The Buddha explains that he has taught feelings in many ways—two, three, five, six, eighteen, thirty-six, or a hundred and eight—and that those who accept the well-spoken teaching live in harmony rather than dispute.

SN 36.22 The Explanation of the Hundred and Eight

“Aṭṭhasatapariyāyaṁ vo, bhikkhave, dhammapariyāyaṁ desessāmi. Taṁ suṇātha.

Katamo ca, bhikkhave, aṭṭhasatapariyāyo, dhammapariyāyo? Dvepi mayā, bhikkhave, vedanā vuttā pariyāyena; tissopi mayā vedanā vuttā pariyāyena; pañcapi mayā vedanā vuttā pariyāyena; chapi mayā vedanā vuttā pariyāyena; aṭṭhārasāpi mayā vedanā vuttā pariyāyena; chattiṁsāpi mayā vedanā vuttā pariyāyena; aṭṭhasatampi mayā vedanā vuttā pariyāyena.

Katamā ca, bhikkhave, dve vedanā? Kāyikā ca cetasikā ca imā vuccanti, bhikkhave, dve vedanā.

Katamā ca, bhikkhave, tisso vedanā? Sukhā vedanā, dukkhā vedanā, adukkhamasukhā vedanā imā vuccanti, bhikkhave, tisso vedanā.

Katamā ca, bhikkhave, pañca vedanā? Sukhindriyaṁ, dukkhindriyaṁ, somanassindriyaṁ, domanassindriyaṁ, upekkhindriyaṁ imā vuccanti, bhikkhave, pañca vedanā.

Katamā ca, bhikkhave, cha vedanā? Cakkhusamphassajā vedanā …pe… manosamphassajā vedanā imā vuccanti, bhikkhave, cha vedanā.

Katamā ca, bhikkhave, aṭṭhārasa vedanā? Cha somanassūpavicārā, cha domanassūpavicārā, cha upekkhūpavicārā imā vuccanti, bhikkhave, aṭṭhārasa vedanā.

Katamā ca, bhikkhave, chattiṁsa vedanā? Cha gehasitāni somanassāni, cha nekkhammasitāni somanassāni, cha gehasitāni domanassāni, cha nekkhammasitāni domanassāni, cha gehasitā upekkhā, cha nekkhammasitā upekkhā imā vuccanti, bhikkhave, chattiṁsa vedanā.

Katamañca, bhikkhave, aṭṭhasataṁ vedanā? Atītā chattiṁsa vedanā, anāgatā chattiṁsa vedanā, paccuppannā chattiṁsa vedanā imā vuccanti, bhikkhave, aṭṭhasataṁ vedanā.

Ayaṁ, bhikkhave, aṭṭhasatapariyāyo dhammapariyāyo”ti.

Dutiyaṁ.

Reference Translation by Bhikkhu Sujato (CC0).

“Aṭṭhasatapariyāyaṁ vo, bhikkhave, dhammapariyāyaṁ desessāmi.

“Mendicants, I will teach you an exposition of the teaching on the hundred and eight.

Taṁ suṇātha.

Listen …

Katamo ca, bhikkhave, aṭṭhasatapariyāyo, dhammapariyāyo?

And what is the exposition of the teaching on the hundred and eight?

Dvepi mayā, bhikkhave, vedanā vuttā pariyāyena;

Mendicants, in one explanation I’ve spoken of two feelings. In another explanation I’ve spoken of three feelings, or five, six, eighteen, thirty-six, or a hundred and eight feelings.

tissopi mayā vedanā vuttā pariyāyena;

pañcapi mayā vedanā vuttā pariyāyena;

chapi mayā vedanā vuttā pariyāyena;

aṭṭhārasāpi mayā vedanā vuttā pariyāyena;

chattiṁsāpi mayā vedanā vuttā pariyāyena;

aṭṭhasatampi mayā vedanā vuttā pariyāyena.

