Dīrgha-āgama, the Ninth Sūtra: The Great Discourse on Causes

（七）Original text: 阿难。夫计我者。齐几名我见。名色与受。俱计以为我。有人言。受非我。我是受。或有言。受非我。我非受。受法是我。或有言。受非我。我非受。受法非我。但爱是我。阿难。彼见我者。言受是我。当语彼言。如来说三受。乐受苦受。不苦不乐受。当有乐受时。无有苦受。不苦不乐受。有苦受时。无有乐受。不苦不乐受。有不苦不乐受时。无有苦受乐受。

Explanation: Ānanda, for those who cling to the notion of a self, what kinds of views of self are there? They take the five aggregates of nāma-rūpa and the feelings entirely as the self. Some say that feeling is not the self, yet the self is feeling; others say that feeling is not the self, and the self is not feeling, but the dharma of feeling is the self; still others say that feeling is not the self, the self is not feeling, and the dharma of the feeler and the felt is also not the self, but craving is the self. Ānanda, for those among the holders of these views who say that feeling is the self, one should tell them: The Tathāgata has taught three kinds of feeling—pleasant feeling, painful feeling, and neither-painful-nor-pleasant feeling. When there is pleasant feeling, there is no painful feeling or neither-painful-nor-pleasant feeling; when there is painful feeling, there is no pleasant feeling or neither-painful-nor-pleasant feeling; when there is neither-painful-nor-pleasant feeling, there is no pleasant feeling or painful feeling.

Clinging to the notion of a self means that ordinary beings in their minds always mistakenly take the five aggregates and the eighteen realms to be dharmas that are permanent and have a sovereign master. This dharma is a worldly dharma; it does not refer to the non-worldly eighth consciousness, the tathāgatagarbha. Sentient beings, since beginningless kalpas, have never known that there is an eighth consciousness; they do not even know that there are seven consciousnesses, nor do they know which consciousness is true and which is false. Therefore, any claim that the "self" mentioned in the text is the eighth consciousness is an erroneous statement, contrary to principle and to fact. Ordinary beings have never taken the five aggregates of nāma-rūpa to be the eighth consciousness, nor have they taken feeling to be the eighth consciousness—this holds regardless of whether the five aggregates and feeling are the eighth consciousness or not. Moreover, the eighth consciousness has neither nāma-rūpa nor feeling; on what basis could one say that feeling is the eighth consciousness, or that feeling is not the eighth consciousness? Both assertions violate correct principle.

Original text: 所以然者。阿难。乐触缘生乐受。若乐触灭受亦灭。阿难。苦触缘生苦受。若苦触灭受亦灭。不苦不乐触缘。生不苦不乐受。若不苦不乐触灭受亦灭。阿难。如两木相攒则有火生。各置异处则无有火。此亦如是。因乐触缘故生乐受。若乐触灭受亦俱灭。因苦触缘故生苦受。若苦触灭受亦俱灭。因不苦不乐触缘生不苦不乐受。若不苦不乐触灭受亦俱灭。阿难。此三受有为无常。从因缘生。尽法灭法。为朽坏法。彼非我有。我非彼有。当以正智如实观之。

Explanation: The reason for saying this is: Ānanda, pleasant feeling arises conditioned on pleasant contact; if pleasant contact ceases, pleasant feeling also ceases. Ānanda, painful feeling arises conditioned on painful contact; if painful contact ceases, painful feeling also ceases accordingly. Neither-painful-nor-pleasant feeling arises conditioned on neither-painful-nor-pleasant contact; if the condition of neither-painful-nor-pleasant contact ceases, neither-painful-nor-pleasant feeling also ceases accordingly. Ānanda, it is like two pieces of wood rubbed together, from which fire is produced; if the two pieces of wood are placed apart from each other, no fire is produced.

Feeling is also like this: because of pleasant contact, pleasant feeling is produced; if pleasant contact ceases, pleasant feeling also ceases accordingly; because of painful contact, painful feeling is produced; if painful contact ceases, painful feeling also ceases accordingly; because of neither-painful-nor-pleasant contact, neither-painful-nor-pleasant feeling is produced; if neither-painful-nor-pleasant contact ceases, neither-painful-nor-pleasant feeling also ceases accordingly. Ānanda, these three kinds of feeling are conditioned and impermanent dharmas; they arise from causes and conditions; they are dharmas subject to exhaustion and cessation, dharmas subject to decay and deterioration. These dharmas are not mine, and I am not theirs. You should observe them with correct and truthful wisdom, as they really are.