The True Meaning of “Feeling Is Self and Different from Self”

Original text of the Saṃyuktāgama, Volume Five:「云何见受即是我？谓六受身——眼触生受，耳、鼻、舌、身、意触生受。此六受身一一见是我，我是受，是名受即是我。云何见受异我？谓见色是我，受是我所；谓想、行、识是我，受是我所，是名受异我。

「云何见我中受？谓色是我，受在其中，想、行、识是我，受在其中。云何见受中我？谓色是我，于受中住，周遍其四体；想、行、识是我，于受中住，周遍其四体，是名受中我。

Explanation: How is the aggregate of feeling taken to be the self? The aggregate of feeling is the six feeling-bodies: when the eye faculty contacts form objects, eye consciousness arises, and eye consciousness has feeling; when the ear faculty contacts sound objects, ear consciousness arises, and ear consciousness has feeling; when the nose faculty contacts scent objects, nose consciousness arises, and nose consciousness has feeling; when the tongue faculty contacts taste objects, tongue consciousness arises, and tongue consciousness has feeling; when the body faculty contacts touch objects, body consciousness arises, and body consciousness has feeling; when the manas contacts mental objects, mind consciousness arises, and mind consciousness has feeling. The manas takes these six feelings all as being itself, believing that it (the manas) is the feeling—this is called "feeling is the self (the manas)."

How is feeling seen as different from the self? It means the manas regards the aggregate of form as the self, and then the aggregate of feeling is what it possesses; when the manas takes the aggregates of perception, volitional formations, and consciousness as the self, it will regard the aggregate of feeling as what it possesses. This is called "feeling is different from the self."

What is seeing feeling as existing within the self (the manas)? It means the manas regards the aggregate of form as the self, and the aggregate of feeling is within the aggregate of form; the manas regards the aggregates of perception, volitional formations, and consciousness as the self, and the aggregate of feeling is within the aggregates of perception, volitional formations, and consciousness. The aggregate of feeling is what it possesses.

What is seeing the self as existing within feeling? It means the manas regards the aggregate of form as the self, the aggregate of form dwells within the aggregate of feeling, so the self dwells within the aggregate of feeling, and the aggregate of feeling pervades the four limbs and the whole body. The manas regards the aggregates of perception, volitional formations, and consciousness as the self; these aggregates dwell within the aggregate of feeling, so the self dwells within the aggregate of feeling, and the self pervades the entire body—this is called "the self exists within feeling."