5.5. Eighteen Types of Vedanā

This meditation on the eighteen types of vedanā is an excellent exercise in open awareness and noting.

I cannot recommend it highly enough for developing firstly, very powerful, continuous, present moment awareness, and secondly, detailed analysis and discernment of experience according to the Dhamma.

In short, it combines satisambojjhaṅga and dhammavicāyasambhojjaṅga into a potent exercise. All you need to do is sustain the effort to reap the rewards of this practice.

There is nothing new here, merely a new combination of things which you are already familiar with. One, naming the channel of experience, and two, naming the type of vedanā.

Let's go through it step by step.

When seeing, immediately label the experience as cakkhu, eye channel or eye.

If it is a pleasant experience, label it as pleasant or sukha. Eye pleasant, or cakkhu sukha, as your prefer.

If it is an unpleasant experience, label it as dukkha or unpleasant. Eye unpleasant, or cakkhu dukkha.

If it is a neutral experience, adukham-asukha-vedanā is by far the most common type, label it is eye neutral, or, cakkhu neva.

Pay attention to your visual experiences for a while — note the channel and note the vedanā.

When hearing, immediately label the experience as sota, ear channel or ear.

If it is a pleasant experience, label it as pleasant or sukha. Ear pleasant, or sota sukha, as your prefer.

If it is an unpleasant experience, label it as dukkha or unpleasant. Ear unpleasant, or sota dukkha.

If it is a neutral experience, adukham-asukha-vedanā is by far the most common type, label it is ear neutral, or, sota neva.

Pay attention to your auditory experiences for a while — note the channel and note the vedanā.

When smelling, immediately label the experience as ghāna, nose channel or nose.

If it is a pleasant experience, label it as pleasant or sukha. Nose pleasant, or ghāna sukha, as your prefer.

If it is an unpleasant experience, label it as dukkha or unpleasant. Nose unpleasant, or ghāna dukkha.

If it is a neutral experience, adukham-asukha-vedanā is by far the most common type, label it is nose neutral, or, ghāna neva.

Pay attention to your olfactory experiences for a while — note the channel and note the vedanā.

When tasting, immediately label the experience as jivhā, tongue channel or tongue.

If it is a pleasant experience, label it as pleasant or sukha. Tongue pleasant, or jivhā sukha, as your prefer.

If it is an unpleasant experience, label it as dukkha or unpleasant. Tongue unpleasant, or jivhā dukkha.

If it is a neutral experience, adukham-asukha-vedanā is by far the most common type, label it is tongue neutral, or, jivhā neva.

Pay attention to your taste experiences for a while — note the channel and note the vedanā.

When feeling a physical sedation, immediately label the experience as kāya, body channel or body.

If it is a pleasant experience, label it as pleasant or sukha. Body pleasant, or kāya sukha, as your prefer.

If it is an unpleasant experience, label it as dukkha or unpleasant. Body unpleasant, or kāya dukkha.

If it is a neutral experience, adukham-asukha-vedanā is by far the most common type, label it is body neutral, or, kāya neva.

Pay attention to your bodily experiences for a while — note the channel and note the vedanā.

When cognizing any mental phenomena, immediately label the experience as mano, mind channel or mind.

If it is a pleasant experience, label it as pleasant or sukha. Mind pleasant, or mano sukha, as your prefer.

If it is an unpleasant experience, label it as dukkha or unpleasant. Mind unpleasant, or mano dukkha.

If it is a neutral experience, adukham-asukha-vedanā is by far the most common type, label it is mind neutral, or, mano neva.

Pay attention to your mental experiences for a while — note the channel and note the vedanā.

With each and every experience, name the channel.

If it is a pleasant experience, label it as pleasant or sukha.

If it is an unpleasant experience, label it as dukkha or unpleasant.

If it is a neutral experience, label it is neutral or adukham-asukha. or neva .

Keep noting the channel, noting the vedanā.

These are the eighteen types of vedanā, six sense fields, each with three types of possible vedanā.

First name the channel, then name the vedanā.

What channel are you experiencing right now?

What type of vedanā?

Note it as quick as you can and move on to the next experience which grabs your attention.

Eye, ear, nose, tongue, body, mind.

Pleasant, unpleasant, neutral.

These are the eighteen possibilities.

Keep diligently noting each channel of experience, each type of vedanā.

Find a good pace that you can maintain for the whole day.

Noting the channel, noting the vedanā.

Persist with this practice, as long as you can.

Then take a short break with open awareness.

Then get back to work.

Noting the channel, noting the vedanā.

Build up your mental stamina, so that you can keep going with this for long periods of time.

Take breaks as required, then back to work.

Noting the channel, noting the vedanā.

Put in the effort, so you can reap the rewards of this exercise.

Apply your effort. ātāpī sampajāno satimā.

Keep noting the channel, noting the vedanā.

What channel are you experiencing right now?

What type of vedanā?

Note it and move on to the next experience.

Keep going like this.

Noting the channel, noting the vedanā.