The Great Discourse on the Origination (Mahānidāna Sutta) from the Madhyama Āgama

Original Text: Ananda, how should one observe me? Ananda, regarding feeling, either by taking feeling as the self within me, or by taking that which is truly not the self within me as the self within me. That which does not experience feeling is said to be the self within me. Ananda, observing me thus, or taking feeling as truly not the self within me, and that which does not experience feeling is also not the self within me. I should rely on my experiencing, that is, on the dhamma of feeling, which is then said to be the self within me. Ananda, observe me thus.

Explanation: The Buddha said: Ananda, how should one observe me? Regarding the aggregate of feeling (vedanākkhandha), one observes either by taking feeling as the self within me, or by taking feeling as truly not the self within me. That which has no feeling whatsoever is said to be the self within me. Ananda, observing me thus—either by taking feeling as truly not the self within me, and also taking that which does not experience feeling as not being the self within me—I should rely on my experiencing, that is, rely on the dhamma of feeling; this is then said to be the self within me.

Original Text: Ananda, regarding the statement that feeling is the self within me, one must necessarily say this: Friend, this feeling is threefold: pleasant feeling, painful feeling, and neither-painful-nor-pleasant feeling. Among these three feelings, which do you perceive as me? Ananda, if at a certain time one experiences a pleasant feeling, at that same time one does not experience a painful feeling, nor does one experience a neither-painful-nor-pleasant feeling. At that time, only the pleasant feeling should be experienced. Ananda, if again at a certain time one experiences a painful feeling, at that same time one does not experience a pleasant feeling, nor does one experience a neither-painful-nor-pleasant feeling. At that time, only the painful feeling should be experienced. Ananda, if again at a certain time one experiences a neither-painful-nor-pleasant feeling, at that same time one does not experience a pleasant feeling, nor does one experience a painful feeling. At that time, only the neither-painful-nor-pleasant feeling should be experienced.

Explanation: Ananda, regarding the statement that feeling is the self within me, one must necessarily say this: Friend, this feeling is threefold: pleasant feeling, painful feeling, and neither-painful-nor-pleasant feeling. Among these three feelings, what do you take to be me? What phenomenon do you perceive as me? Ananda, if at a certain time you experience a pleasant feeling, you simultaneously do not experience a painful feeling, nor do you experience a neither-painful-nor-pleasant feeling; at the same time, only the pleasant feeling can be experienced. Ananda, again, at a certain time, if you experience a painful feeling, then at that time you cannot experience a pleasant feeling, nor can you experience a neither-painful-nor-pleasant feeling; at that time, only the painful feeling can be experienced. Ananda, if again at a certain time you experience a neither-painful-nor-pleasant feeling, then at that time you cannot experience a pleasant feeling, nor can you experience a painful feeling; only the neither-painful-nor-pleasant feeling can be experienced.

This makes it easy to observe me. If feeling is taken as me, and feeling is threefold, then I would be threefold. However, at any single moment, only one type of feeling exists; thus, only that feeling would be me, while the other two types would not be me. Clearly, this is incorrect. A contradiction arises, which demonstrates that feeling is not me. If feeling were me, all three feelings should simultaneously be me, yet the three feelings cannot coexist; they are mutually exclusive. This shows that taking feeling as me is erroneous. Someone might say that feeling is certainly not the eighth consciousness (ālaya-vijñāna), but can these words and the content of observation be linked to the eighth consciousness? Clearly not, because Śrāvakas are entirely incapable of directly observing the eighth consciousness, especially ordinary Śrāvakas who have not yet severed the view of self. They cannot realize the eighth consciousness through enlightenment; their sequence of observation is inverted, making realization impossible. They also cannot imagine an eighth consciousness to observe; such imagination is mere speculation and conjecture, devoid of any efficacy.