that comes with tasting.

As you recognize the pleasantness, note to yourself, sukhavedanā, or sukha, or pleasant, whatever language is natural for you.

Once you have identified the sukhavedanā from this taste, move on, find another flavour which gives the same pleasantness when tasted.

Learn to identify the pleasantness that arises from tasting a flavour.

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Body

Now we're going to pay attention to sukhavedanā resulting from physical experience.

For this you don't need to go anywhere or do anything. The body is always full of sensations right where you are, wherever you are.

Notice any physical sensation that you feel that is immediately pleasant, something that the mere touch of gives you a pleasant feeling.

It might be a feeling of relaxation, or a comfortable posture, or strength or energy.

If there is no obvious pleasant sensation in the body, then generate one. Create any pleasant touch sensation, for example, stroke the hairs on your arm, massage your forehead, stretch a muscle, push some pressure point, go into the sunshine if it is cold, or turn on a fan if it is hot—anything that provides you with an immediate pleasant feeling in the body.

Find anything that gives you an immediate pleasant feeling, just from the touch of it.

The pleasantness of physical sensation is very simple, it's nothing complicated, it's something that we experience thousands of times a day. But it is very subtle, and we normally don't pay attention to it.

Normally we are focused on the objects of physical sensation. Now we're specifically zooming in and focusing on the pleasantness that comes with the physical sensation.

As you recognize the pleasantness, note to yourself, sukhavedanā, or sukha, or pleasant, whatever language is natural for you.

Once you have identified the sukhavedanā from this physical sensation, move on, find another sensation which gives the same pleasantness when felt.

Learn to identify the pleasantness that arises from feeling a physical sensation.

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Mind

Now we're going to pay attention to sukhavedanā resulting from mental experience.

For this you don't need to go anywhere or do anything. The mind is always active with phenomena day and night.

Notice anything that you think that is immediately pleasant, something that the mere thought of gives you a pleasant feeling.

If there is no obvious pleasant sensation in the mind, then generate one. Think of someone you like, a funny situation which occurred, the feeling of friendliness without limit, etc. —anything that provides you with an immediate pleasant feeling in the mind.

Find anything that gives you an immediate pleasant feeling, just from the thought of it.

The pleasantness of mental experience is very simple, it's nothing complicated, it's something that we experience thousands of times a day. But it is very subtle, and we normally don't pay attention to it.

Normally we are focused on the objects of mental experience, or the stories. Now we're specifically zooming in and focusing on the pleasantness that comes with the mental experience.

As you recognize the pleasantness, note to yourself, sukhavedanā, or sukha, or pleasant, whatever language is natural for you.

Once you have identified the sukhavedanā from this mental experience, move on, find another thought which gives the same pleasantness when thinking.

Learn to identify the pleasantness that arises from cognizing a mental experience.

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Open Awareness

Now we're going to come back to open awareness, and pay attention to sukhavedanā resulting from any experience.

Experience whatever is happening in the six sense fields right where you are.

Notice anything that you find immediately pleasant, something that the mere experience of gives you a pleasant feeling.

The pleasantness of experience is very simple, it's nothing complicated, it's something that we experience thousands of times a day. But it is very subtle, and we normally don't pay attention to it.

Normally we are focused on the objects of experience. Now we're specifically zooming in and focusing on the pleasantness that comes with experience.

As you recognize the pleasantness, note to yourself, sukhavedanā, or sukha, or pleasant, whatever language is natural for you.

Once you have identified the sukhavedanā from this experience, move on, find another experience which gives the same pleasantness.

Learn to identify the pleasantness that arises from experience.

Spend some time noticing the pleasantness that comes from any six sense experience, the very immediate attraction that you have to something happening.

The Pāḷi for this is sukhavedanā, pleasant vedanā.

Learn to identify this as it is happening.