6.2. Vedanā are Anicca

This is a practical exercise in learning to recognize how all vedanā are impermanent.

To do this we will

1. name the channel of experience,
2. name the type of vedanā,
3. and recognize that it is anicca.

Let's go through it step by step to clearly identify that all vedanā are anicca.

When any experience occurs,

First note the channel. Eye, ear, nose, tongue, body, or mind.

Then note the vedanā, pleasant, unpleasant or neutral, sukha, dukkha, adukkham-asukha or neva.

Then recognize that the vedanā is impermanent, it arises, it changes, it disappears. vedanā aniccā.

Let's start with the sense of sight.

Open your eyes and take a look around you.

When seeing something, note the channel as cakkhu, eye channel or eye.

Then note the vedanā, pleasant or sukha, unpleasant or dukkha, neutral adukkham-asukha or neva.

Then recognize that the vedanā is impermanent, it arises, it changes, it disappears. vedanā aniccā.

As a new experience arises, vedanā changes. As the experience evolves, vedanā changes. As an experience ends and disappears, vedanā changes.

Pay attention to your visual experiences in this way for a minute.

All vedanā that arise from seeing are anicca.

Let's move on to the sense of hearing.

Take a listen to the sounds around you.

When hearing something, note the channel as sota, or ear channel, or ear.

Then note the vedanā, pleasant or sukha, unpleasant or dukkha, neutral adukkham-asukha or neva.

Then recognize that the vedanā is impermanent, it arises, it changes, it disappears. vedanā aniccā.

As a new experience arises, vedanā changes. As the experience evolves, vedanā changes. As an experience ends and disappears, vedanā changes.

Pay attention to your auditory experiences in this way for a minute.

See for yourself that vedanā that arise from hearing are anicca.

Let's move on to the sense of smell.

Take a deep inhalation and smell your environment.

When smelling something, note the channel as ghāna, nose channel, or nose.

Then note the vedanā, pleasant or sukha, unpleasant or dukkha, neutral adukkham-asukha or neva.

Most importantly recognize that the vedanā is impermanent, it arises, it changes, it disappears. vedanā aniccā.

As a new experience arises, vedanā changes. As the experience evolves, vedanā changes. As an experience ends and disappears, vedanā changes.

Pay attention to your smelling experiences in this way for a minute.

All vedanā that arise from smelling are anicca.

Let's move on to the sense of taste.

Taste whatever is in your mouth right now.

When tasting something, note the channel as jivhā, or tongue channel, or tongue.

Then note the vedanā, pleasant or sukha, unpleasant or dukkha, neutral adukkham-asukha or neva.

Then recognize that the vedanā is impermanent, it arises, it changes, it disappears. vedanā aniccā.

As a new experience arises, vedanā changes. As the experience evolves, vedanā changes. As an experience ends and disappears, vedanā changes.

Pay attention to your taste experiences in this way for a minute.

All vedanā that arise from tasting are anicca.

Let's move on to tactile sense.

Feel your body, it is full of physical sensations.

When feeling a physical sensation, note the channel as kāya, body channel, or body.

Then note the type of vedanā, pleasant or sukha, unpleasant or dukkha, neutral adukkham-asukha or neva.

Then recognize that the vedanā is impermanent, it arises, it changes, it disappears. vedanā aniccā.

As a new experience arises, vedanā changes. As the experience evolves, vedanā changes. As an experience ends and disappears, vedanā changes.

Pay attention to your bodily experiences in this way for a minute.

All vedanā that arise from feeling physical sensations are anicca.

Finally we come to the mind.

Give full attention to your mental experiences, they are always changing.

When knowing some mental phenomena, note the channel as mano, mind channel, or mind.

Then note the vedanā, pleasant or sukha, unpleasant or dukkha, neutral adukkham-asukha or neva.

Then recognize that the vedanā is impermanent, it arises, it changes, it disappears. vedanā aniccā.

As a new experience arises, vedanā changes. As the experience evolves, vedanā changes. As an experience ends and disappears, vedanā changes.

Pay attention to your mental experiences in this way for a minute.

See for yourself, all vedanā that arise from mental experience are anicca.

Now come back to open awareness.

Pay attention to anything to whatever is happening right now.

First note the channel. Eye, ear, nose, tongue, body, or mind.

Then note the vedanā, pleasant or sukha, unpleasant or dukkha, neutral adukkham-asukha or neva.

Then recognize that the vedanā is impermanent, it arises, it changes, it disappears. vedanā aniccā.

As a new experience arises, vedanā changes. As the experience evolves, vedanā changes. As an experience ends and disappears, vedanā changes.

Keep on paying attention to your experiences in this way.

See for yourself, all vedanā are anicca.

Keep training yourself to recognize all vedanā as anicca.

First name the channel of experience

Then name the type of vedanā.

Then recognize that it is anicca, it arise, changes and disappears.

All vedanā are anicca.