The Mahānidāna Sutta of the Madhyama Āgama

(3) Original text: Ānanda, herein it is also said: Feeling is truly not the self, nor is the non-feeler the self. I should rely on my own reception, meaning my self is the feeling-dharma. To him it should be said thus: Friend, when all feelings are completely extinguished, there is no feeling whatsoever. With the cessation of feeling, could there still be thought: 'Is there a self that is mine?' Venerable sir, truly not. Therefore, Ānanda, based on this, it is impossible to observe that feeling is truly not the self, nor is the non-feeler the self. I should rely on my own reception; my self is the feeling-dharma.

Explanation: Ānanda, it is further explained here that feeling is indeed not the self, nor are the aggregates apart from feeling (form, perception, mental formations, and consciousness) the self. I should rely on my own reception, hence it is called "my self is the feeling-dharma." To one holding such a view, it should be addressed thus: Good friend, when all feelings are completely extinguished, there is no feeling whatsoever. Since feeling has ceased, do you still consider the receptive feeling to be the self? Ānanda replied: Feeling is indeed not the self. The Buddha said: Ānanda, therefore, relying on receptive feeling, it is impossible to observe that feeling is truly not the self, nor are the aggregates apart from feeling the self. I accept my reception; reception is me, I am feeling.

Sentient beings perceive the self in five ways: The first is the self as form (rūpa-ātman), regarding the physical body as the self, thinking "I am the body, the body is me." The second is the self as feeling (vedanā-ātman), regarding feeling as the self, thinking "I am feeling, feeling is me." The third is the self as perception (saññā-ātman), regarding perception as the self, thinking "I am perception, perception is me." The fourth is the self as mental formations (saṅkhāra-ātman), regarding mental formations as the self, thinking "I am mental formations, mental formations are me." The fifth is the self as consciousness (viññāṇa-ātman), regarding consciousness as the self, thinking "I am consciousness, consciousness is me." When sentient beings regard feeling as the self, the notion of "self as feeling" arises in their minds. When sentient beings have not severed the view of self, they either regard any one of these five types of self as "I" and the others as "mine," or regard all five as "I"—this constitutes the scope of the view of self.

Original text: Ānanda, therefore, bhikkhus do not regard feeling as the self, nor do they regard the non-feeler as the self. Further, they do not regard "I should rely on my own reception, meaning my self is the feeling-dharma." Those who do not regard such as self do not cling to anything in the world. Not clinging, there is no fear. Without fear, there is only parinirvana. They know for themselves: Birth is destroyed, the holy life has been lived, what had to be done has been done, there is no more rebirth.

Explanation: Ānanda, therefore, bhikkhus do not regard feeling as the self, nor do they regard form, perception, mental formations, or consciousness as the self. Further, they do not think "I rely on my own reception," nor do they regard themselves as the feeling-dharma. Those who do not regard these dharmas as self will not give rise to clinging when encountering any phenomenon, and their minds will be without fear. Because there is no fear, they attain only parinirvana. They know for themselves that birth has been exhausted, the pure holy life has been established, the task for this life's liberation has been completed, and there will be no further existence in future lives.