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SN 36.8 
Vedanā Saṁyutta  
Connected Discourses On Feelings 
Sagāthā Vagga 
The Sections with Verses 
 
Dutiya Gelañña Sutta  
“The Sick Bay – Part 2” 
 
Translated by Bhikkhu Candana 
Copyright © Bhikkhu Candana 2023 
 
Once, while The Blessed One was living in Vesālī’s ‘Great Forest,’ He stayed at the Big House 
with the Peaked Roof. There, on one of the evenings, The Blessed One came out from his 
meditative seclusion and went to the sick bay, within the monastery.  
Once there, He sat down on His prepared seat and addressed the Bhikkhus who were there, by 
saying: 
 
“Bhikkhus, a Bhikkhu should completely fill up his time with mindfulness, while being fully 
alert, and with clear understanding. This is my instruction for you. 
“And how, Bhikkhus, does a Bhikkhu completely fill up his time with mindfulness?  
“Here, Bhikkhus, the Bhikkhu is fully attentive, carefully staying with the most pronounced 
bodily experience, while being mindful of the body in all its transitions and states, striving 
ardently but without having any thoughts of longing or hatred towards the world.  
“Similarly, the Bhikkhu is fully attentive, carefully staying with the most pronounced feeling that 
is occurring; mindful of feelings in all their transitions, striving ardently but without having any 
thoughts of longing or hatred towards the world.  
“Similarly, the Bhikkhu is fully attentive, carefully staying with the most pronounced state that is 
occurring within the Citta (Heart); mindful of it in all its transitions and states, striving ardently 
but without having any thoughts of longing or hatred towards the world.  
“Similarly, the Bhikkhu is fully attentive, carefully staying with the most pronounced 
phenomena, along with their relationships that he detects are occurring; mindful of them in all 
their transitions, striving ardently but without having any thoughts of longing or hatred towards 
the world.

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“That, Bhikkhus, is how a Bhikkhu completely fills up his time with mindfulness. 
“And how, Bhikkhus, is a Bhikkhu fully alert, and with clear understanding?  
 
“Here, Bhikkhus, whether in moving forward or walking back, the Bhikkhu behaves with clear 
understanding and complete alertness. While looking forward, around him, or in any direction, 
the Bhikkhu behaves with clear understanding and complete alertness. While bending and 
stretching his body, the Bhikkhu behaves with clear understanding and complete alertness. While 
putting on and wearing his robes, his outer robe, and his alms bowl, the Bhikkhu behaves with 
clear understanding and complete alertness. While eating and drinking, chewing, and tasting his 
food, the Bhikkhu behaves with clear understanding and complete alertness. While urinating and 
defecating, the Bhikkhu behaves with clear understanding and complete alertness. While 
walking, standing, sitting, sleeping, waking up, and whether speaking or keeping silent, the 
Bhikkhu behaves with clear understanding and complete alertness.  
 
“Therefore, Bhikkhus, a Bhikkhu should completely fill up his time with mindfulness, while 
being fully alert, and with understanding. This is my instruction for you. 
 
1. “Now, Bhikkhus, when the Bhikkhu lives while being fully attentive, carefully staying with 
his feelings, he closely observes whenever he experiences a pleasant or happy feeling, as he 
knows:  
‘This feeling I’m experiencing is a pleasant or a happy one. Such a feeling is dependent on 
various factors and is therefore conditioned; it is not independent. 
“But dependent on what exactly? 
“It is dependent and conditioned by the presence of this very contact, which, by the way, is 
impermanent itself, as it is also conditioned by other factors, and therefore, also dependently 
present, now, in this state.  
“So, this pleasant or happy feeling that I’m experiencing now, I know is the result of and 
dependent on this contact, which is itself impermanent and conditioned by other factors; hence, 
if the contact is dependently present, then how could I consider this feeling I’m having to still be 
permanent?’  
 
 “He then continues carefully looking at the impermanent nature of both this contact and the 
pleasant feeling being experienced through it; similarly, he carefully looks at the vanishing 
nature of both the contact and the pleasant feeling, as he continues carefully observing the 
dispassionate attitude that arises in him towards these two. Further, he observes closely the 
cessation of both the contact and the pleasant feeling, and as a result, he experiences 
relinquishment, as he gives up both the contact and the pleasant feeling altogether. This too, he 
carefully observes. 
 
“Now, as he closely engages in his observation thus, the underlying lustful tendencies that are 
generated due to having contact and experiencing pleasant feelings, are both abandoned by him. 
 
