________________
144
SAMAYSARA
of series of consciousness, there is also the hedonic aspect associated with each item of the series A sensation or a perception besides giving information about an external object, may also produce pleasurable or painful feeling This pleasure-pain aspect is present in association with each item of the series This again has two aspects, subjective and objective, the former indicated by the direction of attention, the latter indicated by the perception and idea attended to These are technically called vēdaka and vēdya bhāvās If the pleasure-pain aspect is negative, it produces an automatic reaction whether in man or in animals to turn away from the painful perception and idea But if the hedonic aspect 15 positive and pleasurable it produces a contrary reaction in the individual The individual strives to get at it and possess it because it is pleasurable This behaviour which man has in common with lower animals, as the manifestation of the instinctof self-preservation, is not present in the case of an enlightened individual He recognises the momentariness of these series rapidly passing in front of the real Self whose nature is entirely distinct from the characteristics of the passing series of conscious states Resting upon this permanent reality, he is able to realise that even the pleasurable elements of consciousness are entirely ephemeral and fleeting in nature and hence incapable of producing any real satisfaction. Further he realises that there is no fundamental difference between the pleasurable and painful hedonic aspects of consciousness, since both are due to karmic upādhic conditions entirely alien to the nature of the Self Hence his behaviour is different He does not run after the pleasurable elements of consciousness, nor does he desire to possess them The ordinary behaviour of avioding the painful and pursuing the pleasurable is transformed in his case to an attitude of neutrality in which he remains merely a spectator of the panorama without in any way being affected by the hedonic elements even when they are pleasurable
बधुवभोगणिमित्त अज्झवसाणोदएसु णाणिस्स ।
ससारदेहविसएस् णेव उप्पज्जदे रागो ॥२१७॥ Bandhuvabhoganımıttam ajjhavasānodayesu nānissa Samsāra dehavisayesu neva uppajjade rāgo (217)
