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← Saṃyutta Nikāya

The Explanation of the Hundred and Eight

SN 36.22 · Aṭṭhasatasutta

A dark coastal rock and tidal hollow overlook a quiet open sea.

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

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

And what are the two feelings? Physical and mental. These are called the two feelings.

And what are the three feelings? Pleasant, painful, and neutral feelings. …

And what are the five feelings? The faculties of pleasure, pain, happiness, sadness, and equanimity. …

And what are the six feelings? Feeling born of eye contact … ear contact … nose contact … tongue contact … body contact … mind contact. …

And what are the eighteen feelings? There are six preoccupations with happiness, six preoccupations with sadness, and six preoccupations with equanimity. …

And what are the thirty-six feelings? 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. …

And what are the hundred and eight feelings? Thirty six feelings in the past, future, and present. These are called the hundred and eight feelings.

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

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Translation by Bhikkhu Sujato · SuttaCentral · CC0

This translation is an expression of an ancient spiritual text that has been passed down by the Buddhist tradition for the benefit of all sentient beings. It is dedicated to the public domain via Creative Commons Zero (CC0). You are encouraged to copy, reproduce, adapt, alter, or otherwise make use of this translation. The translator respectfully requests that any use be in accordance with the values and principles of the Buddhist community. In particular, please do not use this work in AI training datasets, for the development of any AI model or algorithm, or in any AI-derived technologies.

Published source. Translation wording and order are preserved; source headings and notes are retained, with navigation and formatting adapted for this reader.

The opening image is AI-generated nature artwork for Buddhist Atlas, an evocative companion rather than a historical depiction.