2. “Further, Bhikkhus, when the Bhikkhu lives while being fully attentive, carefully staying with 
his feelings, he closely observes whenever he experiences a painful or unhappy feeling, as he 
knows:

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‘This feeling I’m experiencing is a painful or an unhappy one. Such a feeling is dependent on 
various factors and is therefore conditioned; it is not independent.  
“But dependent on what exactly? 
“It is dependent and conditioned by the presence of this very contact, which, by the way, is 
impermanent itself, as it is also conditioned by other factors, and therefore, also dependently 
present, now, in this state.  
“So, this painful or unhappy feeling that I’m experiencing now, I know is the result of and 
dependent on this contact, which is itself impermanent and conditioned by other factors; hence, 
if the contact is dependently present, then how could I consider this feeling I’m having to still be 
permanent?’  
 
 “He then continues carefully looking at the impermanent nature of both this contact and the 
painful or unhappy feeling being experienced through it; similarly, he carefully looks at the 
vanishing nature of both the contact and the painful feeling, as he continues carefully observing 
the dispassionate attitude that arises in him towards these two. Further, he observes closely the 
cessation of both the contact and the painful feeling, and as a result, he experiences 
relinquishment, as he gives up both the contact and the painful feeling altogether. This too, he 
carefully observes. 
 
“Now, as he closely engages in his observation thus, the underlying hateful tendencies that are 
generated due to having contact and experiencing painful or unhappy feelings, are both 
abandoned by him. 
 
3. “Further, Bhikkhus, when the Bhikkhu lives while being fully attentive, carefully staying with 
his feelings, he closely observes whenever he experiences a neutral feeling, as he knows:  
‘This feeling I’m experiencing is a neutral one. Such a feeling is dependent on various factors 
and is therefore conditioned; it is not independent.  
“But dependent on what exactly? 
“It is dependent and conditioned by the presence of this very contact, which, by the way, is 
impermanent itself, as it is also conditioned by other factors, and therefore, also dependently 
present, now, in this state.  
“So, this neutral feeling that I’m experiencing now, I know is the result of and dependent on this 
contact, which is itself impermanent and conditioned by other factors; hence, if the contact is 
dependently present, then how could I consider this feeling I’m having to still be permanent?’  
 
 “He then continues carefully looking at the impermanent nature of both this contact and the 
neutral feeling being experienced through it; similarly, he carefully looks at the vanishing nature 
of both the contact and the neutral feeling, as he continues carefully observing the dispassionate 
attitude that arises in him towards these two. Further, he observes closely the cessation of both 
the contact and the neutral feeling, and as a result, he experiences relinquishment, as he gives up 
both the contact and the neutral feeling altogether. This too, he carefully observes.

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“Now, as he closely engages in his observation thus, the underlying indifferent and uninterested 
tendencies that are generated due to having contact and experiencing neutral feelings, are both 
abandoned by him. 
“Now, whenever he feels a pleasant feeling, he knows: ‘This is impermanent’; while 
understanding: ‘this is not to be attached to nor held onto.’ As a result, he neither indulges nor 
delights in the pleasant feeling. 
“Similarly, whenever he feels a painful or an unhappy feeling, he knows: ‘This is impermanent’; 
while understanding: ‘this is not to be attached to nor held onto.’ As a result, he neither indulges 
nor delights in the painful or unhappy feeling. 
“Similarly, whenever he feels a neutral feeling, he knows: ‘This is impermanent’; while 
understanding: ‘this is not to be attached to nor held onto.’ As a result, he neither indulges nor 
delights in the neutral feeling. 
 
“And when he does experience a pleasant feeling, he remains unattached and aloof. 
When he experiences a painful or an unhappy feeling, he remains unattached and aloof.  
And when he experiences a neutral feeling, he remains unattached and aloof.  
 
“Further, when he experiences the body beginning to fade away, he knows and understands: ‘I 
feel the body fading away.’  
 
“And when he experiences the body breaking down, with its end fast approaching, he knows and 
understands: ‘I’m feeling the body breaking down, as I experience the end-of-life fast 
approaching.’  
 
“And when he knows and understands, ‘Now, with the breaking up of the body and this life 
coming to its end, all that is felt and experienced, none I take pleasure in nor delight in. As a 
direct result, all will become cool and be finished, right here.’ 
 
“Bhikkhus, just as an oil lamp continues burning while depending on the support it receives from 
the oil and the wick, when both oil and wick are no more and fully used up, the oil lamp too will 
be extinguished, through the absence of its fuel. 
In the same manner, Bhikkhus, when a Bhikkhu experiences the body breaking down, with its 
end fast approaching, he knows and understands: ‘I’m feeling the body breaking down, as I 
experience the end-of-life fast approaching.’  
 
“And when he knows and understands, ‘Now, with the breaking up of the body and this life 
coming to its end, all that is felt and experienced, none I take pleasure in nor delight in. As a 
direct result, all will become cool and be finished, right here.’” 
 
Sādhu 
 
Sādhu 
 
Sādhu
