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Satipatthana Sutta Study 2. The Contemplation of Feeling The contemplation of feeling most formally applies to amoebic-like responses to stimuli that arise below the level of conscious participation — instantaneous bodily reactions that trigger pleasant, unpleasant, neutral, or indifferent feeling tones. These feeling tones are not volitional. One can’t cause them to happen or not happen, but can observe the way they influence the body and mind. In actual practice, the contemplation of feelings is more often involved a little further along in the process. Mindfulness or attention is turned toward subsequent experiences of grasping or aversion in response or reaction to the felt sense of pleasant, unpleasant, or indifferent. In daily life the process is often only noticed well into a reactive mind state or emotion. Satipatthana Sutta Study - © 2005 - 2007 Mary Rees Sutta text modified from translation by Analayo* Dharma Contemplation inspired by Greg Kramer Contemplative Practice and Lectio Divino *Modifications of translation in small segments with permission by Analayo for practice purposes. Please see his original translation and excellent commentary: Satipatthana : The Direct Path to Realization. Birmingham, UK: Windhorse Publications, 2003. |