The Conditioned

Monks, there are these three characteristics that define the conditioned.

What three?

An arising is seen, a vanishing is seen, and its alteration while it persists is seen.

These are the three characteristics that define the conditioned.

(Reference: AN 3.47)

In this Teaching from Gotama Buddha, he describes all “conditioned” objects or feelings.

A conditioned object or feeling arises, changes, and will fade away.

The Buddha uses this language “an arising is seen, a vanishing is seen (i.e. fade away), and its alteration while it persists is seen (i.e. changes)”.

A conditioned object or feeling will arise, change, and then fade away.

Discontentedness experienced in the unEnlightened mind is based on impermanent conditions and can be described as “conditioned feelings”.

• A pleasant feeling (happiness, excitement, elation, thrill, exhilaration, euphoria, etc.)

• A painful feeling (sadness, anger, frustration, irritation, annoyance, guilt, shame, fear, stress, anxiety, etc.)

• A feeling that is neither painful-nor-pleasant (boredom, loneliness, shyness, displeased, uncomfortable, unsatisfied, etc.)

The unEnlightened, or conditioned mind, will experience conditioned feelings because the feelings are based on impermanent conditions. The impermanent conditions arise, change, and fade away. Therefore, the conditioned feelings in the mind arise, change, and fade away.

An unEnlightened mind will base its happiness on an impermanent condition such as a new car, promotion at work, new relationship, or some other temporary condition. Then, as the car, promotion at work, relationship, or some other condition is no longer pleasing to the mind, the happiness changes and fades away. This is due to the unEnlightened mind being untrained and it bases its inner feelings on an impermanent condition. The mind experiences conditioned feelings that arise, change, and fade away.

This is not what an Enlightened unconditioned mind experiences.

Examples of conditioned objects exist all around you. You can observe for yourself that everything in the world is a conditioned object. The physical body, a tree, car, mobile phone, feelings, etc. You can investigate the world around you and observe, all that you see, hear, smell, taste, come in contact with through the physical body, and think about in the mind is a conditioned object. These are all impermanent because they are conditioned objects. They arise, change, and fade away.