5.2. Dukkha-vedanā

This is an exercise to learn to recognize dukkhavedanā coming from six sense experience.

For this exercise, again it is best to get up and walk around, as you will need to access lots of different sights, sounds, smells, and tastes.

We are focusing on, dukkhavedanā, the unpleasant feeling tone which can occur with any experience, the unpleasantness 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 dukkhavedanā resulting from seeing.

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

Look around. You might get dukkhavedanā from a harsh light, some ugly scenery, a withered or dead plant, a sick or dead animal, anything rotting or decaying, garbage, a messy place, animal dung, sewage, bad design, etc.

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

The unpleasantness of seeing is very simple, it's something that we experience frequently every day. But it is very subtle, and we normally don't pay attention to it.

Normally, we are focused on the object which looks bad. Now we're specifically zooming in and focusing on the unpleasantness which occurs when seeing, not the sight itself.

As you recognize the unpleasantness, note to yourself, dukkhavedanā, or dukkha, or unpleasant, whatever language is natural for you.

Once you have identified the dukkhavedanā from this sight, move on, find another sight which gives the same unpleasantness when seen.

Learn to identify this unpleasantness that arises from seeing a sight.

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Ear

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

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

Listen around. You might get dukkhavedanā from construction sounds, a dog barking, shouting, screaming, arguing, bad music, a loud car horn, an eerie bird call, a squeaking door or chair, someone chewing noisily, etc.

Find anything that gives you an immediate unpleasant 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 dukkhavedanā.

The unpleasantness of hearing is very simple, it's something that we experience frequently every day. But it is very subtle, and we normally don't pay attention to it.

Normally, we are focused on the object which sounds bad. Now we're specifically zooming in and focusing on the unpleasantness which occurs when hearing, not the sound itself.

As you recognize the unpleasantness, note to yourself, dukkhavedanā, or dukkha, or unpleasant, whatever language is natural for you.

Once you have identified the dukkhavedanā from this sound, move on, find another sound which gives the same unpleasantness when heard.

Learn to identify this unpleasantness that arises from hearing a sound.

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Nose

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

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

Sniff around. You might get dukkhavedanā from the smell of rotting food, garbage, human excrement, sewage water, burning plastic, mould or damp, strong chemical smells, body odour, cheap perfume, smoke, cigarettes, exhaust fumes, etc.

If you cannot find a smell in your immediate environment, then go and look for one. Toilets are full of bad smells.

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

The unpleasantness of smelling is very simple, it's something that we experience frequently every day. But it is very subtle, and we normally don't pay attention to it.

Normally, we are focused on the object which smell bad. Now we're specifically zooming in and focusing on the unpleasantness that comes from smelling, not the smell itself.

As you recognize the unpleasantness, note to yourself, dukkhavedanā, or dukkha, or unpleasant, whatever language is natural for you.

Once you have identified the dukkhavedanā from this smell, move on, find another odour which gives the same unpleasantness when smelled.

Learn to identify this unpleasantness that arises from smelling a scent.

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Tongue

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

Find something to taste. Anything you can put in your mouth to create an unpleasant taste experience.

You might get dukkhavedanā from a neem leaf, sour milk, bitter black tea, lemon, anything extremely salty, sour or bitter, chemical tastes, any food which you dislike, etc.

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

The unpleasantness of tasting is very simple, it's something that we experience frequently every day. But it is very subtle, and we normally don't pay attention to it.

Normally, we are focused on the object which tastes bad. Now we're specifically zooming in and focusing on the unpleasantness which occurs when tasting, not the taste itself.

As you recognize the unpleasantness, note to yourself, dukkhavedanā, or dukkha, or unpleasant, whatever language is natural for you.

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

Learn to identify this unpleasantness that arises from tasting a flavour.

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Body

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

For this you don't need to go anywhere or do anything. The body is always full of unpleasant sensations.

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

You might get dukkhavedanā from a cut, a bruise, a stubbed toe, a pinprick, a splinter, extreme heat or cold, itching, cramps, stiffness, numbness, pins and needles, stomach pain, physical tiredness, harsh or scratchy materials, sitting pain, walking barefoot on rough ground, thirst, hunger, etc. There are so many dukkhavedanā to be found in the body.

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

If there is no obvious unpleasant sensation in the body right now, then generate one.

The unpleasantness of physical sensation is very simple, it's something that we experience frequently every day. But it is very subtle, and we normally don't pay attention to it.

Normally, we are focused on the sensation which feels bad. Now we're specifically zooming in and focusing on the unpleasantness which occurs when feeling a sensation, not the sensation itself.

As you recognize the unpleasantness, note to yourself, dukkhavedanā, or dukkha, or unpleasant, whatever language is natural for you.

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

Learn to identify this unpleasantness that arises from feeling a physical sensation.

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Mind

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

Notice anything in the mind that is immediately unpleasant, something that the mere thought of gives you an unpleasant feeling.

You might get dukkhavedanā from thinking of someone you dislike, a recent argument, an unpleasant situation, a moment of embarrassment, something which makes you anxious, apprehensive or uncertain, fear, a situation which in your life which is complex and difficult to resolve, a mistake that you made, loss of friends, family or loved ones, etc. There are so many mental experiences which result in dukkhavedanā.

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

The unpleasantness of mental experience is very simple, it's something that we experience frequently every day. But it is very subtle, and we normally don't pay attention to it.

Normally, we are focused on the mood, the thought or story which feels bad. Now we're specifically zooming in and focusing on the unpleasantness which occurs in the mind, not the mood or thought itself.

As you recognize the unpleasantness, note to yourself, dukkhavedanā, or dukkha, or unpleasant, whatever language is natural for you.

Once you have identified the dukkhavedanā from this mental experience, move on, find another thought which gives the same unpleasantness when brought to mind.

Learn to identify this unpleasantness that arises from knowing a mental experience.

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Open Awareness

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

Know whatever is happening in the six sense fields right here, right now.

Notice anything that you find immediately unpleasant, something that the mere experience of gives you an unpleasant feeling.

The unpleasantness of experience is very simple, it's something that we experience frequently every day. But it is very subtle, and we normally don't pay attention to it.

Normally, we are focused on the object of experience. Now we're specifically zooming in and focusing on the unpleasantness which occurs when experiencing, not the experience itself.

As you recognize the unpleasantness, note to yourself, dukkhavedanā, or dukkha, or unpleasant, whatever language is natural for you.

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

Learn to identify this unpleasantness that arises from experience.

Spend some time noticing the unpleasantness that comes from any six sense experience, the very immediate distaste, aversion or repulsion that you have to something happening.

The Pāḷi for this is dukkhavedanā, unpleasant vedanā.

Learn to identify this as it is happening.