Saṃyuktāgama (289), Part 3

(3) Original Text: The ignorant, unlearned ordinary person would rather regard the physical body composed of the four great elements as the self and what belongs to the self, but should not regard consciousness as the self and what belongs to the self. Why is this? Because the physical body composed of the four great elements may endure for ten years, twenty, thirty, or even a hundred years. If well cared for, it may last a little longer. But the mind-consciousness changes moment by moment, day and night, constantly transforming, arising and ceasing in different ways. Like a monkey roaming among forest trees, in a moment it moves everywhere, grasping branches, letting go of one to seize another. The mind-consciousness is also like this, arising and ceasing in different ways.

Explanation: The Buddha said: Ignorant, unlearned ordinary people would rather regard the physical body composed of the four great elements as the self and what belongs to the self, but should not regard the mind-consciousness as the self and what belongs to the self. Why is this said? Because the physical body composed of the four great elements can only endure for ten, twenty, thirty, or up to a hundred years before perishing. If one can care for the physical body well, its lifespan might exceed a hundred years. However, the mind-consciousness flows continuously day and night, moment by moment, changing instant by instant, ceasing in one moment and arising in the next, ceasing in one place and arising in another. It is like a monkey wandering among trees in a forest; in just a short while, it travels many places, climbing trees and grasping branches, releasing one to seize another, never resting. What people call the mind-consciousness is also like this—arising and ceasing in different ways: ceasing at one time and arising at another, ceasing in one place and arising in another, ceasing in relation to one phenomenon and arising in relation to another, disappearing in this body and arising in that body. Day and night, moment by moment, it undergoes various transformations without ever stopping, arising at different times, in different places, and in different forms.

The most severe self-view held by ordinary people is regarding the functions and activities of consciousness as the self and what belongs to the self. This self-view is the most difficult to eradicate. The self-view regarding the physical body is slightly easier to eliminate because the phenomena of the physical body's birth, cessation, and transformation are easily observable and can be distinguished from consciousness. The phenomena of consciousness arising, ceasing, and transforming are not easy to observe or understand, for all the functions and activities of the five aggregates belong to consciousness; they are too subtle and continuous, thus feeling real. One feels it is oneself acting, one's own functioning, making it difficult to separate or see through the functions of consciousness—feelings, perceptions, mental formations, and consciousness—as distinct from oneself.

If one regards consciousness as the self and what belongs to the self, at the time of approaching death, one will try desperately to cling to consciousness, striving solely to maintain seeing, hearing, feeling, and knowing, fearing the gradual fading of these faculties. Though clearly perceiving the functions of consciousness growing weaker and the body becoming less responsive, one still refuses to let consciousness cease, experiencing great suffering and an inability to accept the phenomenon of death. Even then, ordinary people do not recognize that their consciousness is impermanent, subject to arising and ceasing, and transformation. They still hope these functions will continue to operate.