MN 59 Bahuvedaniya Sutta: The Many Kinds of Feeling
Thus have i heard.
On one occasion the Blessed One was living at Savatthi in Jeta's Grove, Anathapindika's Park. Then the carpenter Pancakanga went to the venerable Udayin, and after paying homage to him, he sat down at one side and asked him: "Venerable sir, how many kinds of feeling have been stated by the Blessed One?" Ven Udayin: "Three kinds of feeling have been stated by the Blessed One: pleasant feeling, painful feeling, and neither painful-nor-pleasant feeling. These three kinds of feeling have been stated by the Blessed One." Pancakanga: "Not three kinds of feeling have been stated by the Blessed One, venerable Udayin; two kinds of feeling have been stated by the Blessed One: pleasant feeling and painful feeling. This neither-painful-nor-pleasant feeling has been stated by the Blessed One as a peaceful and sublime kind of pleasure." Then for a second time and a third time the venerable Udayin stated his position, and a second time and a third time the carpenter Pancakanga stated his. But the venerable Udayin could not convince the carpenter Pancakanga nor could the carpenter Pancakanga convince the venerable Udayin.
Venerable Ananda heard their conversation went to the Blessed One, and after paying homage to him, he sat down at one side and reported to the Blessed One the entire conversation between the venerable Udayin and the carpenter Pancakanga. When he had finished, the Blessed One told the venerable Ananda: "Ananda, it was actually a true presentation that the carpenter Pancakanga would not accept from Udayin, and it was actually a true presentation that Udayin would not accept from the carpenter Pancakanga. I have stated two kinds of feeling in one presentation;I have stated three kinds of feeling in another presentation; I have stated five kinds of feeling in another presentation; I have stated six kinds of feeling in another presentation; I have stated eighteen kinds of feeling in another presentation; I have stated thirty-six kinds of feeling in another presentation; I have stated one hundred and eight kinds of feeling in another presentation. That is how the Dhamma has been shown by me in different presentations. "
(The two kinds of feeling are bodily and mental feeling, or (less commonly) the two mentioned by Pancakanga. The three kinds are the three mentioned by Udayin. The five kinds are the faculties of (bodily) pleasure, (mental) joy, (bodily) pain, (mental) grief, and equanimity.The six kinds are the feelings born of contact through the six sense faculties. The eighteen kinds are the eighteen kinds of mental exploration – exploring the six sense objects that are productive of joy, productive of grief, and productive of equanimity. The thirty-six kinds are the thirty-six positions of beings – the six kinds of joy, grief, and equanimity each based either on the household life or on renunciation. The hundred and eight kinds are the previous thirty-six considered as referring to the past, present, and future.) "When the Dhamma has thus been shown by me in different presentations, it may be expected of those who will not concede, allow, and accept what is well stated and well spoken by others that they will take to quarreling, disputing, and verbally abusing each other. But it may be expected of those who concede, allow, and accept what is well stated and well spoken by others that they will live in concord, with mutual appreciation, without disputing, blending like milk and water, viewing each other with kindly eyes."
"Ananda, there are these five cords of sensual pleasure. What are the five? 1. Forms cognizable by the eye that are wished for, desired, agreeable, and likeable, connected with sensual desire and provocative of lust. 2. Sounds cognizable by the ear... 3. Odors cognizable by the nose... 4. Flavors cognizable by the tongue... 5. Tangibles cognizable by the body that are wished for, desired, agreeable, and likeable, connected with sensual desire and provocative of lust. These are the five cords of sensual pleasure. Now the pleasure and joy that arise dependent on these five cords of sensual pleasure are called sensual pleasure. "
"Should anyone say: 'That is the utmost pleasure and joy that beings experience,' I would not concede that to him. Why is that? Because there is another kind of pleasure loftier and more sublime than that pleasure. And what is that other kind of pleasure? Here, Ananda, quite secluded from sensual pleasures, secluded from unwholesome states, a bhikkhu enters upon and abides in the first jhana, which is accompanied by applied and sustained thought, with rapture and pleasure born of seclusion. This is that other kind of pleasure loftier and more sublime than the previous pleasure."
"Should anyone say: 'That is the utmost pleasure and joy that beings experience,' I would not concede that to him. Why is that? Because there is another kind of pleasure loftier and more sublime than that pleasure. What is that other kind of pleasure? Here, Ananda, with the stilling of applied and sustained thought, a bhikkhu enters upon and abides in the second jhana, which has self-confidence and singleness of mind without applied and sustained thought, with rapture and pleasure born of concentration. "
"Should anyone say...And what is that other kind of pleasure? Here, Ananda, with the fading away as well of rapture, a bhikkhu abides in equanimity, mindful and fully aware, and still feeling pleasure with the body, he enters upon and abides in the third jhana, on account of which noble ones announce: 'He has a pleasant abiding who has equanimity and is mindful.'
"Should anyone say...And what is that other kind of pleasure? Here, Ananda, with the abandoning of pleasure and pain, and with the previous disappearance of joy and grief, a bhikkhu enters upon and abides in the fourth jhana, which has neither pain-nor-pleasure and purity of mindfulness due to equanimity. "
"Should anyone say...And what is that other kind of pleasure? Here, Ananda, with the complete surmounting of perceptions of form, with the disappearance of perceptions of sensory impact, with non-attention to perceptions of diversity, aware that 'space is infinite,' a bhikkhu enters upon and abides in the base of infinite space. This is that other kind of pleasure loftier and more sublime than the previous pleasure. "
"Should anyone say...And what is that other kind of pleasure? Here, Ananda, by completely surmounting the base of infinite space, aware that 'consciousness is infinite,' a bhikkhu enters upon and abides in the base of infinite consciousness. This is that other kind of pleasure loftier and more sublime than the previous pleasure. "
"Should anyone say...And what is that other kind of pleasure? Here, Ananda, by completely surmounting the base of infinite consciousness, aware that 'there is nothing,' a bhikkhu enters upon and abides in the base of nothingness. This is that other kind of pleasure loftier and more sublime than the previous pleasure. "
"Should anyone say...And what is that other kind of pleasure? Here, Ananda, by completely surmounting the base of nothingness, a bhikkhu enters upon and abides in the base of neither-perception-nor-non-perception. This is that other kind of pleasure loftier and more sublime than the previous pleasure."
"Should anyone say: "That is the utmost pleasure and joy that beings experience. I would not concede that to him. Why is that? Because there is another kind of pleasure loftier and more sublime than that pleasure. And what is that other kind of pleasure? Here, Ananda, by completely surmounting the base of neither-perception-nor-non-perception, a bhikkhu enters upon and abides in the cessation of perception and feeling. This is that other kind of pleasure loftier and more sublime than the previous pleasure."
"It is possible, Ananda, that wanderers of other sects might speak thus: 'The recluse Gotama speaks of the cessation of perception and feeling and he describes that as pleasure. What is this, and how is this?' Wanderers of other sects who speak thus should be told: 'Friends, the Blessed One describes pleasure not only with reference to pleasant feeling; but rather the Tathagata describes pleasure as any kind of pleasure wherever and in whatever way it is found.'"
That is what the Blessed One said. The venerable Ananda was satisfied and delighted in the Blessed One's words.
In summary, the Buddha speaks of seven ways he classifies feelings (vedana) and ten ways he classifies rupa and arupa jhana happiness which is much better than sensual pleasures. The end of suffering, supreme bliss is nibbana.
References: 1. www.accesstoinsight.org 2. https://suttacentral.net/ 3. The Middle discourses of the Buddha (Bhikkhu Bodhi)