Reading guide
A new discourse type: precise, faculty-by-faculty definitions
Confirmed by direct reading, this discourse departs from every earlier discourse in this vagga by directly defining each of the five feeling faculties in a question-and-answer form (“And what is the faculty of pleasure? … This is called the faculty of pleasure”), rather than merely naming them or judging a disciple's understanding of them.
The physical/mental/neither split, now confirmed directly
Confirmed by direct reading, this discourse's own definitions validate exactly what this project's own SN 48.31 could only infer from the bare list: sukhindriya and dukkhindriya are defined as pleasant and painful feeling “born from BODILY contact” (kāyasamphassajaṁ); somanassindriya and domanassindriya as pleasant and painful feeling “born from MIND contact” (manosamphassajaṁ); and upekkhindriya as neither pleasant nor painful, whether physical or mental.
Marked "(1st)", signaling an unread continuation
This project's own honest observation: this discourse's own title, “Analysis (1st),” matches the same “paṭhama” marking pattern already met at SN 48.29 and SN 48.34, signaling a paired “(2nd)” discourse to follow. This project will read it fresh rather than assume its own content in advance.
Key terms
The text
§1“Mendicants, there are these five faculties. What five? The faculties of pleasure, pain, happiness, sadness, and equanimity. And what is the faculty of pleasure? Physical enjoyment, physical pleasure, the enjoyable, pleasant feeling that’s born from physical contact. This is called the faculty of pleasure. And what is the faculty of pain? Physical pain, physical unpleasantness, the painful, unpleasant feeling that’s born from physical contact. This is called the faculty of pain. And what is the faculty of happiness? Mental enjoyment, mental pleasure, the enjoyable, pleasant feeling that’s born from mind contact. This is called the faculty of happiness. And what is the faculty of sadness? Mental pain, mental displeasure, the painful, unpleasant feeling that’s born from mind contact. This is called the faculty of sadness. And what is the faculty of equanimity? Neither pleasant nor unpleasant feeling, whether physical or mental. This is the faculty of equanimity. These are the five faculties.”
Self-check quiz
3 questions. Click an answer to see immediate feedback. No score is recorded — this is for your own checking.