Katamā ca, bhikkhave, dve vedanā?

And what are the two feelings?

Kāyikā ca cetasikā ca

Physical and mental.

imā vuccanti, bhikkhave, dve vedanā.

These are called the two feelings.

Katamā ca, bhikkhave, tisso vedanā?

And what are the three feelings?

Sukhā vedanā, dukkhā vedanā, adukkhamasukhā vedanā

Pleasant, painful, and neutral feelings. …

imā vuccanti, bhikkhave, tisso vedanā.

Katamā ca, bhikkhave, pañca vedanā?

And what are the five feelings?

Sukhindriyaṁ, dukkhindriyaṁ, somanassindriyaṁ, domanassindriyaṁ, upekkhindriyaṁ

The faculties of pleasure, pain, happiness, sadness, and equanimity. …

imā vuccanti, bhikkhave, pañca vedanā.

Katamā ca, bhikkhave, cha vedanā?

And what are the six feelings?

Cakkhusamphassajā vedanā …pe…

Feeling born of eye contact … ear contact … nose contact … tongue contact … body contact …

manosamphassajā vedanā

mind contact. …

imā vuccanti, bhikkhave, cha vedanā.

Katamā ca, bhikkhave, aṭṭhārasa vedanā?

And what are the eighteen feelings?

Cha somanassūpavicārā, cha domanassūpavicārā, cha upekkhūpavicārā

There are six preoccupations with happiness, six preoccupations with sadness, and six preoccupations with equanimity. …

imā vuccanti, bhikkhave, aṭṭhārasa vedanā.

Katamā ca, bhikkhave, chattiṁsa vedanā?

And what are the thirty-six feelings?

Cha gehasitāni somanassāni, cha nekkhammasitāni somanassāni, cha gehasitāni domanassāni, cha nekkhammasitāni domanassāni, cha gehasitā upekkhā, cha nekkhammasitā upekkhā

Six kinds of domestic happiness and six kinds of renunciate happiness. Six kinds of domestic sadness and six kinds of renunciate sadness. Six kinds of domestic equanimity and six kinds of renunciate equanimity. …

imā vuccanti, bhikkhave, chattiṁsa vedanā.

Katamañca, bhikkhave, aṭṭhasataṁ vedanā?

And what are the hundred and eight feelings?

Atītā chattiṁsa vedanā, anāgatā chattiṁsa vedanā, paccuppannā chattiṁsa vedanā

Thirty six feelings in the past, future, and present.

imā vuccanti, bhikkhave, aṭṭhasataṁ vedanā.

These are called the hundred and eight feelings.

Ayaṁ, bhikkhave, aṭṭhasatapariyāyo dhammapariyāyo”ti.

This is the exposition of the teaching on the hundred and eight.”

Dutiyaṁ.

Qualities:

Displeasure

Displeasure

A feeling of mental pain or a disagreeable feeling or unease born of mental contact.

Also known as: mental pain, mental distress, melancholy, sadness
Pāli: domanassa
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Equanimity

Equanimity

A state of mental poise and balance, characterized by non-reactivity and composure in the face of agreeable or disagreeable experiences.

Also known as: mental poise, mental balance, equipose, non-reactivity, composure
Pāli: upekkha
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Happiness

Happiness

Bodily ease and comfort; a pleasant feeling experienced with the body. In the third jhāna, one dwells experiencing this pleasure with the body. It is abandoned, along with bodily pain, for the fourth jhāna to arise.

Also known as: pleasant abiding, positive state of mind, sense of ease
Pāli: sukha
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Suffering

Suffering

Unpleasantness, discontentment, dissatisfaction, stress, pain, disease, i.e. mild or intense suffering that is inherent in conditioned existence.

Also known as: discomfort, unpleasantness, discontentedness, dissatisfaction, stress, pain, disease, distress, affliction
Pāli: dukkha
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Last updated on July 27, 2026