Vedena

“The feelings are the second item. If you are unaware of the feelings, you might think they are unimportant. In reality, they are of the greatest importance to human beings in that they spin us around at their will. Furthermore, they also spin the whole world around. Whatever feelings we desire-and everyone craves them-incite us to all kinds of behavior. Everyone chases after pleasant feelings and runs away from unpleasant feelings. This is how the vedana keep the whole world spinning. The feelings in people are the causes of all the new, strange inventions and creations that humanity constantly pro-duces. Art, culture, and technology were discovered and produced for the sake of the feelings, which have such great power to force us to follow them. Vedana causes desire. Want is born out of feeling and follows feeling. Consequently, we act according to our desires, causing all manner of occurrences to happen. Even our search for money is a response to vedana, whether because of sensuality and sex or merely because of the ordinary feeling of wishing to be at ease.”

Mindfulness with breathing by Bhikkhu Buddhadasa, p. 100.