『대념처경(Mahāsatipaṭṭhāna sutta)』에서 보이는 수념처(受念處)의 실천과 이해

A study on the understanding of the contemplation of feelings (Vedanānupassanā)

This study focuses on the contemplation of feelings(Vedanānupassanā) and its problem of interpretation. The contemplation of feelings is the second of the four foundations of mindfulness(satipaṭṭhāna). According to the method of its practice, practitioner can contemplate on feelings as the object of meditation with the eradication of craving(taṇhā) and that helps the understanding of true nature of things. In this practice, practitioners try to find and learn the textual reference for the verification of their practice whether they are following right way or not. Many buddhist scholars and meditation masters who have their own clarifications and experiences give textual evidence at times. These clarifications are helpful but it is not so always. Many buddhist scholars and meditation masters are apt to follow the traditional way of interpretations as the textual explanation. Such as, commentaries(aṭṭhakatha) and Visuddhimagga, etc. Sometimes, they accept the explanations of the Buddhaghosa as the Buddha’s taught itself without comparative studying between the original text(Pāli-Nikāya) and commentaries. Therefore, in this study, an attempt is to find out what is the contemplation of feelings exactly in Nikāyas, and to examine whether the commentarial interpretation and practices have deviated from the original practice, if so what these deviations are, and what could have led to such deviation and so on. One of main points of contention is whether contemplating feeling as feelings externally indicates feeling of other person or not. The Mahā-satipaṭṭhāna sutta and Satipaṭṭhāna sutta explain in detail the practice of the contemplation of feelings(vedanānupassanā). In this practice, meditator contemplates his internal feeling at first, and he again contemplates on external feelings, and last he contemplates on both, internal and external feelings. These two types of practice, internal and external are common to all Satipaṭṭhāna practices. These two words, feelings internal and feelings external deserve close study in the Satipaṭṭhāna practice. Here, two interpretations are possible for these terms. First, internal feelings mean, meditator’s mental feelings which are mentally agreeable feelings(somanassa vedanā), mentally disagreeable feelings(domanassa vedanā) and neutral feelings(upekkhā). And external feelings mean, meditator’s physical feelings which are his bodily agreeable feelings(sukhā vedanā) and bodily disagreeable feelings(dukkha vedanā). The other is literal interpretation according to which internal feelings mean whatever mental or physical feelings pertaining to the meditator himself. And external feelings indicate feelings pertaining to other persons. Vens. Soma Thera, Piyadassi Thera, and Nyanaponika Thera also translate this term ‘external’ as other person’s feeling. This is because their translations are based on the explanation of Buddhaghosa. The Sumangalavilāsinī explains internal and external as concerning meditator’s own feeling (=attano) and external as other’s feeling (=parassa). For this, one possible interpretation is that one can not know but can infer others’ feeling. However, the rendering of the term bahiddhā as other’s feeling leads to some problems of interpretation from a practical point of view. When one infers something in this way, it is doubtful whether we can call this inference as ‘contemplating’. The text says ‘He abides contemplating feelings as feelings externally(bahiddhā vā vedanāsu vedanānupassī viharati).’ Hence, inference of other’s feeling is far from actual contemplation on one’s own feeling. The rendering of the term external(bahiddhā) as other person’s feeling as explained in the Sumangalavilāsinī is not quite su